


All Glory Ends in Night

by defragmentise (croixsouillees), spirithorse



Series: Kingmaker [5]
Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2018-10-12 02:11:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 40
Words: 463,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10479759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/croixsouillees/pseuds/defragmentise, https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: The world and its people drown in malevolence.Sorey struggles with the weight and the sins of a broken empire that enslaves the seraphim. Mikleo is the remaining survivor of an attack that left him manifesting as a drake.“When we made the pact I asked you to make me king. Do that and let’s bring peace to the world with a benevolent hand, or destroy it trying.”





	1. Cover

**Author's Note:**

> This is all Nami (shamingcows’) fault. She was talking ABO on twitter and then tossed me this intriguing bone. And then I couldn’t stop thinking about it. There are also some references to Tales of Berseria but no major plot spoilers. Title taken from J.R.R. Tolkien.
> 
> I’m going to be doing this fic a little differently simply because 1) it’s become a monster and 2) I’m working on a MA full time while writing this. As such, I will be updating this fic once a week on Tuesdays and will be posting it in two parts. This is part one, part two will follow as soon as I have written and edited it. I can’t give you a firm time on that because it all depends on what life throws at me, but I promise that I have no intention of giving up on this fic.


	2. Part I: Kingmaker




	3. Chapter 1

“Therefore we are going away to another place, where a man isn’t crowded and can come into his own. We are not little men – so we are going away to be kings.”  
- _The Man Who Would Be King_ , Peachy Carnehan

* * *

 

Sorey paused to catch his breath, turning to look back down the mountain. He scanned over the steep path that led to the ruin that was perched on the side of the mountain. His fingers twitched against his side as he fought the urge to go towards it. It was obviously older than any Asgardian era, maybe even as late as the Temperance of Averost. It was rare to find any ruins, especially in one piece. Most of them had been destroyed by the wars that had dissolved the kingdom of Hyland. Sorey sucked in a quick breath and curled his fingers in towards his palm.

He didn’t have time to go looking through ruins. There was something more important and pressing that needed his attention.

He swallowed and looked down into the valley that he had been traveling through. At the base of the steep path he could see his horse grazing comfortably, apparently not at all disturbed by the brunt out and overgrown village that started close to the base of the mountain.

Sorey had to lean out to see the landslide that had swallowed some of the houses and petered out towards the center of the village. Now that he was close enough to see some of the details,he was sure that there had been some interesting archeology there; possibly connected to the ruin on the side of the mountain. Sorey looked down at his feet, nudging a pebble with his foot before shivering.

There were plenty of stories about Camlann, the village that had been at the center of the last push towards Hyland before the kingdom had been overrun. Sorey had heard them all growing up from his father. The general had taken some interest in him until he found out that his son was not interested in the war. Sorey didn’t know if his father would have come around. Georg Heldalf hadn’t had the time between his short lived reign as emperor and his death at the hands of Emperor Leon. Sorey was sure that his father wouldn’t have approved of anything he was about to do. The war had been Heldalf’s pride and joy, but it was Sorey’s hell.

Camlann and the shrine beyond it were a sight that he was all too used to seeing now, and not just from his ride out into what was once disputed land for the empire. Sorey frowned and stared out at the ruined village. Even from where he stood he could see the scars on the artes that had been used to quell the forces of rebellion that had lived in the village.

All of the stories talked about how their troops had swept down into the village, and how everyone had resisted until General Heldalf had managed to subdue Maotelus and force him into the prepared vessel. Shepherd Michael, the last Shepherd, had watched it all happen before turning his back on the people and walking away. And then, their guardian and great lord had been turned on them.

Sorey shuddered and rubbed his arms, turning his gaze away from the ruins. He tipped his head back to look up at the mountain again. He could just see the top of it from where he was, but there was no sign of what he was looking for. Then again, Sorey doubted that anyone would be obvious about where they were hiding, especially with the way that the war was going.

He rolled his shoulders and kept walking up the path, keeping his eyes open for traps. The last time that anyone had come up through Camlann, it had been Konan when he had been getting ready to fight his half-brother. Considering the size of the force that Konan had taken with him, Sorey doubted that they had missed any of the traps, but he was still going to be careful. It would have been more foolish to believe that the seraphim that had lived at the top of the mountain hadn’t protected themselves, especially since they must have known that they were the last enclave of free seraphim left in the world.

Sorey scanned the path ahead of him, slowing down at an arm bone that was partially embedded in dirt. He stepped carefully around it, continuing his steady climb up the path.

The mountain was a lonely one, which made it easy to believe that it was once the last stronghold of the seraphim. Sorey could just imagine the seraphim looking down from the slopes, watching for the red of the empire to come marching up like they had twenty years before when Heldalf had been there. Sorey wasn’t sure if Konan had been cautious or he had rushed. He had still been mostly out of the war at that point, living in the palace with his aunt and waiting for word if he would have to make another run for his life. With what he had heard, Konan hadn’t had the time to be careful, not if he wanted to snatch the throne out from under Leon before his older brother had gotten too settled. Konan had probably rushed up the mountain because he had men to spare and there was only a short supply of seraphim left in the world. To secure any of them would have meant replacements for broken weapons instead of relying on ones without a trapped seraph.

That still hadn’t saved lives, because the war would always find a way. He had learned that much in the seventeen years of his life. Every time it had seemed like it would stop, something would start it up again. It had been the threat of Hyland at one point, and now it was the end of the squabbling between Emperor Dorann’s three sons.

He let his breath out slowly, Sorey trying to focus on the path as he moved up it. There was something more dangerous that traps waiting for him at the top, although he had only heard about it through rumors. Still, there had been enough rumors for him to consider the trip far away from the villages that he was helping and into the mountains. It would certainly give Lyte the time to ride back from where he was investigating rumors of resistance and back to the capital. Once there, Sorey was sure that he would either turn on the late empress to secure his control of the throne or attempt to seek out more seraphim in the hopes of strengthening his army, not that anyone thought that there were any left.

Everyone said that all the seraphim were gone, either used in the weapons that they were bound to or transformed into hellions and turned loose on their enemies. In the years before the weaker seraphim would have been fed to the dragons, but the last of the dragons had been killed long before Hyland had been eliminated. There were plenty of rumors about which royal commanded one, but Sorey knew the truth. There were no more dragons in the capital, just suffering seraphim locked in vessels and waiting for their ends.

That and the rumors of one last dragon on the mountain by Camlann.

Sorey glanced up at the sky, almost expecting to see a huge shape circling the mountain, but there was nothing but the overcast sky. That didn’t stop him from dropping his hand to his sword, holding onto the hilt as he cleared the top of the path.

He looked over at the forest on the top of the mountain before shaking his head. He might run into the trees if there even was a dragon on the mountain but he didn’t want to start out there in case the dragon was lurking in the shadows. Anything that lived there would know the area better than he did.

Sorey swallowed and continued on the worn path, trying not to pay attention to the fragments of banners and bone that he saw out of the corner of his eye. They were the remains of the empire’s last push, the bodies that no one had bothered to bury. Sorey could only wonder if the soldiers had succumbed to malevolence and had been killed by their comrades when they had turned on the humans. Considering the malevolence that hung heavily over the world he wouldn’t be surprised. Every time an army marched out they lost half their numbers to the malevolence, but that hadn’t stopped the empire at any time. The hellions would march as long as the chance for another battle presented itself.

He hopped awkwardly over an exposed ribcage, Sorey wincing at the crack of something under his foot. He lifted it up quickly, looking down at the piece of a standard that he had snapped. Sorey frowned at the symbol of the empire, kicking dirt over it before continuing to walk.

An impressive gate loomed above him, Sorey tipping his head back to look at it. It looked like it would have been painted at one point, Sorey still able to see flakes of the paint that remained. But they weren’t as obvious as the burn marks that had been left by the fight that had happened there. He frowned and reached up to touch one, pulling his fingers back and rubbing the charred material between his fingers.

Sorey sighed and stepped around the gate, coming to a stop when he saw the cairns in the meadow beyond it. They were evenly spaced, three rocks stacked neatly on top of each other. From where he stood he couldn’t tell if there were carvings on any of the rocks, but it was clear that they were newer than the gate, probably even newer than the damage on the gate. Flowers had been coaxed to grow around the stones, but the stones were clear of moss.

They continued up the meadow, curving slightly in a semicircle. The only break in their spacing was in a large, scarred pit in the earth. The grass there looked brittle, like the earth had been burned by some great power there. A single cairn was in the pit, this one slightly bigger than the others and the flowers were smaller and crooked, like they were struggling to grow in the soil.

He frowned and counted down the line, curling his fingers back towards his palm when he reached fourteen. Sorey doubted that they marked out the graves of the soldiers. No one would have taken that much care, not when taking seraphim was a dangerous business. It was all about speed and using the spells that had been set down by Artorius all of those centuries ago. Sorey fully expected to find fragments of the weapons that had been brought from when potential vessels broke or warped as the seraphim were forced into them.

Sorey brushed his foot over the grass, looking for the glitter of steel. He thought he felt his foot knock against something when he heard a crackle.

He froze in the act of bending over, his hand dropping to his sword. He glanced around at the empty meadow, looking for any sign of people lying in wait. Sorey wouldn’t have put it past Lyte to have men following him. There were many miles between Pendrago and Camlann and plenty of old paths that they could have taken. It wouldn’t have been the first time that Lyte or his brothers struck out against their family; Leon had been the one to condemn Heldalf and Selene to the hangman’s noose in the same order.

Sorey closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths as he pulled out his sword. He looked over his shoulder, scanning the trees behind him.

If it wasn’t Lyte’s men, then it was possible than some of the people who ran from the empire had been using the mountain and the legend of the dragon for their own protection. If that was the case then they were in the wrong place. The empire had a firm grip on the former kingdom of Hyland. The only place of safety was across the Camelot Bridge. The empire had no need of a desert especially when they could choke the trade routes and bring the populace to their knees.

If they were resistance fighters, then Sorey could only hope that none of them had been paying attention to the endless tug of war in the government of the empire. He had stripped off anything that would connect him to the empire before he had ridden off, but there could be someone who recognized him. After all, he had been born in the area. His mother had never told him where, but there might have been people who had known them before Selene had gone back to Pendrago.

Sorey adjusted his hold on his sword, ready to spin around when there was a roar above his head.

He jerked his head up, stumbling back as a dragon swooped down to the ground. He lifted his sword as the dragon swung its head towards him, Sorey staring in awe at the huge teeth that were bared at him. All of the stories had said that dragons were big, but none of them had managed to really describe them.

Sorey dropped into a defensive stance, watching the dragon just as closely as the dragon was watching him. The dragon huffed, Sorey seeing the white scales around its purple eyes twitch before the dragon rumbled out a sound that might have been a laugh. Sorey didn’t know what to make of the sound, but he didn’t dare back down. He wouldn’t be able to run for the forest before the dragon snatched up him, which just left him the option to stand his ground.

The dragon took a slow step forward, its lips twitching up further as it stared at the sword that Sorey held. “You insult me.”

“What?” Sorey was surprised at the words that came out of the dragon’s mouth. He hadn’t anticipated that the dragon would be intelligent enough to speak; none of the other dragons had been able to according to the records. Most surprising still was the voice itself, because it sounded like a young man.

The dragon jerked his hand toward the sword. “Who do you have trapped in there?”

“No one.” The dragon snorted, Sorey doing his best not to flinch at the sound. Instead, he flipped his hold on the sword and stabbed it down into the ground. At the dragon’s inquisitive look, Sorey gestured at the sword. “Go ahead and check.”

He took a step back as the dragon stepped forward, his attention moving to the creature itself as the dragon sniffed at the sword.

The dragon was white with hints of blue and purple running through its iridescent scales. Its wings were tucked securely against its sides, the coloration making them look that they were almost melting into the dragon’s body and disappearing. Sorey glanced down at the dragon’s claws, jerking his gaze away when the dragon growled.

It grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it out from the ground. Sorey had a moment to process what it was doing before the dragon threw the sword off the side of the mountain.

Sorey watched its glittering arc, turning his attention back to the dragon when it was out of his line of sight. He swallowed at the casual show to strength, but he couldn’t afford to back down.

He clenched his hands into fists and stepped forward so he could stare into the dragon’s eye. “I need your help.”

That drew another laugh from the creature. “A human asking for help. That’s a first. You should have kept your sword, you would have gotten a better result with your spells.”

“What good will making you serve me like that? You’ll turn on me in the end.”

The dragon licked its lips, Sorey sure that he saw a hint of smile in the bared teeth this time. “That would be the one thing that would make the imprisonment worth it.”

Sorey huffed, looking the dragon over. It was hard to read the creature and, with the way that it was behaving, it would be hard to talk it over to his side. But he had to, it was the only plan that he had.

He sighed and unclenched his fists. “I need your help to become emperor and end the war.”

That got the dragon to look at him, really look at him. The dragon was quiet for a moment before it shook its head. "I have no desire to end your war for you, human murderer, nor drown in the blood of your enemies."

“Then you’re just willing to stay here.” Sorey swept his arm out, not realizing that he had motioned to some of the cairns until the dragon made a muffled noise in the back of its throat. He dropped his arm back to his side, shaking his head. “It’s not going to stop unless someone does something about it. People will keep dying and the seraphim will keep being used until they’re nothing but hellions.”

“And why do you care?”

“Because it’s my world too!” Sorey was aware that shouting at a dragon was not the smartest idea, but it was the only thing he had. He’d had seventeen years of watching the world collapse into itself because of greed and cruelty. Seventeen years of growing malevolence and the knowledge that one day it would be larger than the world itself and the horrible realization of what would happen if it continued.

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice even as he spoke. “The malevolence is getting stronger and, if it does, then it won’t matter who wins. Everyone will be a hellion and we’ll kill each other. We have to stop it now, before it can get any worse. The war, the enslavement of seraphim. Everything.”

"Lofty goal. You won't succeed."

Sorey shook his head, smiling up at the dragon. “I will. I have to. But I’ll need your help and I’d prefer a willing partner.” That got the dragon to snort, Sorey hurrying on in the fear that he would lose the dragon. “I need power to stop the war, something I won’t have myself. Everyone else is using weapons with trapped seraphim.”

“But you refuse to?” Sorey could only nod as the dragon laughed. “Sticking to your principles will get you killed, and that isn’t a way to end a war.”

“No, but I’m prepared for it if it comes to that.”

“Foolish.”

“Maybe, but it’s all I have.” Sorey closed his eyes, his shoulders slumping. “If I become emperor I will be able to stop the war and I will have access to all of the seraphic weapons. I’ll be able to free them, but I’ll need your help if they’re too far gone.”

“And if you can’t do any of that?”

“Then I’ll do as much as I can.”

He opened his eyes to look at the dragon, watching as it shifted in place. The creature huffed and turned away, pacing along the curve of cairns before coming to a stop in front of the one in the pit. “I watched humans kill my family and take the ones that they didn’t kill. So tell me one reason that I should trust you.”

There was no good answer to that and they both knew it. But Sorey had come too far to just give up. There was nothing else for him to do, not unless he wanted to throw everything away early.

He swallowed, looking up at the dragon. He met the creature’s gaze. “Because I’m the only one that will ask. If it’s not me then someone else will come up here to feed you seraphim and hellions until you forget who you are, and then they’ll have you too. I don’t want that, because I think you’re one of the last.”

The dragon’s eyes narrowed. “You’re asking me to throw my life away with yours.”

“No.”

The dragon snorted and took a step towards him. It lowered its head so one eye was even with Sorey. “You’d get power and the chance to end the war, but what would I get.”

“Name your price.”

“You’re generous.”

Sorey shrugged. “I’m asking a lot.”

He thought he heard the dragon laugh, but it trailed off into a thoughtful hum. “Natalie, Kyme and Melody.”

“Your family?”

The dragon nodded. “Give me back the ones you took.”

“I’ll give you back as many as I can. And I’ll keep you alive and free from being bound until you are together again.”

“That’s a lot to promise.”

“I’ll swear on anything you want me to.”

The dragon stared at him and then let out a bark of laughter. Sorey was surprised by the laugh after all of the serious talk. He stood rooted in place, even when the dragon turned, the edge of a cold wing grazing his cheek.

The dragon tuned in the middle of the meadow, shining fragments falling off of it. At first, Sorey thought that they were scales until he saw the cracks that were running up at down the dragon. He frowned, about to ask what was happening when the dragon shattered like it was nothing more than ice.

Sorey followed the pieces as they fell to the ground, watching as the ice melted immediately into the grass on contact. He watched the pools of water before looking back at the place that the ice had fallen neatly around.

His breath caught in his throat as he saw the seraph emerging from the pieces of ice, the seraph picking his way through easily. Sorey tensed as the seraph looked up at him, not sure how to take the smile that crossed the seraph’s face.

The seraph walked over to him, his laugh tapering off as he stood in front of Sorey. "Very well, little emperor." The seraph tilted his head to the side. "Give the seraphim back and I will make you conqueror of the world."

Sorey nodded and held out his hand, sure that he had agreed to quickly with the way that the seraph’s mouth twitched up. But it was a chance to accomplish everything he wanted, so he didn’t care. “It’s a deal then.”

The seraph was slow to take his hand, like he didn’t quite trust that Sorey wouldn’t bind him to a weapon. But, when the seraph took his hand, his grip was firm. “It’s a deal.”

Sorey smiled, the expression wavering as the seraph’s fingers dragged against his palm as the seraph pulled away. He licked his lips as he met the seraph’s gaze, his stomach twisting as he realized that the touch had been on purpose. He swallowed and tried not to show how it affected him.

Everyone knew that seraphim were beautiful elemental beings, but there were plenty of stories on how they could twist a human’s desires as easily as breathing. Then again, there were just as many stories about them being bound to a human.

“I’m Sorey.” He tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke, noticing the way that the seraph’s eyebrow twitched up.

The seraph was silent long enough that Sorey was worried that he wouldn’t respond. Then the seraph sighed and nodded at him. “Mikleo.”

Sorey nodded. “Thank you, Mikleo.”

Mikleo huffed. “Don’t thank me until this is over.”

Sorey let the comment pass, instead turning back towards the path. He glanced over his shoulder towards Mikleo, pausing when he saw Mikleo walking towards the cairns.

For a moment, he was tempted to stay, but Sorey pushed the urge away. Mikleo had promised and seraphim took pacts very seriously. If he wanted to be sure he could always ask Mikleo to swear it on something, but he was sure that asking that would drive Mikleo away. And informal pact would work, especially since the two of them seemed to be working towards the same goals. That would have to be enough.

Sorey gave Mikleo one more glance, his gaze lingering on the seraph for longer than he should have allowed it. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

He quickly walked back down to the path, starting down it and giving Mikleo the privacy to say goodbye to his family.

* * *

Mikleo crouched in the shadows beneath the trees, one hand wrapped around his staff. He had been warned about the world outside of Camlann and Elysia, how it had been soaked in malevolence from the long war between Hyland and Rolance and how hellions roamed freely. Mikleo could see their worry now, especially where he was watching from his crouched position in the trees.

A group of wolves loped past, all of them sporting large fangs and too bright colors in their coats. He watched as one of them raised their head, sniffing at the wind. Mikleo curled his fingers more tightly around his staff. The wolves could smell him, he knew that, but he also knew that they would inevitably decide to do.

When he was younger he had been warned away from crossing Gramps’ domain because it wasn’t a world for seraphim anymore. The hellions would be able to smell them, and they would come in waves until the seraphim were overwhelmed and consumed. Or the humans would come with their spells and force them into weapons to fight in the war. That was the way to corruption, endless years of having your own nature exploited in pits of malevolence until the seraph broke. Gramps had always made sure to stress that point to him. There was nothing good left in the world, all they had to do was hold on and hope that they were safe.

Mikleo was sure that Gramps would have panicked with how easily he’d been convinced to leave Elysia. Then again, he wasn’t the seraph who had sat at Gramps’ knee and soaked up stories about how the work had been before the war.

The wolves prowled closer, Mikleo shifting in his hiding spot. He leaned out, baring his teeth with a growl as they came closer. He felt his elongating fangs press against his lip and the strain of wings kept bound close to his back. Mikleo halted the transformation before he got further, not wanting to rip the clothes from his back. Besides, the wolves got the idea and started moving away. They knew better than to mess with things like him.

Mikleo watched them go, coaxing the malevolence inside of him back under control. It got harder every time, but he had to keep doing it or he would end up as mindless as the other seraphim who gave into despair. And he had things to do before then. Holding on a bit longer was all that he was able to do.

He sighed and leaned back against the tree, listening for the sound of a human moving through the forest. The last time that Mikleo had checked, Sorey had been riding this way, which was a strange way to get back to Pendrago. Then again, he wouldn’t question it. Humans were strange creatures. Mikleo couldn’t think of another reason why anyone would come to Elysia to find him, especially with such a strange plan. Bringing the world back to the way it had been was impossible, their only choices now were to run and hope that the empire didn’t turn its sights on them again. It had worked with Elysia, albeit only briefly.

Mikleo squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath at the memory of his home. It was getting harder and harder to remember the way that Elysia had been before the humans had come for them. He’d been young then and not really paying attention to what was going on. He would listen when Zenrus or Taccio had taken him aside and gave him the warning to never leave the domain that kept them safe or when they would talk about what had happened in Camlann, but it hadn’t seemed real. Elysia had been a bubble of safety, but even that had been a false sense of security.

What he could remember from Elysia were the screams as the humans had come in, the way that the seraphim had clumped together to try to fight off the attacks that from the humans’ weapons and the way that, one by one, the seraphim had fallen or been pulled into the empty vessels that the humans had brought along.

Mikleo couldn’t even remember the way that Zenrus had looked like most of the time. The only thing he remembered was how the old seraph had looked as he had stood over him, calling lightning down onto the humans until he had been killed. Mikleo swallowed and reached up to touch the jewel in the center of his circlet.

There was nothing left of Elysia, even powers that had lingered in the earth had disappeared without the protection of Zenrus’ domain. His own malevolence had helped rot it that much faster. The only thing left was the cairns that he had raised with his own hands and whatever debris that the humans had left behind as they had fled. Mikleo hadn’t bothered to do more than remove corpses and throw the broken fragments of the weapons that the humans had brought with them off the side of the mountain. The sight of them had disgusted him. Some of them had held his family for a brief moment before breaking and taking the seraphim with them, or throwing them out into the brewing malevolence that had been summoned by the battle.

He scowled, wincing when one of his fangs caught on his lip. Mikleo raised a hand, feeling the sharp edge of the tooth before shaking his head. The malevolence in him roiled for a moment before finally calming down. He took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes.

Thinking about Elysia would get him nowhere, the mountain was a few hours flight behind him and the seraphim that had made it home were long gone. He was going off to the one place that he could think that the remains of his family were. What he would find there he didn’t know and Mikleo was purposefully not thinking too much about it. All of his attention would be on the human he had agreed to work with.

Mikleo leaned his shoulder more heavily against the tree before rolling his eyes and walking out into the forest. He was about to the limit of what a horse and rider could cover in a day, and the sun was just starting to set. Sorey should have been along, unless he had thought better of his plan. If he had, then it would be no loss to him. Just because he had allowed Mikleo to throw away his sword didn’t mean that there wasn't another plan. For all Mikleo knew, Sorey could be leading him into a trap in the hopes of snaring himself a seraph. Mikleo would like to see him try.

He chuckled to himself, adjusting his hold on the staff. It didn’t matter either way, it had been time for him to leave the mountain and head out in search of what remained of his family. He was strong enough to hold his own, at least long enough to find his family and set them free through whatever means necessary.

Then, he would be done.

The sound of a horse snorting drew his attention. He turned his head, tipping it to the side as he waited for the sound to repeat itself. When it didn’t he huffed, but moved off in the direction of the sound. Mikleo hadn’t seen or sensed any humans moving through the area but, then again, he doubted that he could through the thick cover of malevolence that rested heavily over the world. If anything, he would be able to find hellions far better than a lone human camping in the woods. Mikleo didn’t think that there had been humans in the area since they had come to Elysia ten years ago, at least until Sorey was stupid enough to go chasing after stories of a dragon.

He pushed through the undergrowth, coming up short when he saw the camp that Sorey had set up. Mikleo frowned at the fire that was crackling, glancing between it and where the horse was tied up.

Mikleo purposefully avoided Sorey’s gaze as he made a nervous circle around the camp. He peered into the woods, listening to the sounds of things moving through the trees. From the way that the horse shifted, the animal was hearing it too. Mikleo stared at the horse for a moment, giving it a long look over. The horse was alert, but not nervous, which was a small blessing. That didn’t stop him from reaching out and starting to set down wards.

It was easy to draw the water in the ground close to the surface, Mikleo setting it in an even ring around the camp. He heard Sorey make an interested sound, but he ignored it in favor of focusing on his ward. Things had to be exactly in place for the wards to warn him of a hellion crossing them and act as a protective barrier as soon as they were breached. It was a tricky skill, one that still took too much time for him to do.

He dropped his hand back to his side when he was finished, looking at the glistening ring of standing water around the camp before nodding to himself. It wasn’t the sure protection of a domain, but it was the best that he could do in his state. All that mattered was that it would keep the other hellions at bay. He still smelled enough like a seraph to entice them.

Mikleo nodded at his work before turning on his heel to glare at Sorey. Even the look of open awe wasn’t enough to curb his frustration. “What do you think you are doing?”

Sorey stared at him for a moment. “Making camp?”

He rolled his eyes and sat down on the ground. “How did you survive this long?”

“Well before I had a sword.” Sorey patted the empty scabbard by his side, Mikleo taking the chance to look over him and the horse for more weapons. To his surprise, there wasn’t anything more dangerous than a knife, and he’d never heard of any human wanting to force a seraph into a knife as a vessel.

Sorey sat still under his observation, offering a Mikleo a smile when their gazes met again. The human leaned back on his hands, looking perfectly comfortable in the middle of a hellion infested forest.

Mikleo huffed and looked away, choosing to run his hand up and down his staff before banishing it. He thought he heard Sorey make an astonished noise, but he ignored it. The human probably hadn’t seen a seraph doing any sort of arte that wasn’t forced out of them. He curled his fingers towards his palm, meeting Sorey’s gaze. “What?”

Sorey shook his head. “Nothing. I was just…I kind of expected you not to come.”

“You doubted my word?”

“No. But the world isn’t exactly kind to seraphim.”

“I know that.”

“I’m glad that you did come.”

He wanted to laugh at that, and the smile that Sorey was still giving him. The human looked at him like he was the answer to all of his prayers, which was hilarious. If the humans had just been praying to the seraphim then perhaps the war wouldn’t have gone on for so long and gotten as bad as it had. But they hadn’t stopped at praying.

Mikleo huffed and leaned back on his hands, mirroring Sorey’s pose. “Do you really think that it will be as easy as showing up with a dragon?”

Sorey shrugged, looking unsure for the first time that Mikleo had seen. The human rubbed at the back of his neck. “Well, yeah. My cousin doesn’t expect it of me. I’ve avoided using seraphic weapons.”

“Do you want congratulations for that?”

“No, because it’s the right thing to do. But I’m not about to throw my supporters into a battle that I know that they will lose.”

“Then why bother?”

“Because this can’t go on.” Sorey sat up, staring into the fire. “The empire is collapsing in on itself, but no one in the government cares. They just so focused on getting rid of the next big threat. For now, it’s me. But, if I’m gone, then they’ll turn on the people in Lohgrin. After that…it can be anything else. All they want is power and money, and the war is giving them that. They’ll destroy the world for it.”

“And you’ll stop them?”

“I have to try. Someone has to.”

Mikleo studied the human carefully, looking for any signs that Sorey would break and tell him the truth. But Sorey looked earnest, just like he had when he had been staring up at Mikleo’s constructed dragon.

Only an idiot would go looking for a dragon and only an idiot would try to reason with it to save the world. Only an idiot would decide that the world needed saving instead of burning down.

An idiot or an optimist, and Mikleo wasn’t sure which Sorey was. Both were equally as dangerous.

He drummed his fingers against the ground before shaking his head. “So you want to make yourself emperor to stop the war?” He gave Sorey the time to nod before pushing on. “Then what happens if you don’t get your way?”

Sorey looked troubled at that, Mikleo relaxing a bit. At least it looked like Sorey had thought his plan through instead of just charging ahead with a single idea. He watched as Sorey bit his lip, quickly losing patience with the silence. “Why did you need to make a pact with me if you just wanted something to impress your cousin? You could have just promised to bring me my family and let me go back to my mountain.”

“I could have, but I need your help for more than that. There are so many seraphim trapped in those weapons and I don’t think they’ll trust me. But they’ll trust you.”

Mikleo snorted at that, but he held his tongue. He doubted that Sorey would understand, the human had been born and lived in an age soaked in malevolence. He couldn’t understand what it felt like to have the malevolence curling inside him or to feel it in another creature. It wasn’t Sorey’s fault for not knowing or hoping that Mikleo’s presence would help. In fact, Mikleo was impressed that Sorey had even bothered to consider what the trapped seraphim would prefer once they were free. But Mikleo couldn’t say that he wasn’t tempted. Sorey was offering him a full chance to free all of the seraphim, and for such a low price of scaring off some pompous cousin.

He leaned forward again, studying Sorey carefully. From the way that Sorey mirrored his position, the human didn’t mind. Mikleo stared into Sorey’s eyes, watching his enthusiasm calm down into something worth studying, something closer to exhaustion and determination. Mikleo quickly looked away, looking Sorey over before shaking his head. “You haven’t answered my question. What happens if you can’t stop your war?”

Sorey stayed silent, his gaze dropping to the fire. He leaned forward to poke at the fire, continuing to work at it even when Mikleo was sure that it didn’t need it. “If it doesn’t work, then we take drastic measures.”

“How drastic?”

Sorey looked up, Mikleo straightening his spine at the determination in his eyes. “When we made the pact I asked you to make me emperor. Do that and let’s bring peace to the world with a benevolent hand, or destroy it trying.”

Mikleo shivered at the words, staring at the human. He had misjudged Sorey, he had only seen the optimism and the smile and thought nothing else of him. He wondered how many others had seen that and ignored the rest. Then again, it didn’t matter, because it would be their undoing. And it excited him.

He stood up, walking to the other side of the fire. Mikleo reached out to touch Sorey’s shoulder, stopping just short of it. He swallowed as Sorey looked up at him, curling his fingers back towards his palm. He had shaken the human’s hand once, and that seemed to have been enough for the human. If Sorey had been anything else, he would have demanded more. The human handshake meant nothing to him as a seraph, there was nothing binding to the agreement and he was thankful for it. As strange as it was, the lack of a binding made him more willing to work with the human.

He dropped his hand back his side, aware that Sorey followed the motion with an inquisitive tilt of his head. Part of Mikleo wanted to scoff and walk away, but more of him was still wary. Sorey might have been doing things right, but that was an even better reason to pay careful attention to the human, even push him to see when he would break. Sorey was just human after all, he had all the human failings and it was a matter of find them out, for his own safety.

Mikleo swallowed and walked back to his side of the fire. “So, what’s the next step in your grand plan?”

Sorey stared at him for a moment, his mouth an open gape before he seemed to come back to himself. He shook his head, Sorey quickly looking back at the fire.

The reaction was interesting, Mikleo turning to look at him as Sorey shifted in place. For a moment, he thought he saw red creeping up the back of Sorey’s neck before the human shrugged. “I…we go at meet with Sergei and the others. We’ll need their help.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Sorey’s shoulders twitched slightly. “Lyte has the entire army with him and I don’t think even you can beat them.”

“You don’t have faith in me.”

“No. I don’t want to throw you away on this.”

Mikleo scoffed, but he didn’t push Sorey on the subject. He wouldn’t argue with being treated with respect. Besides, he hadn’t heard of any human monarch without retainers.

He played with the end of his sleeve, watching as Sorey settled by the fire again. He could tell that Sorey was watching him out of the corner of his eye, which was encouraging. Mikleo shifted his weight, watching Sorey’s gaze trail over his body before the human cleared his throat. “We’ll move out early tomorrow to reach them. Are you going to ride with me?”

Mikleo considered the horse for a moment before shaking his head. “I’d prefer to move on my own.”

Sorey let the answer go without an argument, although he did worry at his lip. “Will you be able to find us?”

“I managed well enough today. I’m sure it won’t be too hard to find one small army.”

“Just be careful that you don’t go too close to Lyte. He wouldn’t hesitate to use you.”

“I’d like to see him try.” Mikleo didn’t realize that his fangs were showing until Sorey jerked back in surprise. He clapped a hand over his mouth, breathing deeply until he felt them sink back into their normal size.

He glanced back at Sorey, expecting to see fear or regret, but there was just worry and interest. Mikleo huffed and dropped his hand away. If Sorey had come to find him, then he knew what he was getting. If the human had thought that he would find the last seraph in the world then he was wrong, Mikleo wasn’t even sure if he could properly be called a seraph anymore. But he was there and they had a pact that sounded like a last ditch effort, but it was better than nothing. It was far better than waiting for some determined human to come to him in Elysia or to give into the malevolence that had lurked within him since the day that the humans had taken his family. If the price of getting rid of it all was putting one overly optimistic human onto the throne of the empire, then it was a price that he could handle.

* * *

Sorey raised his hand as he came out of the woods, squinting in the bright light. He shielded his eyes to look out over the flat plain. In the distance he could see something that looked like tent poles, but the question was if it was the Platinum Knights or the edge of Lyte’s army. He’d been out on his own long enough to not know how they were all arranged. He could only hope that Sergei and the others were about where he had left them, Sorey couldn’t imagine the small force of the Platinum Knights standing up to all the strength that the empire could muster.

He sighed and lowered his hand. The only way to figure out who was camped there was to approach, which meant that he would have to be cautious. Sorey dropped his hand down to his scabbard, hissing when his fingers curled around nothing. He kept forgetting that he had left his sword back in Camlann.

He hadn’t bothered to go looking for it once he had gotten to the base of the mountain. He hadn’t wanted to waste time or risk insulting Mikleo. The seraph had every right to be touchy about weapons, and for good reason. Sorey just wished that he had thought ahead for his own safety. Just because he had left things one way didn’t mean that they would remain the same. With the empire balancing on the brink of another civil war things would change quickly. Sorey had experienced enough of the internal conflicts to know just how quickly things could turn around.

He clucked to his horse, not surprised when it tossed its head and tried to serge forward. Sorey held the horse back, not wanting to approach the camp at a gallop. It wouldn’t matter if the tents were from Lyte’s army on the Platinum Knights, they would only see a threat galloping towards them and react. Sorey didn’t want to be stopped so soon, especially after what he had promised Mikleo. He had seen too much of how the empire operated to believe that Mikleo would be able to push through. If anything, Mikleo would end up the same way that his family had, trapped in a weapon and used until he was spent.

Sorey tightened his grip on the reins, ignoring the way the horse tossed its head. The Platinum Knights might be following his orders that none of them use seraphic weapons, but there was no telling how they would react when faced with the choice of surrendering themselves to Lyte’s forces for execution or using a seraph to save their lives. Sorey had a feeling he knew which one they would choose and his made his stomach twist. After all, the only thing that held them to his way of thought was their principles, and those would be just as easy to overcome.

They had all be raised with the knowledge that seraphim were beings to be used for the benefit of humanity. Their blessings kept humans safe and their artes were extremely effective in war. That they were once worshipped hadn’t seemed to be a contradiction enough for most of the empire, and no one seemed to be interested in talking about it save for him. But no one had ever thought about being partners with the seraphim, aside from the rare Shepherd stories, but those were something of the past. Something from long before Rolance started to stretch outside of its boundaries.

Sorey focused on the tops of the tents, edging his horse close to the trees again. He couldn’t see hide or hair of Mikleo, which meant that the seraph was either hanging back or somewhere ahead of him. Considering the general distain that Mikleo had treated him with, Sorey could see the seraph allowing him to stumble into trouble. Saving him from whatever he got himself into seemed to be the kind of thing that would amuse Mikleo. Then again, that might not be true.

To make it more confusing were the looks that Mikleo would give him. With the looks and the sweet smell of an omega, Sorey wasn’t sure what Mikleo was trying to do.

He reached up to rub at his nose, taking a deep breath to try and clear his lungs. Mikleo wasn’t around, which meant he got a bit of a relief from the intriguing scent. It was probably only because Mikleo was still new that the scent hadn’t settled in with the others that Sorey knew. Once that happened, maybe things would start to make sense again.

The horse snorted, taking advantage of Sorey’s distraction to speed up a bit. He fumbled with the reins, slowing the animal down as it raised its head to whinny. Sorey winced as more horses responded, lifting his gaze to look in the direction of the tents.

Two soldiers were cantering down the hill from the camp, Sorey sitting up as he tried to spot heraldry or any badges of office on them. The red capes were not indicative of anything, every high ranking soldiers from the empire was given a red cape to wear. It was a throwback to the kingdom that the empire had once been before its constant grab for power.

Sorey dropped his hand to his knife, drumming his fingers against the hilt of it. It wouldn’t do much against two armored soldiers, but it might be enough for him to get away into the trees again. The knights would be hindered by their armor in the tight spaces of the woods. He would have to risk running into the jaws of the hellions that had been tracking him from a distance, but it was better than running onto the swords of his enemies.

He pulled his horse to a stop, ready to wheel it away when the knights slowed down to a trot. Sorey watched as one of them raised their hand, the knight flipping back his visor even at the other one waved at him. Sorey dropped his hand from the knife, smiling when he recognized the badge of the Platinum Knights on the shoulder of one of the knights. He breathed a sigh of relief before nudging his horse forward to meet them.

They met towards the middle of the field, the second knight quick to raise the visor of his helmet. “Your highness.”

Sorey’s smile wavered at the title, but he was too well practiced to let it fall. He’d been called that for years and it was too late to tell people to stop, especially with the bid for power that he was making. He nodded at the two of them, reaching out to shake one of their hands when they reached out for him. “Andrei, Fyodor. How’s it been?”

“Strangely quiet.” Fyodor shivered and eyed the woods before looking back at him. “Lyte has left us alone to take care of business in Pendrago. The general has been getting a lot of reports from the capital over the past few days. I think the Empress might be making trouble.”

Sorey winced at that. Empress Nadia had always been kind to him, especially after his mother had been executed by Emperor Leon. But they had never seen eye to eye about anything. She had been grooming him to rise to the through to challenge Lyte with the expectation that he would rule just like his cousin did. Sorey was sure that he had managed to disappoint her at every turn considering that he had refused to take any kind of action against his cousin unless Lyte acted first. He’d never been interested in fighting, mostly in staying out of the way of the battlefields and helping out the people where he could, but that hadn’t gotten him anywhere. Empress Nadia had been right from the start, he had to take a decisive action to get anything done, but it never would have been an action that she approved of. Years of fighting to keep her position in court meant that she wasn’t too keen on stripping it all away.

He looked away from Fyodor as his horse snorted and sidled. His first instinct was to look towards the woods, scanning the shadows for any sign of twisted and deformed creatures. He couldn’t see anything, but the horses were reacting like there was something watching them. Sorey would trust their instincts over his own, especially when the horse had served as his guard on the way to Elysia.

Sorey backed the horse away from the woods, Andrei coming around his other side to flank him. The knight’s gaze didn’t leave the woods, his hand dropping down to his sword. “They’ve been more active lately. I think because of the skirmish that Lyte had nearby, or because we’ve been here for so long.”

“Have you been attacked?”

Andrei nodded. “A few times, but we haven’t lost anyone. Nestor sprained his ankle trying to get a few away from the horses, but he should be fine in a few weeks.”

“But we won’t.” Fyodor gestured at the woods with one hand, Sorey’s heart pounding when he saw the shadowy figures gathering just beyond the edge. “They must have been following you, your highness.”

Sorey nodded, his stomach churning. Hellions preyed on humans and seraphim alike, and Sorey was sure that he smelled like both. That would be enough to tempt any hellion, especially the ones who had come late to the feast at Lyte’s latest battle. A large group of armed humans might be enough to keep them away, but Sorey didn’t know for sure, but it was better than just waiting out in the open.

He turned his horse around, seeing the two knights do the same out of the corner of his eye. They had been out in the field long enough to know that the best way to deal with hellions was to flee while they could. Fighting hellions was hard and unforgiving work and better done dug in. With just the three of them out in the open, there would be no question that they would be pulled down.

Sorey kicked his horse into a gallop, looking back over his shoulder at a high pitched squeal from the forest. He swallowed as he saw the shadows break from the trees.

The hellions bucked as they hit the open ground, tossing their heads to throw their long, knotted manes out of their faces. Sorey stared at the sharp fangs that dropped from their mouths and the spines that ran down their backs, seeing bits and pieces of leather and metal caught up in them. The hellions still looked enough like the original animal for Sorey to see that they had once been horses, probably from Lyte’s battlefield. Whatever the two hellions had been didn’t matter much anymore, because they were too far gone to think of anything but killing.

He turned back around, leaning over his horse’s neck as the animal ran. It didn’t need much encouragement to keep galloping, not with the screeching of the hellions behind them and the comfort of more horses on the top of the hill. Sorey was more than willing to give the horse all the rein it needed and to stay in between the knights. The hellions would be able to move faster than them, which meant that Andrei and Fyodor would have to beat them back a few times before they reached the camp. Sorey’s hands twitched on the reins, hating the knowledge that he wouldn’t be able to help. A knife wouldn’t help, not when he’d need to let the hellions get far too close.

Sorey glanced up at the camp, trying to judge the distance when there was a hair raising scream from his right. Sorey glanced over Fyodor’s hunched back to see one of the hellions catching up to them in leaps and bounds.

The hellion eyed them for a moment before snaking out its horned head to snap at Fyodor’s horse’s stomach. The horse squealed and leapt forward, breaking up the close formation as the animal rushed away. The hellion sped up like it was going to follow, but its attention dropped back to Sorey.

He watched as the hellion’s mouth gapped open, ropes of drool oozing from its mouth as it contemplated him. Sorey cursed and kicked his horse forward, trying to get it to move faster. The horse snorted but couldn’t pull away, not when the hellion was focused on its prey.

Sorey glanced forward, catching a glimpse of Fyodor trying to haul his horse back in position. But the horse wouldn’t listen, it had been threatened and wanted to get back to the safety of the others.

He looked back at the hellion, kicking his foot free of a stirrup in the hope that he could at least kick the hellion’s head away when it tried to bite. Sorey watched the hellion closely, ready to time the kick when a huge shadow fell across them.

Sorey looked up, smiling when he saw the white drake coasting overhead. The drake turned in the air, Sorey seeing the glint of dark blue among its white scales before the drake dove.

He was nearly tossed out of his seat as his horse lurched to one side to avoid the drake. Sorey scrambled for a hold of the horse’s mane, but he couldn’t look away as the drake plowed into the hellion. He was sure that he heard a distinct snap, the hellion going limp in the drake’s grasp. The drake turned his head to look at them before tossing it back to swallow the hellion whole. The drake didn’t seem to even notice the spikes and spines, rumbling a low, content sound as his throat worked at the hellion.

Sorey pulled his horse up, ignoring the shouts from the two knights and the way that his horse danced and sidled. He rarely saw Mikleo like this. He’d only gotten glimpses of the seraph in the morning just before he walked off into the woods to change shape. They’d had a regular pattern of Mikleo leaving his clothes for Sorey to take care of and Sorey leaving them on the outside of the camp for Mikleo to pick up later. Any glimpses of the drake had been a flash of scales in the darkness as he had made camp.

He turned his head at an enraged sound from the other hellion. It screamed at the drake again as it backed away, confidence lost. Mikleo eyed the hellion before scuttling forward.

He moved faster than Sorey expected for such a bulky creature. Sorey heard the clatter of his armored plates knocking against each other as Mikleo sprung, just catching the hellion in his claws.

The creature squealed and twisted in his grip, but Mikleo was quick to snap his jaws down around it. He twisted his head violently and the hellion went still. Mikleo tipped his head back and swallowed it down like the other one, Sorey watching the drake’s throat working.

Mikleo shook himself when he was done, lowering his head to nose at the ground like he was searching for a scrap of hellion that he had missed. His gaze flickered to them, Sorey tensing as Mikleo stared at them. For a moment, he was sure that Mikleo would come for them. Then, the drake yawned and settled on the ground to lick his claws.

Sorey watched him, in awe of what he was seeing. He had been expecting something more like the ice construct that Mikleo had greeted him with, but the drake almost looked like how Sorey had always seen dragons drawn. It wasn’t an elegant and delicate creature with shining scales, it was a bulky creature with large sections of armor plating that almost seemed to move loosely over the skin, although some of them were starting to look more secure as he watched Mikleo moved. Some of his scales started to shine as well, Sorey seeing some silver among the white.

Mikleo yawned, the sight of so many teeth startling Sorey out of his reverie. He twisted to reach back for the bundle of clothes that he had kept with him. He tugged his own cloak off as well, throwing that over his shoulder as he slid off of his horse. Sorey tossed the reins to Andrei, ignoring the man’s protests as he strode across the open field towards where Mikleo was reclining on the grass.

The drake glanced over at him, Mikleo giving him a long look over. The drake’s mouth gaped open, Sorey not sure if it meant that Mikleo was still hungry or if it was a threat. He took a step forward anyway, listening to the huff that Mikleo gave. The drake turned his head further, Sorey seeing a spark of intelligence in the drake’s purple eyes before the creature shuddered.

The armor plates clattered together, the sound almost masking a strange cracking and churching sound. Sorey winced as he heard it, breathing a sigh of relief when the drake dissolved into a muddy blue light. The light compressed and reformed itself into a vaguely human shape.  Sorey looked at it for a moment before tossing the cape over it, not sure what else he could do.

It took a moment for the light to stop shining dimly through the cape and for it to settle down onto something that looked more human. It was a bit longer before Mikleo unfolded himself from underneath the cape, the seraph breathing heavily as he wrapped the cape around him.

Mikleo glanced up to meet Sorey’s gaze, but quickly looked away. The seraph picked at the edge of the cloak, taking a few deep breaths before speaking. “You were lucky I was in the area.”

“I was.” Sorey crouched in front of him, feeling bad about the way that Mikleo flinched away from him. He carefully placed the bundle of Mikleo’s clothes in front of him as an offering. “Thank you.”

Mikleo stared at him before pulling the cloak more securely around him. “You made me a promise, and I’m going to make sure you’re around to keep your end of it.”

Sorey nodded and looked back towards the woods. They were well away from it now and he couldn’t see anything else lurking, but it was only a matter of time before more hellions became curious. With the way that Mikleo was looking pale and nauseous, Sorey didn’t think that the seraph would try to attack them the same way. If anything, the hellions seemed to disagree with him. If would be better if all of them retreated for now, they would be safer in the camp.

He almost offered his hand to Mikleo, but he held himself back. Instead he stood up and took a step back. Mikleo’s gaze followed him before jerking off to the side, the seraph’s body tensing. Sorey following his gaze, smiling when he saw Sergei and a portion of the camp hurrying to meet them.

He strode away from Mikleo, meeting them halfway between the camp and the seraph. Sorey braced himself for the companionable slap on his shoulder from Sergei. It was slightly less enthusiastic than he had expected, but the relief on Sergei’s face was enough. Sorey reached up to pat Sergei’s wrist. “You waited.”

“Of course. We had to be ready to save you from whatever plan you had come up with.” Sergei’s gaze moved over his shoulder, Sorey sure that the captain was looking over at Mikleo. Sergei hummed, his hand tightening on Sorey’s shoulder before he let go. “Is that the dragon?”

“There was no dragon. But there was a seraph.”

Sergei’s eyebrows rose slightly, his gaze darting to the empty scabbard at his side. Sergei glanced over at where Andrei was still holding Sorey’s horse, the captain staring at the knife still attached to the saddle. Even then, Sergei didn’t seemed settled. “Are you sure he’s not a dragon?”

Sorey huffed, preferring to ignore the question completely. “Mikleo agreed to help me.”

“What did the promise involve?”

Sorey kept his mouth shut, trying to keep his face blank. He was sure that telling Sergei it was a matter of promises with no swearing to keep the either of them in line would just make the man worry. That was something better not talked about, especially with the orders that he would be giving.

He swallowed and shifted in place, glancing over his shoulder at Mikleo. The seraph was still curled on the ground, looking like he was torn between running towards the woods or towards the camp. Sorey didn’t blame him, not with the way that the Platinum Knights were staring at him. The seraph had been by himself on the mountain since Konan had invaded Elysia. Any human contact was probably too much.

Sorey reached out for him, fully not expecting Mikleo to reach for him. He turned his attention back to Sergei, leaving his hand out for Mikleo. “We’re going to need him, Sergei. We can’t do this on our own, not anymore.”

He expected Sergei to argue back or shake his head in disapproval, not for the captain’s shoulders to slump and for Sergei to just nod. Sorey tipped his head to the side, watching Sergei carefully.

Sergei rubbed a hand over the side of his face. “It’s true. We’ll need your seraph now more than ever. Lyte holds Pendrago, and he killed the empress, about a day after you left.”

Sorey sucked in a quick breath, feeling a spike of panic and grief. Empress Nadia had always been the bulwark between him and the throne, the one person that made him not a threat. She was more than that, a surrogate mother of sorts and his family, but they had never been close. Still, it was hard to think of Nadia as dead. But he didn’t doubt the news, not when she was the last dissenter to Lyte’s rule. It was the usual pattern of the empire, but he had just wished that he had moved faster.

He ducked his head, taking a deep breath as he centered himself. With Nadia dead, they needed to move before Lyte did, or else they would be outmaneuvered. Lyte wouldn’t hesitate to kill the Platinum Knights, not when they had openly sided with Sorey for so long. The best thing to do would be to move towards Pendrago and hope that they surprised Lyte. Their group was small enough to make it work.

Sorey bit his bottom lip, thinking over their options. He jumped when he felt a hand touch his wrist. He turned his head, surprised to see Mikleo holding onto his wrist. The seraph still had the cloak gathered close to him, his own clothes hidden under the fall of cloth. Sorey thought he felt Mikleo’s fingers tremble, but the slight tremor was gone as quickly as it had come.

Mikleo squeezed his wrist before letting go completely. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. Even if Sorey’s first instinct was to pull back and keep his men out of danger, he had to ignore that. He didn’t have the luxury of retreat anymore.

Sorey watched as the seraph wove through the knights, not paying attention to any of them. Mikleo also gave them all a wide berth, Sorey sure that none of the knights noticed. From what Sorey could see, they were all reacting to the presence of a seraph walking free and the scent of a new omega in the group. If anything they were just interested, which seemed to annoy Mikleo all the more.

Sorey was sure that he saw Mikleo flash fangs at one of the knights, that sight enough to urge him into action. He stepped close to Mikleo, wrapping a protective arm around the seraph. Sorey was careful to keep a good bit of distance between his arm and Mikleo’s back but, by the way that Mikleo tensed, it wasn’t enough.

Sorey moved his arm back a fraction, waiting for Mikleo to relax before turning his attention away. He turned to look at Sergei. “We’ll need to start packing up for the march to Pendrago.”

He waited long enough for Sergei to nod before gesturing towards the camp. Sorey kept his arm in place as Mikleo moved, acting a as a barrier between the seraph and the soldiers.

He kept his arm in place until they reached his tent, quick to jerk to a stop when Mikleo paused. The seraph glanced back over at Sorey, giving him a long look before adjusting the cloak where it had started to fall over one of his shoulders. Sorey swallowed at the sight of the skin revealed, careful not to do anything more. All seraphim were beautiful, but that was no excuse to push further.

He thought he heard Mikleo huff, but he wasn’t sure if the sound was laughter or annoyance. He looked up to meet Mikleo’s gaze, fully expecting the knowing grin on the seraph’s face. “Are you ready for a war?”

Sorey shook his head. There was no point in lying, not to Mikleo anyway. “Not really. But I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“It doesn’t sound like your cousin will give you that. But don’t worry, I remember my end of the pact.”

“And I remember mine.”

Mikleo gave him a stiff nod before ducking into the tent.

Sorey lingered outside for a moment, not sure if he was waiting for another glimpse of Mikleo or if the seraph would come out again. He gave his head a heard shake, taking a step back. It would be better to leave Mikleo alone, especially with the rush that came with packing up the camp. The sheer amount of people moving around might just send Mikleo scurrying back into whatever safe place that he could find. It would be better to focus his attention on the Platinum Knights and getting them on the move.

If Nadia had been killed so soon after he had left, then they didn’t have much time to get to Pendrago. They had to move and quickly.

Sorey gave the tent one last glance before turning on his heel and striding back into the rush of knights as they started to disassemble their camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As stated before this is Nami’s baby too, and she’s drawn an awful lot of amazing art for this fic, which can all be found [here](https://twitter.com/i/moments/799968031833108480), which spans things from early concepts of this to just drawings she did while I was writing.
> 
> retrsh also did some art for this fic [here on twitter](https://twitter.com/retrsh/status/793860588346769408)
> 
> This fic also has a playlist which can be listened to [here on Spotify](https://play.spotify.com/user/croixsouillees/playlist/3w5ePBTleA4clLsJLlDkSq?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open).
> 
> And, lastly, there is a tag on my tumblr for this fic. It’s mostly just my dump for inspiriaton and a few earlier sneak peeks of the fic: [The Kingmaker AU tag](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/tagged/fic:%20kingmaker%20au).


	4. Chapter 2

“You will ruin no more lives as you have ruined mine. You will wring no more hearts as you  
wrung mine. I will free the world of a poisonous thing.”  
\- _The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton_ , Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

* * *

 

Pearloats Pasture looked much the same as it always had, save for the places where the people of Pendrago had claimed the land. The fences that had once divided the pastureland from the farms had been broken down and scattered. The grass was starting to push into what had once been wheat fields. There were a few patches of what looked like wheat, probably the work of the wind and people who were desperately trying to get food for their family. Sorey couldn’t imagine that their attempts at farming were successful, especially since every inch of available space was being used by the army for their tents and support buildings. Sorey was sure that any would-be farmers would be frightened away by the sight of so many soldiers and hellions, which meant more people would be going hungry.

He sighed and scanned over the camp, not bothering to count the soldiers. He already knew that the Platinum Knights were outnumbered, he had known that from the start. Lyte had the majority of the army just through the title of emperor alone, and that was enough for most people. As long as the war was kept out of the heart of the empire the people were content enough. Except that Lyte had broken that rule, he’d broken it multiple times during his reign. But no one would argue with him, not when the might of the empire was sitting right outside of the gates of Pendrago.

Sorey leaned forward, eyeing the lines of soldiers that were starting to form. He wasn’t surprised to see the army in motion, not when Pearloats was mostly flat. There would have been soldiers on the wall of Pendrago watching for anyone’s approach. It wasn’t like the Platinum Knights were easy to hide. They all rode in their armor because they had been expecting trouble from the emperor.

It wasn’t quite a stretch, not when Lyte had killed the empress to secure his place on the throne. By process of elimination Sorey was the next problem for Lyte, and the Platinum Knights wouldn’t hesitate to defend their lord. After all, most of them owed their positions to either Sorey or the empress. Even knowing about that debt, Sorey was not about to let them charge in for his sake, not when the might of the empire was arranged in front of them.

He frowned at the gaps that were becoming more evident as more soldiers fell into place. That they were even allowed to leave gaps meant that the army was being put into a parade formation. It was a show of force, one made probably because Sorey as his small group of knights was not a threat or a challenge. Still, it wouldn’t take much for the gaps to close and for an attack to be ordered. If that happened, then Sorey couldn’t think of anything to do but flee.

Another line of soldiers marched into position, Sorey recognizing the crowned diamond that marked the Royal Guard. They marched precisely into place, their red capes fluttering around them as they turned to face front. It was an impressive display, although it was marred by the gaps in their positioning. From what Sorey could see, the Royal Guard had come out worse from whatever confrontations Lyte had led them into. The gaps in their ranks were glaringly noticeable. He lifted his chin, resisting the urge to rock up onto his toes to see where Lyte would be keeping the men he had lost to malevolence. He was sure that Lyte had kept them; hellions had always proven themselves more dependable than dragons in war.

He turned his head away from the gathering army at a disgusted snort. Sorey watched as Mikleo surveyed the army, the seraph crossing his arms over his chest. “How many seraphim are in there?”

Sorey shrugged, because he didn’t have an answer. He didn’t think that anyone had ever bothered to count because they hadn’t started out ensnaring seraphim in the weapons. There had been a brief moment before Rolance had collapsed into total war when the seraphim and humans had been partners. It was somewhere in there that the problem had started. All Sorey knew was that Mikleo was probably the last free roaming seraphim and he had only been left alone because everyone had believed that he was a dragon.

Dragons had been used in the war once, but they had never been successful aside from a threat. They had caused more problems for the army trying to use them and couldn’t be stopped once they went on a rampage. The last dragon used by the empire had been killed long before Sorey was born, which meant that none of the army would be prepared for Mikleo, if the seraph agreed to help him.

Mikleo huffed out something that might have been a laugh, meeting Sorey’s gaze. “Can’t you feel them all? Or are you too used to it?” Mikleo didn’t give him the time to answer, the seraph shrugging and looking back at the army. “They all have someone in their weapons.”

“Can you tell anything else?”

Mikleo shook his head immediately, his face twisting up in frustration. “I’d have to get closer.”

“I’ll get you that chance.”

“Right now?”

Sorey shook his head, his attention going back to the army as the gathering started to move. For a moment, he was afraid that they had been given the orders to attack. But then he saw the troops pulling apart to allow three riders through their ranks.

His gaze darted to the red banners that two of the riders held, Sorey staring at the crest of the empire. A crowned and quartered diamond was surrounded by stylized wings. Sorey could see the careful embroidery of the motto of the empire, but it was too far away for him to be able to read it, not that he had forgotten it. It was something that had been drilled into his head from the day that his education had started. It was a call to victory and the great glory of Rolance. He shifted in place, turning his gaze to the man being escorted towards them.

His heart sped up when he recognized Lyte under the heavy, embroidered cape the crown of the empire. The gold and rubies embedded in the crown shone in the sunlight, the gems winking from their position in Lyte’s perfectly styled blond hair. His cousin had probably planned the appearance, especially after his victory over Empress Nadia. Lyte looked every inch the emperor in his red and black, nothing like Sorey in his travel worn blue.

Sorey stared at Lyte for a moment before making a decision. They couldn’t risk the army closing ranks and attacking, not when there was nowhere else to run. From the way that Lyte was riding out, his cousin was willing to talk, probably in the hopes that Sorey would surrender immediately in the face of the numbers at Lyte’s disposal. Except that Sorey couldn’t trust him.

He bit his lip, considering his approaching cousin before turning to look back at Mikleo. The seraph seemed to be more occupied on the weapons than the approaching emperor, not that Sorey blamed him. He had to consider the seraphim in whatever he was doing. Every use of seraphic artes would bring the seraph trapped inside the weapon closer to danger. Unless he could get Mikleo close, there was no way of knowing which weapons were ready to break or which seraphim were on the edge of being consumed by malevolence. And, if he got Mikleo close, there was no telling what Lyte would do. Worse yet, there would be no way to keep Mikleo safe.

Every soldier knew the words to bind a seraph to a vessel. It would take one person saying the words to have Mikleo captured and trapped. And that was the last thing that Sorey wanted to happen to the seraph.

He knew that he would have to talk to Lyte; his cousin would be expecting it. Better yet, it would give him the chance to try and intimidate Lyte before the worst could happen.

Sorey went to motion for Sergei, stopping at the angry look that Mikleo shot him. He froze, waiting for the seraph to speak his mind.

“You promised.”

Sorey nodded. “I won’t forget. But there may be a chance for peace.”

“If there was, then you wouldn’t have come to find me.”

Sorey offered him a smile, surprised by the way that Mikleo recoiled at the expression. He watched the seraph for a moment before offering a shrug. “I can’t just let this chance slip away.”

Mikleo glared at him before starting to undo the buttons of his collar. Sorey swallowed at the flash of pale skin before he dragged his gaze away. Mikleo laughed openly at that, Sorey tempted to turn his head so he could see Mikleo’s face, but he held onto his resolve. It was hard to ignore the seraph’s scent, but it was something that he would have to get used to. He wasn’t about to be swayed by Mikleo, not when there was a chance to save lives.

“I’m going to talk to him.”

“Go ahead, but I’m moving in when things go wrong. And you won’t be able to stop me.”

Sorey shot Mikleo a quick look at that, fully expecting the look of determination on the seraph’s face. He held Mikleo’s gaze for a moment before giving in with a nod. If things went wrong, then his only choice was to let Mikleo step in. The problem was what would happen when the seraph charged in. At best, he would decimate the army. At worst, they would take him down.

He curled his hand into a fist, turning to face Mikleo. “I don’t want you to kill them. I mean it.”

Mikleo tilted his head to the side, Sorey not sure if it was in agreement or if Mikleo was mocking him. It was hard to tell. Sorey rolled his shoulders, choosing to take the motion as agreement.

He turned away from Mikleo, turning his attention to Sergei. The man was shifting nervously, his gaze trained on where Lyte was riding towards them.

Sergei must have felt the attention on him, because the man nodded at him. “Your orders?”

“You and Boris will come with me. We’re going to talk to my cousin.” From the way that Sergei stared, he hadn’t expected that. Sorey chuckled and shook his head. “We can’t fight them all.”

“We would gladly give our lives for you, your highness.”

“But you don’t need to.” Sorey smiled, watching as Sergei shifted in place. He held up a hand when Sergei went to speak, because he already knew. Sergei was ready to swear away his life like he had many times before. All of the Platinum Knights would, which was why he had asked for Mikleo’s help and why he had to risk himself first.

He stepped forward before Sergei could stop him. He heard Sergei start to make a sound of protest, but the captain followed him, as did Boris.

Sorey crossed the open space to where Lyte was waiting, the emperor still mounted on his horse. Lyte stared down at him for a moment before laughing, his cousin dropping the reins to spread his arms in a show of welcome. “Sorey! You’ve grown since the last time I saw you. You’ve been keeping your distance.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“I’ve heard.” Lyte leaned forward, resting his wrists against his horse’s mane. “There are all sorts of rumors from the villages about what you’ve been doing after I’ve marched through. They call you many things, some call you Shepherd. Should I be worried?”

Sorey shook his head. “I just help them rebuild and tell stories.”

“I thought as much.” Lyte shook his head. “You always tried so hard to stay out of this war. What happened?”

“You killed my aunt.”

“Leon killed your father, mother and half-siblings and you didn’t do anything.

Sorey ducked his head, about to change the subject when Sergei stepped forward. “He was a child!”

Lyte stared at Sergei for a moment before shaking his head. “Ah, the Platinum Knights are as loyal as ever. You’re a shining example of your position, General Strelka.”

“Lyte.” Sorey spoke softly, watching as his cousin’s attention snapped back to him. He didn’t want an argument between Lyte and Sergei, not when Lyte would try and goad the Platinum Knights into action. “I’m here to ask you to stop. Hyland is beaten, Lohgrin hasn’t existed as a kingdom since between we were born. The people are tired.”

“And what about the resistance? Should I just leave the empire open to attack?” Lyte jerked the reins, making his horse toss its head. “And what about you, Sorey? You might have said that you don’t want the throne, but there are a lot of rumors. The villagers don’t just call you Shepherd, some _used_ to call you emperor.”

Sore sucked in a quick breath. He had always known that the villagers that he had helped were grateful, especially since neither Konan nor Lyte had every done anything for them. But they had never called him emperor, at least not to his face. That they would meant a lot, but it was equally as dangerous.

He turned his head to look at the army, lingering over the obvious gaps that had been left in them. It would be so easy to call the army into battle lines, but Lyte had lined them up for show. Sorey had thought that it had been for intimidation, but now he was sure that he had been wrong. Killing the empress would have been a small task, and that might have been given to the royal guards alone. But the gaps in the army must have come from somewhere else. Something that would make Lyte angry enough to lash out and question him like this.

Sorey felt bile rise in his throat. “How many?”

“Enough.” Lyte lifted his chin. “Just so they learned.”

“ _Why?_ ”

“Because you’re the son of General Heldalf and the army loves you for it. You’re Selene’s son, the one Stepmother would have put on the throne over me. She tried to have me killed you know, back when Leon was on the throne.” Lyte shook his head. “But she probably never told you that.”

“No.” Sorey felt like there was a stone in his stomach, his horror growing as he listened to his cousin.

Lyte just nodded at him. “You see? I have enough reasons. And the villagers…if I hadn’t stopped them then they would have killed me, which wouldn’t be right. After all, your father only got the throne because he killed my father.”

“You didn’t have to kill them.”

Lyte groaned and shook his head. “Fine, we’ll talk about this in a way you can understand. I’ll stop taking care of rebellious villagers if you hand yourself over now. The Platinum Knights will be spared as well.”

“You-” Sorey held out a hand to keep Sergei from running forward.

He stared at Lyte, the horrible yawning feeling in his stomach growing. Lyte could promise to spare the Platinum Knights, but he didn’t mean it. He didn’t mean any of it. The Platinum Knights were too tied up with him and the Empress, and the villagers wouldn’t stop asking for an emperor that would end the war. He could hand himself over, but the death would never stop.

Sorey ducked his head and took a deep breath. “No.”

“Oh, so you will scold me for killing villagers and demand I stop the war, but _you’ll_ continue fighting? You should have spent more time on your lessons and less time in those dusty old history books.” Sorey could feel Lyte’s disappointed gaze on the back of his neck, the gaze lingering on him for a moment before Lyte turned away. “We’re done then. Nikolay, give the order.”

The guard to Lyte’s left nodded. The man turned and raised his sword, Sorey watching his horror as the runes lit up briefly. He couldn’t sense anything, but he could imagine the seraph inside writhing in pain.

He took a step forward, reaching up to rip the sword from the man’s hands. He was in the middle of stretching up for it when there was a shout from behind him.

Sorey spun around, expecting to see some part of the army surrounding the Platinum Knights. Instead, he saw Mikleo shaking a shirt from his wing as the drake stepped forward. Sorey glanced between Mikleo’s snarl and the still glowing sword, putting two and two together quickly. He turned back towards the guard, reaching for the sword. “No! Put it down before-”

He flinched at the scent of smoke, sure that he heard the edge of the scream at the arte was forced out of the weapon. Sorey twisted to follow the arte, seeing the fire strike in front of the Platinum Knights, but nowhere near Mikleo because the drake was already moving.

Sorey reached out to grab Boris, pulling the man out of the way as the drake barreled past. Sorey felt a wing flick against his arm and the cold shiver of ice where scales had touched his skin. He grabbed at his arm, pulling away a handful of blue scales but nothing more.

He looked up just in time to see Mikleo tackle the guard’s horse down. Sorey flinched at the animal’s screams, his mouth dropping open when Mikleo lifted his head. An arm dangled out from the side of the drake’s mouth, Mikleo not seeming to notice that it was there. Instead, he turned to look at the other guard.

The man fumbled with his own weapon, barely getting his hand around it before Mikleo was on him. The drake ripped into the man and horse indiscriminately, jerking his head back to swallow down chunks of meat. It was different from watching him eat the hellion. That had been targeted and clean. This was a messy slaughter and would probably only get worse. Mikleo could feel all of the seraphs trapped in their vessels and he wouldn’t stop until all of the humans were dead.

Sorey pushed away from the ground and ran for the drake. He ducked under Mikleo’s tail to reach for the drake’s head. Sorey saw Mikleo’s attention snap to something over his shoulder, the quick jerk of the drake’s head enough of a warning for him to duck again.

There was a squeal of pain and, when he looked up, Lyte’s horse was limping back to the stunned army. Sorey swallowed and headed up towards Mikleo’s head.

Lyte was curled on the ground, staring at Mikleo in awe. He reached out a shaky hand only to snatch it back when Mikleo snapped at it. The drake kept his head low and growled, the sound making Lyte curl into a tighter ball.

Mikleo lowered his head until it was even with Lyte, his jaws falling open. The arm that had been hanging out of Mikleo’s mouth was gone, Sorey not sure if it had been swallowed or it had been dropped when Mikleo had gone after the other guard. In the end, it didn’t matter more than stopping Mikleo.

Sorey rushed forward, crouching between Mikleo and Lyte. He reached out for the drake, not surprised when Mikleo jerked his head back with a snarl. He heard Lyte whimper, but he held himself still. “I told you that we weren’t going to kill them.”

He wasn’t sure if Mikleo understood him, but the drake stopped. Sorey watched as Mikleo tipped his head to look at him through one eye. Sorey sighed and dropped his hand to the ground, digging his fingers into the grass. “There are other ways to get what you want. You understand me? We’re doing this my way.”

The drake huffed but didn’t move beyond switching his gaze to the man crouching behind Sorey. Sorey stared at the joint of Mikleo’s jaw for a moment before turning around to look at Lyte.

His cousin was hiding his head under his hands, his crown toppled to the ground beyond him. Sorey stared at the crown, feeling a shiver run up his spine.

He wiped his hands on his pants, smearing sweat and scales onto the fabric. His first instinct was to shrink away from the crown, but he couldn’t do that anymore. He had tried to help people and they had died because of him. He had promised Mikleo that he would free the seraphim, and he needed the power of the emperor to do that.

Sorey swallowed and gave Lyte one last glance before walking around his prone form to pick up the crown. He heard Mikleo make an interested sound, ignoring the drake in favor of turning the crown over in his hands.  The jewels still sparkled in the sunlight, but Sorey wanted to pluck the rubies out of their fixtures; they looked too much like blood.

He looked back over his shoulder at Lyte, watching as his cousin started to uncurl. Lyte looked between him and Mikleo before pointing a shaky finger at him. “I…I knew it. They were all right. You _were_ planning a coup.”

“I really wasn’t.” Sorey rolled the crown in his hands before turning to face Lyte. “I didn’t want this.”

Lyte stared at him before raising his hands slightly. “I…I surrender.”

Sorey felt a small spark of hope before his shoulders slumped. It was too easy. Lyte still had an army at his back and the advantage. Mikleo was only trump card that Sorey had, and he had already played it. As soon as one soldier snapped out of their fear and realized that they could attack, he and the Platinum Knights were doomed.

Mikleo growled behind him, Sorey choosing to take the sound as encouragement to get moving. The sight of a drake sitting in front of them wouldn’t keep the army in place for too long. There was one thing to do, and he hated it with all of his being.

He reached for his sword, drawing it from its scabbard. Sorey felt his hand shake, sure that he wouldn’t be able to hold the sword steady. He swallowed and got a better grip on the hilt. Sorey stared at his blade, trying to center himself with the familiar sight. He had trained in swordplay, but he had never killed anything other than the animals he had needed for food.

Then again, if he didn’t, too many other people would die.

Sorey tightened his grip around the crown, feeling the filigree bite into his palm. “You had no right to do that to them. The emperor _protects_ his people.”

Lyte’s face was blank for a moment, his cousin not understanding what he was saying. Sorey didn’t give him the time, rushing on before he could talk himself out of his next course of action. “I don’t accept your surrender.”

He hesitated long enough to see understanding cross Lyte’s face and then he stabbed downward with all his might.

Sorey felt his sword catch for a moment. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, leaning more on the pommel to get it to sink into Lyte’s chest. He heard his cousin choke on his next breath, wincing at the horrible, wet rattle that came from Lyte.

He kept leaning on the sword even when the sound had stopped, only then becoming aware of how fast he was breathing. It felt like each breath was catching as almost a sob on its way out.

Sorey pushed away from his sword, stumbling back a few steps. He nearly dropped the crown, but he kept a tight hold on it, sure that he was branding the diamonds and sharp edges into his palm.

He fetched up against the reassuring bulk of Mikleo, panting for breath as he stared at the dead body sprawled on the ground. He reached with shaking fingers for the drake, trying to find something to hold him up when Mikleo moved his head.

Sorey stumbled along with the motion, only realizing that he had turned to face the rest of the army when he heard one of the soldiers suck in a quick breath. He stared at the arranged troops, sure that their shock and horror matched his own. It was almost a relief when one of them moved to pull their weapon, only to stop when Mikleo growled.

Sorey scanned along the lines, jumping in surprise when he heard someone bellow from the other side of Mikleo, “Prince Sorey demands the surrender of the imperial forces!”

He turned, about to tell Sergei to forget about it. All he wanted to do was get the Platinum Knights into Pendrago and into safety. And then he wanted to take the time to think over everything that had happened. But he didn’t think he could move, not without someone to lean on. All he could hear was a roaring in his ears that sounded a lot like Lyte’s last, rattling breath.

One of the captains of the army moved, Sorey watching the old man with wide eyes as he shuffled forward. The captain stared at him for a moment before dropping to one knee. Sorey automatically reached out to stop him, finding himself holding the crown out to the army.

That seemed to be enough to convince them. The old captain gave the crown one look before bowing his head. “Maotelus save the emperor. Long may he reign!”

Sorey watched as the rest of the army hurried to drop to their knees, his stomach dropping as they all spoke, the words a steady wave breaking against him. “Emperor Sorey! Long may he reign!”

The chant continued, Sorey sure that it should have reassured him. It seemed to be doing something for Mikleo because the drake was puffing himself up, his scales sparkling in the sunlight. He looked every inch like the dragons that the emperors of old had commanded, and Sorey was holding the imperial crown.

He looked down at it again, turning it over in his hand before raising it in the air. He couldn’t bring himself to place it on his head, not just yet, but it didn’t sound like the army cared.

The Platinum Knights were the first to raise the cheer and the rest of the army followed. The chant dissolved into a wordless shout, Sorey feeling like he should stumble back in the face of their approval.

For a moment he wondered if this was what his father had felt like when the army had declared their general their emperor. And then the moment of slight awe was gone.

Sorey glanced over at Mikleo, preferring to look at the drake instead of the army kneeling in front of him. It wasn’t stealing the throne, it was a victory in his own right and, more importantly than that, it was needed. If Lyte had been allowed to continue then he would have rained more horrors on the countryside. It was right and it was just and it was something he had to do.

He swallowed and looked back at the army, feeling the knot coiling in the pit of his stomach starting to loosen. It wasn’t enough to make him feel better, but it was something. At least he could stand to look at his army and the crown he held. Sorey was sure that everything else would follow in time.

* * *

Mikleo leaned his shoulder against a grand pillar, keeping his breathing shallow as he looked at the decorations towards the back of the Pendrago Shinechurch. It was hard to see most of the carvings with all the banners and decorations that had been put up. Or, at least, never taken down. Mikleo remembered overhearing the Platinum Knights talking about the empress, and how Pendrago had recognized Empress Nadia until she had died. He was sure that most of the decorations had been put up for Lyte’s official coronation and had just been kept up.

If the populace or priests were disconcerted by the quick change over of emperors, they didn’t show it. Maybe the people were calmed by the fact that Sorey was related to the late empress, or maybe they were willing to take any excuse to celebrate. Mikleo wasn’t sure, he hadn’t been around so many people in his life.

He dug his fingers into the section of cloak that was draped over his arm. At least the people were quiet and partially blocked by the banners. It had been nearly unbearable when Sorey had processed into the shinechurch, the talking and cheers had practically sent him running. Now that they were quiet he could almost forget that they were there.

Almost.

The sheer amount of people packed into one building made his nose itch. Mikleo swallowed and dug his fingers in deeper, trying to take short breaths.

There were too many people, too many scents to focus on. It had been alright with the Platinum Knights, if only barely. He could handle the twelve or so men who made up the group, or that was what he had told himself when he had wrapped himself up in everything smelled like him and tried to block it out. Going in the palace had been bearable, just a handful of new scents to learn and most of them from people who weren’t even in the room for long. But the Shrinechurch was a new level, and it made him regret his decision to follow Sorey. Still, remaining close to Sorey was better than the alternative.

In the days between Lyte’s death and Sorey’s coronation, he’d stuck close to the human, not quite sure what to do about the others. He was familiar with the Platinum Knights, but they were all safely ensconced in their tower away from the palace. They weren’t the perfect companions, but at least they didn’t carry weapons with trapped seraphs in them, nor did they stare at him.

Mikleo shuddered and rubbed his arms, the motion rucking up the cloak he was wearing. The people in the imperial palace did nothing but stare at him, and Mikleo wasn’t quite sure why. He knew that seraphim looked different from humans, he’d listened carefully when Gramps had told him the stories. There was something different about them, a different aura that set them apart from the humans, which was how they could tell the two apart. Once it had been enough to worship them, but Gramps had told him that humans had taken it further. Spells to keep the seraphim in vessels weren’t the only thing that the humans knew.

He shivered, his fingers curling around the edges of his cloak. Mikleo fixed his gaze on where Sorey was sitting on the throne. He thought he saw Sorey’s gaze flick over to him for a moment before it moved back to the cardinal that was carefully intoning a requests for the seraphim to lay their blessings on the new emperor.

It was either the look or the heartfelt plea to the empty shrinechurch that relaxed him. Mikleo let his hands fall back down to his sides, the cloak dropping back over his arms. The touch of the silk inner lining against his arms was strange after so many years of wearing patched together clothes, but it was fitting for his position, whatever that was. Sorey didn’t seem to be too interested in letting him out of his sight, something that Mikleo was almost thankful for. If he was close to the emperor, then none of the other humans would get it into their heads to try and take him for themselves, not that they would have much of a chance. Mikleo would snap their necks before he allowed that.

He shook his head, trying to relax. He had wanted to see the coronation instead of staying back in the room that Sorey swore was his alone. Some part of him still thought that this was all an elaborate trick by the humans to capture the last seraph and some part of him was interested in the ceremony itself.

There had always been stories about the outside world laced inside the ones that had warned him about humans. All of the seraphim that had hidden in Elysia remembered the great wonders that they had left behind and they always been eager to share those memories with him. A few of them had told him about the wonder of the Pendrago Shrinechurch and how it had held Great Lord Maotelus until he had been stolen away.

Mikleo was sure that there were plenty of stories about Sorey’s father triumphantly bringing the lost lord back. Or how the weapon that Maotelus had been forced into had been paraded through Pendrago after the fall of Camlann. It seemed like the sort of stories that the humans would tell to themselves.

He huffed, glancing at some of the few visible carvings before turning his attention back to Sorey. He was in the shrinechurch for the sake of the emperor after all. He had helped bring down Lyte, even if his part was still patchy in his own memory. He had every right to be there.

Sorey shot another glance at him, Mikleo raising an eyebrow at the smile that Sorey gave him. He raised a hand and flicked his fingers, hoping that Sorey would take the hint and pay more attention to his people instead of the seraph lingering in the wings. Mikleo saw Sorey’s hand uncurl from its tight grip on the armrest of the throne, and then he looked away.

Mikleo tilted his head, staring at the scales that dangled from Sorey’s ears, rolling his eyes at the sight of them. He hadn’t even seen Sorey pick up some of the shed scales on the battlefield, and he had thought nothing of them until he’d seen Sorey putting them in that morning. It had been too late to ask what Sorey was thinking, but Mikleo didn’t think that he’d have much ground for an argument there. He lifted his head to touch the feather that dangled from the collar he wore.

He traced the edge of the feather, letting his fingers rest against his sternum with he reached the end of the feather. He had pulled it from offering of clothes that Sorey had given him, some of them obviously old clothes that the human had worn. Most of them hadn’t been worn at all, clothes made for a prince with no interest in the kingdom. Mikleo had taken his time picking out things, running his hands over the fine clothes in wonder.

He curled his fingers into the silk of his shirt, rubbing it against his fingertips before pulling his hand away. It was almost too much after living on his own at the top of a mountain. But he had every reason to endure it, for the sake of the seraphim and his family. Besides, he had earned his place here. The battle might not have been the great affair that would undoubtedly pass into song, but Mikleo had heard enough of the whispers through the palace to be pleased with himself.

They talked about the young emperor and his dragon in awe and fear. Mikleo didn’t want to correct them, because the story was doing its work. They were impressed with Sorey, the prince who would climb a dragon’s mountain for the sake of his people. More importantly, they were afraid of him, which might keep him safer than his association with Sorey. No one wanted to bother a dragon, no matter what it looked like.

Mikleo looked up as Sorey stood, the human taking a few steps forward before he stopped in front of the cardinal. Mikleo thought he saw the cardinal nod before she reached for something just out of his line of sight. Curious, Mikleo leaned forward, careful to pull his arm over his nose so he could press it against the cloak and breathe in his own scent over the overwhelming scent of the audience. He watched from over his arm as as the woman unfolded a cloak of red and gold.

She held it above her head, letting the audience see it before stepping forward and handing it to two assistants. They were quick to step back and drape the cloak around Sorey, securing it in place even as the cardinal raised her voice to speak. “This is the mantle of the empire, a symbol of the protection and grace granted to us by the seraphim. With it, the power and protection that was first given to us by Lord Maotelus years ago passes onto you to extend to the people.”

Sorey stepped back, the two assistants keeping a hold of the edges of the cloak as he sat down on the throne.

The corner of Mikleo’s mouth twitched up when he saw the blue coat revealed underneath the heavy cloak. It was a strange sight amid all of the red, but it was quickly covered up as the cloak was arranged around Sorey. Mikleo supposed that it would have been an imposing sight, but he could see Sorey shifting slightly, either because of the weight or the heat.

He shook his head, leaning forward slightly so he could watch as the cardinal brought out the next item. His heart started to beat faster when the woman lifted an ornately decorated sword above her head for the audience to see.

The humans all gasped at the sword, the sound full of wonder. But all Mikleo could see were the runes etched into it. He scanned over them, searching out the familiar spells and enchantments that would bind a seraph to it. He’d gotten plenty of time to study the vessels back in Elysia, eight years’ worth. There had been enough broken fragments for him to pick over before he had thrown them as far from the cairns as he could.

The cardinal turned with the sword, Mikleo seeing the light sparkle off the gems, the grandeur ruined slightly by the uneven line running across the center of the sword. He stared at the break before breathing a sigh of relief. The sword might have once been used as a vessel, but it wasn’t anymore. It couldn’t be, not when it had been broken and reforged; vessels had to be in one piece. Whatever seraph that had been held inside it has escaped, or was dead.

The thought didn’t quite settle him, but at least it meant that the sword was no longer a threat to him. Mikleo shook his head and focused on the words that the cardinal was speaking.

“I bestow the Sword of the Maotelus on the emperor, with the blessings of the church and the people. With it, he is given the might and sacred artes of the seraphim, to use in times of war to bring peace to the empire and ensure that peace is never broken.”

Mikleo scoffed at the worlds, rolling his shoulders. He was sure that the oath had been a lie for the past one hundred years, but that didn’t stop the people from listening intently. Mikleo was sure that they all believed that the seraphim would strike someone down if they lied in the sacred space, never mind the fact that there were hardly any seraphim left. He certainly wasn’t going to be the one to lash out first, not when Sorey still owed him.

He crossed his arms over his chest, watching as Sorey was handed the sword. He raised an eyebrow when Sorey was quick to flip the sword blade down. From the way that the cardinal hesitated, it was a strange motion. But she didn’t linger over it long, the woman stepping to the side to raise the crown up to give the audience a good view of it.

This time, the shrinechurch went silent as the audience stared at it.

Mikleo tipped his head, eyeing the crown. It was the same one that Sorey had picked up from the battlefield, the same one that Lyte had met them with. Mikleo hummed to himself, watching the light flash off the rubies as the cardinal moved the crown.

She took three quick steps forward, raising the crown high above Sorey’s head. Her head tipped back slightly, the woman staring up at the ceiling like she was addressing the higher power that had once resided in the shrinechurch. “I crown you, with a crown of righteousness and a crown of faith that, by the guidance of the seraphim, you may do good works and ensure that your people flourish and the blessing remains on our great empire until the day the world is destroyed.”

The cardinal lowered the crown down, settling it on Sorey’s head.

It had barely touched his hair before the audience broke out into cheers. “Lord Maotelus save the emperor! Long may he reign!”

Mikleo twisted slightly to look out into the audience, only managing a quick glance before he had to duck back. It wasn’t enough to see if anyone had any evil will towards Sorey, but it was enough to gauge the mood of the people. They were joyous, although whether that was because of an emperor they agreed with or because they were acting he didn’t know. And he didn’t dare look back out while the people were still cheering.

He closed his eyes, pressing the side of his head against the pillar. The noise and smell was almost enough for him to consider ducking back into the passages that the priests had used, but there was just as much a chance of running into people there. Mikleo shivered, digging his nails into the cape over his arms. He took a deep breath to calm himself and immediately regretted it as he choked on the scent.

Then, the chanting stopped.

Mikleo opened his eyes, watching as four children ascended to the dais. All four of them looked frightened and shaky. Mikleo glanced back at Sorey, watching as he leaned forward slightly, but didn’t move beyond that.

If the cardinal and her assistants noticed they didn’t comment. The most one did was motion impatiently for them to hurry up.

The four children shuffled into line, the cardinal quick to drop her hand onto the first girl’s shoulder and push her forward. The girl stumbled, the flame in the bowl that she was holding flickering. She was quick to cup the flame, looking up at Sorey before dropping into a quick curtsy. The girl extended the bowl in front of her, one of the assistants taking the stick that was stuck into the flame and lifting it.

The flame danged on the end of the stick as the assistant moved it, stopping just in short of touching Sorey’s forehead. He held the stick there, his head bowing as he spoke. “We bless you with the element of fire, to burn away impurities and cleanse you of malevolence.”

The stick was dropped back into the bowl, the girl shuffled away in time for the boy bearing a bowl of earth to be shoved forward. The second assistant grabbed a handful of dirt, raising it up in front of Sorey’s face. He loosened his hold, letting some of the dirt dribble out of his fist and onto the floor at Sorey’s feet. “We bless you with earth, that you may remain steady and steadfast in times of crisis.”

The boy was shooed away in favor of the next boy, this one practically shoving his bowl at the first assistant. Mikleo chuckled at the look of disgust at the man’s face as he took one of the burning sticks of incense. He waved it vaguely in front of Sorey, the smoke drifting out towards the children and the cardinal instead of over the emperor. “We bless you with wind, that you may be blown clean of impurities and breathe new life into your reign.”

The incense was dropped back into place, the cardinal shoving the last child forward. This one was shaking far more than the others, drops of water spilling over the sides of her bowl. She looked up at Sorey, ignoring the frantic waving of the second assistant. For a moment, it looked like she was going to carry on with her duty, but then she gave a squeak of surprise and dropped the bowl.

Mikleo heard the humans gasp and saw Sorey jerk forward like he was going to catch the bowl, but he was already in action.

It was second nature to stop the fall of water, rolling it into a sphere even as the bowl clattered to the floor. Mikleo focused on the tension of the water, feeling it out before letting it rest, the sphere holding up perfectly without dripping. He smiled to himself, watching the water bob just above the floor before he raised it slightly, the candlelight reflecting off its surface. It wasn’t until he glanced up at Sorey that he realized what he had done.

Sorey was looking towards him in wonder, but the two assistants by his side were staring at the sphere of water. Mikleo curled his fingers towards his palm, looking at the cardinal.

She was looking directly at him, her eyes narrowing as he took his appearance. He saw her lips part in surprise, Mikleo flinching back. He didn’t want her to focus on him, not when she professed a belief in the seraphim but allowed them to be tortured. Then again, by the look on her face, she wasn’t happy at his presence.

Mikleo held her gaze, torn between rushing back into the safety of the back passages and meeting her gaze. In the end, he did neither. He swallowed and lifted his chin, stepping away from the pillar.

He flinched when the low murmur from the people stopped at the sight of him. The whole shrinechurch went silent, Mikleo turning his head to get a quick glimpse of the audience. The sight and smell of so many people made his stomach twist, Mikleo taking a step back.

“Mikleo.”

He turned at the sound of Sorey’s voice, watching as Sorey smiled. He sighed, glancing down at the bubble of water that was floating close to his waist. There was no turning back, not when the people had seen him and had probably guessed that he was a seraph. It was probably a good sign that a seraph had appeared to bless the emperor.

Mikleo shot the cardinal a sidelong glance before stepping towards Sorey. He raised the sphere of water higher, dragging his fingers through it. When he pulled them away rivulets of water clung to them. He turned his hand, pressing his palm against Sorey’s forehead for a moment before swiping his fingers across Sorey’s forehead.

He released his hold on the water, letting it smear across Sorey’s skin and drip down his face. Mikleo held Sorey’s gaze through the motion, even when he gathered the water that still lingered on his fingers into droplets and sent them back into the sphere hovering close to him.

Mikleo stared at the water running down over Sorey’s face, his breath getting caught in his throat as some of the drops crossed Sorey’s lips before dripping down off Sorey’s chin. He only started out of his reverie when Sorey reached out for him.

He took a step back, sending the sphere of water back into the bowl where it landed with a splash. The motion was enough time for him to collect himself, Mikleo trying to raise his voice as he spoke. “I bless you with water, that you may cleanse this world and that your mind remains clear to remember your oaths.”

He thought he saw Sorey quirk and eyebrow, but then the human was standing up. Mikleo took another quick step back, flinching back when Sorey reached for him.

Sorey hesitated there, one hand in the space between them before he moved again. Mikleo sucked in a breath, sure that he was shaking as Sorey’s hand got closer. He clenched his own hands by his sides, fighting the urge to lash out at Sorey. He was surprised when Sorey brushed his bangs out of the way, the human staring at the circlet that we wore. Mikleo quickly reached up to cover it, wanting to hide it again.

It wasn’t something to be shown off, it was a gift that Gramps had given to him back in Elysia, something that had been left to him by Muse. Mikleo had never gotten the chance to ask who Muse was, but he knew that the circlet was special and something to be protected.

Sorey just stared at it for a moment before nodding and stepping around him. Mikleo turned to watch him, staying rooted in place as Sorey walked to the edge of the dais before stopping. For a moment, Mikleo was sure that Sorey would address his people, but the human just turned slightly to look at him. There was expectation in Sorey’s gaze, Mikleo not sure what to do about it until Sorey motioned for him to come closer.

Mikleo took a slow step forward, inching forward until he was standing in the space left empty on Sorey’s left side. He flinched when Sorey caught his hand, staring at the floor as Sorey brought his hand to his lips, but there was no kiss. Mikleo heard the crowd react like there had been one, but he was more focused on how quickly Sorey released his hand. He tucked it back against his side, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm the almost panicked flutter of his heart.

Mikleo stared at the stone floor, working up to look at the people. It was far easier to just listen to the cardinal and her assistants rush to catch up to Sorey than acknowledge the stares directed at him. But he had stepped out of his hiding spot and there was no going back. The rumors about the seraph wouldn’t stop because he left, if anything they would grow. And there was nothing wrong with an emperor who had command of a dragon and a seraph, not when it would keep the people in awe of him.

He swallowed and looked up, watching as the people shuffled around to get a better look at him. To his surprise, none of them looked like the councilors had or the cardinal had when she had first seen him. Their worshipful gazes seemed to be just that, surprise in seeing a seraph with their own eyes.

Almost as one, the people decided to kneel, Mikleo’s eyes widening at the motion. He had expected it for Sorey, but not for him.

He glanced over at Sorey, surprised to see Sorey looking at him with a fond smile. Mikleo looked away quickly, his gaze lingering on where Sorey’s councilors were still standing. He narrowed his eyes at the open anger and disgust that he saw on their faces. He glared at them for good measure. “They don’t look happy.”

Sorey glanced over at them before shrugging, the motion hidden by the heavy cloak of office. “I don’t think they’ll get any better.”

“Sorey-”

“It’ll be alright, Mikleo.”

Mikleo pressed his lips together, not bothering to try and argue with Sorey. He was focused on the next step in his plan, which meant that Mikleo would have to watch his back. The councilors might have been silent during the switch of emperors, but that didn’t mean that they were ready to give up on whatever advantage that they had. Considering the way that they were looking at him, they didn’t like his position by their emperor.

He threw one last glare at the council before his line of sight was blocked as Sorey stepped forward. Mikleo recoiled slightly, watching Sorey start to descend to the transept of the shrinechurch. Mikleo swallowed before stepping down after him, preferring to stick close to Sorey’s side rather than be in range for the people to touch him.

He looked from side to side, watching as the people looked up to catch a glimpse of him, the emperor’s seraph. It was a heady thing, their open worship. For a moment, Mikleo could see why seraphim had come down from their hiding places to be among the people, their open admiration was intoxicating.

He swallowed and looked away, focusing on the great door of the shrinechurch. It was swinging open slowly, the gap in the door allowing the cheers of the crowd that had gathered outside to be heard. It was more people, too many people.

Mikleo slowed down a step, tensing when he felt Sorey’s arm slip between his cloak and his side. He looked down at the hold, noting how Sorey was avoiding touching him at all. But that would change because he didn’t stop walking. Mikleo swallowed and followed, keeping his chin high and breathing shallowly as they stepped out of the shrinechurch and into the shouts of the waiting people.

* * *

 

“To Emperor Sorey! Long may he reign!”

The shout was taken up by everyone in the tavern, glasses being raised high and people even standing on the benches to toast the new emperor. “Long may he reign!”

Sergei grinned at the rest of the Platinum Knights, turning his head as Vanya rested a hand on his shoulder. The man grinned at him as he knocked their glasses together. Sergei nodded at the man before taking a drink.

Vanya laughed at something another knight said before leaning back in his chair. “Maotelus save the emperor for giving us the night off. Those Royal Guards might as well make themselves useful.”

Boris snorted from Sergei’s other side. He turned to look at his younger brother, watching as Boris stared into the bottom of his glass. “Are we sure we can trust them? After all, they were the ones that killed Empress Nadia.”

Sergei frowned, curling his fingers around his glass. He’d been pushing back his own worry on that count because Sorey’s accomplishment deserved celebration, but their emperor was very exposed.

His victory against Lyte had been anything but decisive, the army had just surrendered to avoid fighting the dragon. Sergei remembered clearly the look of shock on the general’s faces when Mikleo had come back to his usual form. There had been calculation then, something that belied their surrender.

After all the throne had changed hands so many times in the past seventeen years. It had been quick enough that the army didn’t have any real loyalty to the emperor. The last one they had loved had been Heldalf, but that wouldn’t help Sorey. Everyone knew that he hadn’t taken after his father. Sorey had avoided the war and the army, which wouldn’t endear him to them. The soldiers still wanted an emperor that would bring them glory and honor in war, or at least they were told that’s what they wanted.

Sergei knocked back his beer, setting the glass down on the table. He stood up, nodding at the other knights as they looked up at him. A few shifted in their seats like they would follow him.

Andrei was the one to calm them down, the man laughing as shaking his head. “The Royal Guard should be warned for their own safety. Our emperor has a seraph on his side. You all saw him at the coronation and in battle. We’ve got nothing to worry about.”

There were a few cheers and small toasts to the emperor’s seraph, the knights looking towards him and Boris.

Sergei looked down at his brother before shrugging. “The rest of you can spend all night celebrating, but I have duties to attend to.”

Vanya smirked and raised his glass. “To our overworked general!”

The entire tavern cheered and toasted him. Sergei turned and waved at the other patrons before dropping his hand to Boris’ shoulder. “I’ll see all of you in the morning.”

There were a few groans, but most of the knights laughed and waved him off. Sergei gave them one last wave before picking his way to the front of the tavern. He endured the pats and cheers of the rest of the drunk patrons. Everyone was still riding on the high of the joy of the coronation. Besides, the tavern was the traditional stomping grounds of the Platinum Knights. They were always welcomed there.

He stepped outside, taking a deep breath of the clean night air. He glanced back at the sign hanging from the front of the tavern, smiling at the familiar sight of the knight brandishing her sword. Sergei considered the old building for a moment before walking back towards the Knight’s Tower.

He hadn’t been making excuses when he had said that he had duties to take care of. They had been away from Pendrago for years and he had no idea what had happened to their records. The few days they’d had before the coronation hadn’t been enough time to look through the entire tower and do a thorough inventory.

Sergei scanned the walls, picking out where the Royal Guards were stationed on them. They didn’t look like they were slacking off, but there was plenty to occupy their attention. Even this late at night people were still out. Sergei was sure that they would be celebrating until the morning. After all they had a new emperor, one directly related to Empress Nadia, and Pendrago had loved the empress. At least that was one thing in Sorey’s favor. The army might not support him, but the people that he had helped and the people of Pendrago would love him, if only because they had loved his aunt.

He wove his way through the crowd, slowing down as he entered the royal quarter. Sergei stepped through the open gates, tipping his head back to check the guards on the sections of wall closer to the imperial palace. They looked attentive enough, but he would do a check before he retired for the night. He had spent most of his life protecting Sorey, and he wasn’t going to stop just because Sorey was the emperor now. Besides, it had been an old habit of his and it would be good to get back into old habits now that it looked like the Platinum Knights would be in Pendrago on a permanent basis.

Sergei turned on the spot, freezing when he saw two figures in white standing on the wall. He narrowed his eyes, tipping his head to the side when he recognized Sorey and the seraph. Sergei couldn’t imagine why the two of them were outside, especially when there was bound to be a great feast going on. Then again, Sergei couldn’t imagine the standoffish seraph wanted to sit through a feast.

The seraph seemed to be skittish around people, even around Sorey. That he had dragged Sorey away with him was strange, but at least it meant that Sorey had a guard with him. Sergei couldn’t imagine anyone going against the seraph when especially he was praised and called the emperor’s dragon in the same breath.

Sergei couldn’t imagine what the two were working on, especially so soon after the coronation. He would have thought that Sorey would have taken the chance to rest after being on the road for so long and celebrate the honor that he had gotten. But he was avoiding it to stand on the wall with a seraph.

He watched as Sorey gestured out at something just out of his line of sight. He turned away from them before he could see Mikleo’s response. It wasn’t his business. Besides, he had many things to occupy his time, and Sorey was in good hands.

He came to an abrupt stop when he saw someone stepping out of the gate to the palace. Sergei stumbled back, looking at the woman’s robes of state before breathing a sigh of relief. “Cardinal Forton.”

The woman eyed him for a moment before nodding. “General Strelka. I thought you would be with your men.”

“I was, but tomorrow is another day.”

“Indeed it is.” Forton folded her hands into her sleeves. “And there is only so much drunken revelry that I can stand.”

Sergei gave a nervous chuckle, taking a step back. He had never spent that much time with the church officials, and they were intimidating. They were the ones who had been the closest to the seraphs while they were around, the ones to speak to the Great Lord Maotelus himself. The priests and priestesses had always seemed distant and mysterious to him when he was a young boy. Even when he had been granted the position of general of the Platinum Knights that awe hadn’t gone away.

Beyond that, Cardinal Forton was an intimidating woman herself. She had singlehandedly shouldered the burden of the church when the pope had disappeared in the middle of Leon and Konan’s struggles for the throne.

There had always been rumors about what had happened to the man. One of the feuding brothers may have killed him because the pope would not take their side. The other was that the cardinal herself had killed the pope to gain her position. Sergei wouldn’t have put it past her, she looked like the kind of person who would take matters into her own hands if the situation called for it.

He bowed his head to her, about to walk away when Forton turned to look at the emperor and the seraph on the wall. He saw the corner of her mouth twitch before dropping into a frown. Sergei dropped his hand to his waist, carefully not letting his hand stray too close to his sword.

The woman stared at the two on the wall before she gave him a forced looking smile. “Truly we are blessed that our emperor has allied himself with a seraph. I believed that they were all gone.”

Sergei raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. They both knew very well where all the seraphim were, but the church always operated with the view that they had no idea why the seraphim had retreated from the world. He could push the argument, but he doubted that he would win against her.

Pope Masedra had always spoken against the use of the seraphic weapons, but that belief had been dropped by the church. After he disappeared they had picked up their old refrain to gather the seraphim to use for the war. Sergei had heard enough sermons on the subject, all of them corrupted old Shepherd legends; just anything that would keep the support for the war going.

He watched her carefully, not surprised to see her eyeing Mikleo covetously. He was sure that she wanted the prestige of owning a seraph, especially when there were so many rumors about how she had gotten her position and Mikleo’s display at the coronation. That would be enough to tempt anyone.

She turned away a moment later, giving him a solemn nod. “May the emperor and his companion live long and prosperous lives…although I would probably watch him.”

“Why?”

Forton smiled at him, this one feeling more real and sending a shiver down his spine. “You know that seraphim are more susceptible to malevolence than humans. But they can drags humans with them into that corruption.”

“Not Sorey.”

She tipped her head in acknowledgement, but the smile didn’t leave her face. “Of course, you would know him best. But I would still be cautious. We wouldn’t want to lose another emperor so soon after his coronation. Or the last seraph.”

Forton gave him one last nod before walking off in the direction of the shrinechurch.

Sergei watched her as she walked away, trying to calm the shiver that ran through him. He wanted to believe that it was just because of Forton, but he couldn’t help but to look back at Mikleo.

He knew about seraphim and malevolence. It was in all of the sermons that he had heard growing up and one of the things that the soldiers were trained in. After all, it was up to the soldiers to protect their comrades from turning on each other or the seraphim in the vessels from becoming dangerous. Sergei was sure that Mikleo was not anywhere near that dangerous point, or so he thought. No one had actually had to deal with a dragon in years. The training had told him what to look out for, but all of his instructors had told him to kill any seraphim who escaped from their vessels because they would immediately change into dragons.

He bit his lip, watching as Sorey leaned in closer to Mikleo, the emperor swaying away a moment later as Mikleo took a step away. It was something that should have been able to be shrugged off, but Sergei could still see the way that Mikleo had crouched by Sorey as a drake or the way Sorey had looked when Mikleo stepped out onto the dais at his coronation.

Sorey had looked in awe and completely enchanted by the seraph. That was something a bit more than just a promise.

Sergei lingered over the two of them for a moment before turning on his heel and walking towards the tower. It was a good thing that they had a seraph on their side, it was what Sorey had always wanted. It was the start of the peace that Sorey had always wanted. But that didn’t mean that he would be blind to the danger that Mikleo could pose. Sorey was his emperor, and he would guard Sorey with his life, even against the seraph if necessary.


	5. Chapter 3

“Gods of our fathers, Heroes of our land…  
Do not prevent at least this youthful prince  
From saving a world in ruins…  
For right and wrong change places everywhere  
So many wars, so many shapes of crime  
Confront us; no due honor attends the plow  
The fields, bereft of tillers, are all unkempt…  
…throughout the world  
Impious War is raging.”  
- _Georgics_ , Virgil

* * *

 

Sorey stared at the doors to the council chamber, listening to the dull sound of voices on the other side. He wasn’t surprised that the council had started without him, they were used to running the empire with or without someone on the throne. He was just another in a long line. Sorey sighed, the crown on his head suddenly feeling heavier.

He wasn’t looking forward to the meeting, not when it would be pushing against what they had been doing for the past seventeen years. Sorey swallowed and closed his hand around the knob, trying to gather the courage to barge into his own council meeting.

The sound of someone laughing made him turn around. He tipped his head to the side when he saw Mikleo standing in the hallway. He hadn’t expected to see the seraph, especially after all the exposure to people he had gotten the day before. He had thought that Mikleo would be tucked away, getting to work finding his family. He had been depending on it so he would have something to sneak away to.

He dropped his hand away from the door so he could turn and look at Mikleo. “Hey.”

Mikleo raised an eyebrow, glancing at the council room. “Shouldn’t you be in there?”

“I will be.”

“But you’re not.”

“I’m not slacking off.”

“Good, because we had an agreement.” Mikleo stepped around him, not getting anywhere close to him. Sorey shrunk back anyway, giving the seraph all the room he needed.

His gaze lingered on Mikleo as the seraph went to stand in front of the doors. He had never expected Mikleo to remain in the clothes that he had found of him. Sorey had just dropped all of his old clothes that he had never worn as an alternative for the rags that Mikleo had been wearing. To his memory, there hadn’t been anything useful, but Mikleo had figured something out, something that made him look more like the seraphim of legend. He stared at the corset before jerking his gaze up to Mikleo’s face. From the expression there, Mikleo had known exactly what he was doing.

Sorey swallowed, his gaze flicking up to Mikleo’s forehead. The circlet wasn’t a safe place to look either because the aquamarine jewel in the center of the gold decoration caught his attention. He’d gotten glimpses of the circlet on the way up to Pendrago, but he hadn’t really thought about it until the coronation. Even then, he’d only revealed it on a whim. It seemed right to give Mikleo the same status as himself. The seraph was his ally and deserved recognition. Sorey had assumed that it would be hidden away again, but it wasn’t and it shone just as brightly as his crown.

He dropped his gaze to Mikleo’s eyes, seeing them widen before he took a step to the side. “What?”

“You hair looks good like this.”

Mikleo stared at him for a moment before huffing and opening the doors. He swept into the room, seemingly oblivious to the way that the council stopped to stare at him. Sorey was staring too as Mikleo walked to the head of the table, his cloak flowing out around him.

The seraph glanced at the ornate chair at the head of the table, Mikleo dragging his fingers over the arm before he turned to grab one of the empty chairs. He pulled it to the left of the ornate chair, settling it strangely close considering Mikleo’s preference for avoiding contact with humans. He sat down, giving Sorey an expectant stare. Sorey met the stare for a moment before remembering himself.

He shook his head and walked into the room, closing the doors behind him.

Everyone around the table save for Mikleo scrambled to their feet. The seraph had a hand pressed over his mouth and looked like he was on the verge of laughter. Sorey ignored Mikleo in favor of making his way to his seat. He reached up to undo the clasp holding the white and gold cape closed, pulling it from his shoulders. He draped it over the back of the chair, reaching up to undo some of the buttons on his coat with his free hand. Sorey sat down heavily in the chair, watching as the councilors followed his lead. He looked over all of them, briefly glancing over at Mikleo.

The seraph was smirking behind his hand. Mikleo raised an eyebrow at Sorey’s look before reaching out to flick the pommel of the ornate sword at his waist.

Sorey rested his hand on the pommel, glad when that deterred Mikleo from touching him. He was more used to the Mikleo who would avoid touching him or any human than the Mikleo who was teasing him. It had been hard enough not to react when Mikleo’s scent drifted his way, because Sorey just wanted to follow it back to the source and nuzzle close. The worst had been when Mikleo smeared water across his forehead, but at least that had been a brief contact. This was Mikleo close to him and smelling like rain for the duration of the council meeting. He licked his lips, focusing on his council instead of the presence of the seraph by his side.

The council stared at the two of them before General Vortigern cleared his throat, the man leaning forward slightly. “You highness. We didn’t expect to see you so soon. We thought that you would have other matters to attend to.”

“I thought you needed me to make decisions.” Sorey shrugged. “Besides, some of my business has to do with you. You’re the ones running the war.”

For a moment, it looked like the council didn’t know if they should take it as a compliment or not. Sorey couldn’t read them easily, and he almost regretted sneaking away from his tutors. He was used to the frankness of soldiers, and not the ways of the politicians. Sorey tipped his head to be able to see Mikleo, hoping that the seraph would be able to read them better. But Mikleo was still, looking slightly more calculating than considering. Mikleo was probably more focused on looking for threats than lies.

Sorey looked expectantly at the council, watching as they stalled before stumbling back into motion.

The four generals stared across the table before Vortigern looked down at the map in front of him. “We’ve just started to get reports about the movement of the resistance. We haven’t been able to counter them since a majority of the army was pulled back by your predecessor.” The last part was directed at him with a nod. “Because of this, there have been various reports of an army moving through the Hyland Provence and starting to try and reassemble a kingdom again. With a skeleton crew to hold the borders, I believe that this is the most pressing problem.”

Cardinal Forton cleared her throat, stopping the next general from speaking. She gave them all a thankful nod. “I don’t disagree but, if I remember correctly from the last meeting, one of the problems was the lack of proper equipment. Perhaps it would be prudent to make a stop gap while you gather what you need.”

Sorey tensed when she threw a glance at Mikleo, reacting before he could really think what he was doing. “No!”

The council froze at his shout, all of them staring at him. Sorey stared back at them, closing his shaking hands into fists. He swallowed and forced himself to hold their gazes. “I won’t allow that.”

The council looked at each other before one of the priests spoke up. “Your highness, I understand that you are in support of the seraphim. But you must understand that this is done as a favor to them. The malevolence is too much for them without a vessel. We are offering them salvation and they help us in return. It’s just something that has to be done.”

“It’s no such thing!” Mikleo snarled, the seraph edging forward in his seat. Sorey saw a flash of fangs as Mikleo opened his mouth. “How dare you say that?!”

“How dare you fight against it when you are one benefiting from the same thing?”

Mikleo bared his teeth, Sorey quick to reach out for him when he saw the glitter of scales on Mikleo’s skin. He stopped short of touching the seraph, but Mikleo saw the motion. His lip curled back in a snarl but he didn’t move. Sorey watched him for a moment more before looking back at his council.

“I agree with Mikleo. The seraphim are being abused and we’re not going to continue this.”

“But the malevolence-”

“We fix it. And the largest cause is the war. It’s gone on for far too long.”

“The war keeps us safe.”

“The war makes us enemies.” Sorey looked at General Viktor. “There is not a problem that we have that hasn’t been caused by the war.”

General Viktor seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment, his mouth opening and shutting. The general huffed and practically threw himself back in his chair. “Then what do you suggest?”

“The war ends, now. We call the troops back and recall the weapons. We’ll offer the resistance any anyone from Hyland terms for peace. From then, we can work on the malevolence.”

“How? Will you summon the last Shepherd back from the dead?”

Mikleo snorted in response to the question, Sorey making another motion to calm him down. Sorey glanced at the seraph before giving his council a steady look.

They had all profited from the war in some way or another, so it would be hard to convince them otherwise. Then again, he didn’t have to convince them, his word was law and they would have no choice but to obey.

Sorey took a deep breath before standing up, aware that Mikleo was doing the same. Sorey leaned forward to get closer to the council, not surprised that all of them stayed seated out of shock. Sorey didn’t care, because the meeting wouldn’t last too much longer, at least for the day.

He took a deep breath, not letting himself hesitate. “This is an order. We’ll stop the war and offer terms for peace. All of the seraphic weapons will be brought back and exchanged for normal weapons. The seraphim will be freed. That is what will happen.”

The council stared at him, the generals looking ready to start shouting. General Vortigern shoved the maps and papers away, bracing his hands on the table. One of the younger generals reached out for him, aborting the motion halfway through to try and reach for General Viktor as the man shoved his chair back.

Cardinal Forton was the only one to nod, the priests on either side of her looking surprised. Sorey saw her gaze flick over to Mikleo before she stood up as well. “The emperor has spoken and we must comply.” She turned her head to look at him, but her gaze slid away from him and over to Mikleo. “I can only ask that you hold off on releasing the seraphim until we can figure out how to help them.”

Sorey hesitated, but she was the only one that was listening to him. The rest of the council looked ready to revolt. The only thing keeping them in the room was Mikleo’s low growl. He was tempted to reach out to calm the seraph, but he didn’t dare look away from his council, not when all of them were exchanging glances that he couldn’t read.

Slowly, they all started to relax, a few of the generals chuckling. General Vortigern shook his head and sat back. “Do you have any other demands?”

Sorey nodded. “We’re going to rebuild our nation. There’s no way we can live with the way things are now. We’ll need to provide support to the villages and restructure the farming system so we don’t starve. Land can be redistributed to the soldiers who want to retire.”

“You’ll destroy the empire.”

“No. I’m going to save it.” Sorey grabbed his cloak, dragging it from the back of his chair and over his arm. He extended the arm behind Mikleo, careful not to touch him. Sorey glanced back at the council, not bothering to hide his anger. “You have until tomorrow to have a basic plan and to have the announcement of peace sent out.”

It was tempting to make it all a threat, but Sorey doubted that they needed it. They knew that they would lose the power that sitting on the council got them, and that was something that they wouldn’t risk. There were plenty of other people that could replace them.

He looked back at Mikleo, stepping closer to the seraph. “Mikleo.”

The seraph started at the sound of his name. He stared at Sorey for a moment before huffing and storming away. Sorey was quick to trail after him. He kept his arm stretched behind Mikleo, not sure if he was ushering the seraph out of the room or trying to protect Mikleo from the angry and covetous stares of the council. He watched the tension in Mikleo’s back, wishing that he could rub some of it away.

Mikleo remained silent until they were out of the room and the door was shut behind them. Then his shoulders twitched like he was shaking something off. Mikleo took a deep breath and stepped away from him, turning with the motion. “You made a lot of enemies.”

“I know.”

“Dangerous ones.”

“It was going to happen.”

Mikleo snorted. “That’s not the smartest move.”

Sorey shrugged. He had known that he would be making enemies, he had been doing that since he was a child. Besides the right thing was never easy, not when the empire was so entrenched in its ways. And it would be worth it, especially when he could almost see a smile under Mikleo’s frown.

Mikleo watched him for a moment before shrugging. “If you say so.”

The seraph turned on his heel and walked away, Sorey watching the swing of his cloak. He was tempted to ask where Mikleo was going and follow. All the old stories he’d heard growing up had been true, the seraphim were intoxicating or that might have just been Mikleo. He let himself consider the idea for a moment, of staying close to Mikleo and maybe slipping his arm around Mikleo’s waist. Maybe even pulling Mikleo close so he could press nuzzle into Mikleo’s neck and inhale…

Sorey shook his head to clear it, turning away from Mikleo. The seraph needed his privacy and Sorey had his own things to work over. He might have demanded his orders to be carried out but that didn’t mean that his council would do what he asked. If anything, they would drag their feet and hope that he changed his mind about the end of the war. They were in for a surprise if they believed that he would break so easily. He might as well send out the terms himself, just to be sure that they went out in some sort of timely fashion or had the right tone that they wouldn’t think that the empire was toying with them.

He gave Mikleo one last look over his shoulder, sighing when the seraph disappeared around a corner. Sorey looked down at the cloak that was still draped over his arm. He stroked his fingers through the white fur ruff at the collar of the cape, trying his hardest not to think about how it reminded him of Mikleo’s hair. Sorey curled his fingers into the fur, taking a deep breath. He could still catch Mikleo’s scent lingering in the hallway, the soft scent of wet earth and rain making him slightly dizzy. Sorey swallowed and shook his head to clear it of the omega’s scent. He shifted his hold on the cape so he could swing it over his shoulders. He didn’t bother to secure it, letting it hang loose around him as he walked off towards the library.

* * *

Mikleo pressed his back against the door, breathing heavily. He could still feel the anger coiling in his gut, and it was hard to swallow it back. He hissed and knocked his head back against the door. He had known that the council wouldn’t be moved, but he hadn’t expected it to affect him so much. He hadn’t expected the lies.

He bit his lip, wincing at the sharp bite of pain as his fangs cut his lip. Mikleo licked the blood away, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing. He was away from the council and all the other humans. No one but Sorey would come into these rooms, they were tucked too far away in the palace to be of any use. The only thing in the rooms were the boxes of confiscated seraphic weapons.

They were only the ones that they had taken from Lyte’s army. There were more in storage along the border forts. Sorey had also said that there were other stashes hidden around the empire, created during the wars between the Emperor Dorann’s sons. Mikleo was annoyed that they hadn’t gathered all of them but at least they had a roomful of weapons. It wasn’t an end, but it was a good start.

He pushed away from the door, walking among the stacks of boxes. He trailed his hands over them, feeling the pull of the seraphim. Mikleo sucked in a quick breath, closing his eyes. It had been so long since he had felt another seraph. Even a seraph that was suffering was better than just being alone.

Mikleo scrubbed a sleeve across his face, wiping away the tears that had started to fall. It was a silly thing to get emotional about, but it had been eight years since he felt another seraph. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against the crates. As wonderful as the feeling was, it wasn’t the same as it had been in Elysia. None of the seraphim could respond, nor could he feel individuals. They were all a steady presence, the only thing that set them apart were varying degrees of malevolence.

Mikleo felt his stomach turn. He pushed away from the crate and looked around the room. He picked his way around the crates, taking in the room.

It was a small storage room, too far away from the main rooms to be of any use, which meant it was perfect. It was large enough to hold the weapons that they had, and Mikleo doubted that they would be remaining in the room for long. The most that would happen would be people walking past. Mikleo would have preferred no humans in the area at all, but he doubted that would have possible in the middle of Pendrago.

He sighed and squeezed between two stacks of crates. He smiled at the sensation of the other seraphim so close. Mikleo brushed his fingers over the crates before he slipped out into the open across from the door in the wall.

Mikleo opened the door, peering into the connected room. It had the bare minimum for human comfort, Mikleo assuming that it had been a room for servants. Humans might have complained, but it would be enough for the seraphim, especially since Mikleo didn’t intend to have the seraphim in Pendrago for long. Sorey might want them to help to clean up the world but Mikleo wouldn’t let them be used. They needed to get away from the humans and the malevolence if they wanted to survive. After that the seraphim could do whatever they wanted, but Mikleo doubted that they would want to come back and help the humans.

He closed the door, turning to look back at the crates. The seraphim had suffered enough without putting more expectations on them. Mikleo was sure that Sorey could probably convince a few of them to stay if he really tried, but not enough would stay to really make a difference. It was tempting to try and work for a better world, but Mikleo thought that the humans should take the first step. It was their fault that it had gotten so messed up in the first place.

Mikleo absently flicked at the feather on his collar, staring at the boxes. He didn’t want to risk exposing them to malevolence, but feeling their pain was starting to get too much to bear. He dropped his hands to his sides, flexing his fingers.

Sorey had promised to help him in the usual earnest way that he promised things, but Mikleo wasn’t sure he even wanted the human near the seraphim. The sight of another human might be enough to tip some of them over the edge, and Mikleo didn’t want that. None of them had asked to be used like this and they all deserved the chance to live.

He huffed and flipped the sleeves of his cape back, tying them out of his way. There was no point in waiting any longer, not when he didn’t know how the council would react. Sorey might be confident that they would come around to his way of seeing things, but Mikleo couldn’t afford to be optimistic. There was still every chance that the council would ignore their emperor or even try to get rid of him. If the former happened, the Mikleo wanted the seraphim long gone from Pendrago. If the council tried the latter, then Mikleo would have to uphold his end of the promise, not that he minded. Anyone who was brave enough to say that sealing the seraphim in weapons was for their own protection deserved to be ripped apart.

Mikleo reached up to scratch at his neck, wincing when a few scales scraped away. He stared at the few that stuck to his fingers before flicking them away from him. If he was going to work with the seraphim, he needed to curb his own malevolence. Mikleo bit his lip and took a few deep breaths, focusing on packing the malevolence back into as small a space as he could manage. It wasn’t as easy as it had been before, but that was easily waved away. He was at the heart of the empire, right in the center of the source of malevolence. If anything, his own malevolence was bound to get worse.

He gritted his teeth and stepped forward. Mikleo ran his fingers along the top of one of the crates, grinning when the top came off easily. He let it drop to the ground, staring at the array of swords that had been carefully packed away. Mikleo frowned and glanced at the other crates, wondering about the arrangement before shrugging it off. If the seraphic weapons had been boxed up by regiment, then it made sense that all the weapons were the same. He hummed to himself, starting to dig through the weapons.

It didn’t take much concentration to sort out which seraphim would survive the extraction and the ones that wouldn’t. Mikleo picked out a few swords, balancing them in his arms. It might have been easier to organize all the weapons instead of going crate by crate, but Mikleo didn’t have the patience. Somewhere in the boxes were members of his family, the only three seraphim who had made it out of the attack on Elysia, and he wanted to find them.

He set his armful of swords on the ground, his gaze lingering over them. He reached out to touch a wrapped handle. It wasn’t like the ornate swords that he had seen, and he didn’t remember much from the vessels that he had seen carried into Elysia. All he remembered were the runes that had glowed as the humans had screamed the spells. The swords at his feet looked nothing like that, if anything they just looked like normal weapons. Mikleo doubted that any human would be able to tell the difference.

Mikleo shook his head, pulling one of the swords out. Only then could he see the runes that had been carved into the blade. They were a bit rough and some of them looked strangely worn. Mikleo traced along the edge of a small crack, not sure if it was a sign of the vessel failing or if the seraph inside was starting to win out against the spells that bound them in place.

Mikleo dug his nail into the crack, tempted to try and widen it. He doubted that it would help the seraph inside it, but it would weaken the binding. Mikleo wasn’t sure if he could break the spell on his own, but widening it might help him as bits of the binding flaked away. The seraph seemed strong enough to survive the process. All of the weapons that he had pulled out of the box would be strong enough to withstand the malevolence.

He skimmed his fingers along the sloppy runes. He felt his upper lip twitch, his nails lengthening into claws. It was tempted to scratch them across the runes and make them useless. Then the seraph would be free. Maybe then he could have some help in freeing the others. Maybe with enough seraphim out of the vessels they could establish a small domain or something that would keep the malevolence at bay. Then the rest could be safely recovered. And, the sooner they were out the sooner they could leave. Just where they would go Mikleo didn’t know, but he would figure it out soon enough.  Sorey might know somewhere where the council wasn’t aiming the war. But that would take time.

Mikleo licked his lips, turning the sword over in his hands. He stared at the runes on the other side, not really seeing them. He trailed his fingers up and down the flat of the blade.

He wasn’t happy that it would take time, but it was better than losing any of them. He couldn’t allow that, not when they had already suffered so much. He needed them all to be alright. They had to be because he didn’t want to be the last seraphim not trapped in a vessel.  He couldn’t handle being alone like that again.

He shivered and shoved the sword back into the scabbard. He reached up to scrub at his face to chase away the tears that were threatening to spill out. He couldn’t waste time crying, not when he had to assess the weapons. It had to be in some sort of order so he could work efficiently through the weapons without making a mistake that could cost lives. Releasing a seraph on the edge of becoming a hellion would be disastrous, at least until he figured out how to counteract it.

Or maybe he should start out with the weaker ones.

Mikleo turned his head to look at the crate, staring at it before getting to his feet. He leaned against the crate, staring at the remaining weapons. He reached in for one of the weakest ones. Mikleo lifted it out of the box, turning it over in his hands.

The seraph inside wouldn’t stand up against the malevolence. Keeping it in the vessel would just continue their torture, but letting them out would definitely turn them into a hellion. Mikleo didn’t want to choose between either, being neither was a good choice. But maybe it would be better if he did something else, something that would make sure that the seraph didn’t suffer any longer. And it would be so easy. It wouldn’t be like hunting hellions. There would be no fight, no struggle, just peace and ease to the hunger that always gnawed at his gut.

He pulled the sword free, digging his claws into one of the many cracks in the blade. It would be simple to snap the blade and free the seraph. They would be disoriented, which would make them simpler to catch. He licked his lips, feeling saliva starting to gather in his mouth. It would be the best solution, perhaps the _only_ solution. And it would be so easy…

Mikleo put more pressure on the blade, watching the crack widen. He thought he felt the seraph within perk up, but he wasn’t thinking about companionship. He was thinking about how good it would feel to sink his teeth into the seraph and finally get a good meal. How good it would be to feel flesh and not spines between his teeth, to rip it free and feel it slide down his throat. He reached up to touch his throat the sweet imagining turning to horror when his claws nicked his skin.

He glanced at his hands, bile rising in his throat at the sight of the claws and scales. He shook his hands out, the nausea not leaving when his hands returned to normal.

He had been thinking about eating a seraph and he had liked it.

He’d been looking forward to it.

He had _craved_ it.

Mikleo tossed the sword back into the crate, shying away from the swords on the floor. He gave the room a quick look, the presence of other seraphim suddenly too much. He had to leave before he lost control and actually ate one of them.

He lunged for the door, yanking it open and stumbling out into the hall. Mikleo didn’t bother to look around, he just took off at a run. The imperial palace was huge, but he had managed to memorize this route especially. It was the way to the room that Sorey had given to him, the one that Sorey had promised no human would enter. Better yet, it was far away from where the seraphic weapons were. He wouldn’t be able to get to them from his room, which meant that they would be safe.

He threw himself against the door that divided the hallway of royal apartments from the servants’ quarters, shoving it open. Mikleo didn’t bother to look back as it slammed shut. He was too busy rushing for the door halfway down the hall. It felt like forever before he reached the old oak door, Mikleo clawing at the handle before he managed to get it open.

Mikleo practically sobbed with relief when the door creaked open. He slid through the gap, panting for breath as he leaned back against the door. He knocked his head back against the wood, feeling the door shudder behind him as it slid shut.

He squeezed his eyes shut, taking deep breaths as he slid down the door. The room didn’t smell like seraphim, it just smelled like him. It was a relief, because it meant that he wouldn’t be tempted to go back to the storeroom, his malevolence wouldn’t have anything to try and tempt him with, and his own terror would keep him in place.

He wrapped an arm around his stomach, the other reaching up to grab onto his exposed circlet. The gold felt warm under his palm, almost too hot to hold, but he gripped it tightly. It had always helped before when he was alone in Elysia. It helped a bit now, Mikleo imagining that he could feel the familiar pulse of Zenrus’ power. Mikleo sobbed and curled into a ball.

He didn’t want to be like this, to have to fight hard against the malevolence until he was exhausted. He didn’t want to be in the center of human malevolence. He wanted to be back in Elysia with his family.

Mikleo clutched harder at the front of his circlet, until he could feel the gold design at the front digging into his palm. He let out a shaky breath, trying to push everything back, but it was like pushing against a strong flowing river. He could dam it up, but Mikleo was sure that it was going to break. _He_ was going to break.

He whimpered, closing his eyes as he tried to gather himself back together. He had to do this just a while longer, just until his family was safe.

* * *

Alisha thumbed through the supply lists, smiling to herself. For once, things were going well. The supplies had all come in without a problem. They had gotten the news that the imperial forces had moved away from the borders, which was usually an indicator of another battle in the ongoing civil war within the empire. It usually meant that some of the pressure on them would be let up, which was always a relief. Alisha wasn’t sure that they would have lasted too much longer with the imperial army dogging at their heels.

She dropped the papers onto the folding table, stretching her arms over her head. Alisha turned to look at the front of the tent, catching the scent of charcoal and old paper just before Rose stepped through them. Alisha expectantly around the space in the tent, looking for any of the other seraphim that usually followed Rose around. Even if Lailah and Edna weren’t with her Dezel usually wasn’t too far behind, but even he wasn’t there. Alisha bit her lip, trying to figure out a way to broach the subject.

Rose sighed and flopped down in one of the chairs around the folding table. She rubbed at the back of her neck, glancing around the tent. Rose let her hand drop away, shaking her head. “You know, the villagers would be honored to allow you a room.”

Alisha shook her head. “I’m comfortable enough out here, and it’s easier to move.” She hesitated a moment before speaking up again. “What about you?”

Rose shrugged. “I was there for Michael, just in case his legs started acting up again, but now…” Rose pressed her lips together and looked away.

Alisha let Rose avoid the question. She had noticed that Rose wasn’t wearing the Shepherd’s cloak, something that was rightfully hers and had been ever since Michael had retired a year ago. The old man just hadn’t been able to keep up with her, not with his legs the way they were. Even Lailah hadn’t been able to heal the combination of arthritis and the injuries that he had gotten fighting his way out of Ladylake. Alisha didn’t know if there was anything else. Michael had always seemed to walk with a shuffle that said more than just old war wounds. Then again, Michael was the only one who had walked out of Camlann alive. There were probably plenty of things that Michael had seen that had aged him prematurely. She remembered her first time seeing him and thinking that he was twenty years older than he actually was.

She swallowed and reached out for Rose’s hand. Alisha squeezed it, holding it for a moment before pulling her hand back. “How are you, really?”

Rose groaned and waved a hand vaguely. “I’m fine. It was his time. I think it would have been worse if it was drawn out. But he’s…I think he’s good.”

“Should we have given him an escort to Camlann?”

Rose shook her head emphatically. “He made me promise so many times not to take him back there. The villagers will take care of him and this place made him smile more than I’d seen him smile in years.”

She reached up to flick at the gold bands in her hair, her gaze on the tent flaps. Alisha watched her for a moment before looking back at the table. She wouldn’t push Rose, not when Michael’s death was still so fresh.

Alisha only knew the bare minimum of the story of how Rose had become Michael’s Squire. Everyone knew that Shepherd Michael had stumbled away from Camlann and to Ladylake only to have to flee barely a year later with the sacred blade. Alisha hadn’t been in Ladylake for that, Chancellor Bartlow had requested that all of the royal family should flee for their own safety. She was sure that it had been some kind of bid for power, but he hadn’t survived it long. Everyone in anything resembling a position of power had been killed.

She had only met him when the Windriders had come to join the resistance that had grown out of the remains of the Hyland Army and the people who had fled from the empire. The Shepherd had been a hunched figure with them, with Edna glaring at anyone who looked at him the wrong way and Lailah fretting by his side. By the time that Alisha had gotten to know Rose, she was already acting as Michael’s Squire. She almost regretted not asking about it before, because now a lot of the story was lost. Michael had never been too talkative and Alisha doubted that Rose would talk about it now, not when the mantle of the Shepherd had passed to her fully.

She sighed and leaned forward to pat Rose’s hand again. She didn’t know exactly what to say. It wasn’t rare for them to lose friends, but that didn’t make comforting each other any easier. Alisha could only be relieved that something had distracted Emperor Lyte long enough to bury the old Shepherd.

Rose shook her head and leaned forward, her gaze jerking to the papers on the table before looking back at her. “So, what’s the scoop?”

“Nothing much. It’s all gone quiet.”

“That’s dangerous.”

Alisha hummed in agreement. As much as she looked forward to the short break it could only mean bad things. Lyte and Empress Nadia were probably at war, which meant that they had to be ready for whoever won. If it was Lyte, he would swing the army right back around to destroy them. If it was the empress then they might have a little more time, but Alisha was sure that the war would not stop. They would have to be prepared either way. But that could wait for a few more days. The resistance needed the time to mourn the Shepherd.

More than that it would give Rose the time to work. It was always easier to fight if hellions from outside the army didn’t come charging in during the middle of battle. Besides, it was always easier to breathe if the malevolence was decreased. But asking Rose for that could wait for a few more days.

Alisha rolled her shoulders, ready to ask Rose if she wanted to join her for lunch when there was a commotion outside. She jumped to her feet, seeing Rose do the same out of the corner of her eye. She saw the flash of a blade and then Dezel, Edna and Lailah were suddenly there beside Rose.

They only had to wait a moment before Clem pushed into the tent. She bowed to Alisha, hesitating in the face of Rose and the seraphim. Clem muttered something that could have been Squire or Shepherd before holding out a letter to Alisha.

Alisha took it from her, frowning at the sight of the official seal of the empire. She touched it gently, almost expecting it to be a fake. Alisha licked her lips, looking back at Clem. “Where did you get this?”

“A rider from the border brought this. He stayed long enough to drop it off before riding back. We scouted the area to make sure that it wasn’t a trap. Ian is still watching, but this looked urgent enough to bring to you.”

Alisha turned the letter over in her hands before abruptly ripping it open. She thought she heard someone in the room gasp, but her full attention was on the letter. 

The letter was surprisingly short, which meant that it got straight to the point, although Alisha didn’t know if that was much better. At least the handwriting was clear, which was better than trying to read some of the fancier declarations that emperors and generals had sent before. Alisha scanned it over before placing it onto the table so everyone could read it. They all clustered around the letter, Alisha taking a moment to study their faces before focusing on the letter itself.

 

_‘By the command of Emperor Sorey the war between Hyland and the Empire of Rolance is to be ceased. The troops removed from the borders will remain in Pendrago but the border guards will remain in place until peace talks are concluded. To carry out these talks a representative from the Kingdom of Hyland is requested to come to Pendrago. They will be allowed an escort of their own people who are welcome to remain in Pendrago to guard their representative for the duration of the talks._

_‘The terms are completely up for discussion, including the return of authority to the Kingdom of Hyland however the representative thinks best. Border guards will be decreased as well as the imperial army during this time. The only term I will not bend on is the release of all seraphim from seraphic weapons. More about that and other terms will be discussed upon arrival in Pendrago._

_‘The main purpose of these talks will be to bring peace back to Glenwood and try to reverse some of the damage that has been done over the course of many years of war. Whatever treaty is assembled will be binding and honored by anyone who follows me to the throne, I will make sure of that._

_‘I beg all of you to please consider accepting the offer because far too many people have suffered and we can’t go on like this._

_‘ ~~Prince~~ Emperor Sorey.’_

 

Alisha stared in surprise and scanned the letter through again, trying to look of something that would immediately show that the letter was a lie or a carefully calculated hoax. There wasn’t anything that immediately jumped out at her but, then again, there was nothing to show that it was the truth. It made no mention of what had happened to Emperor Lyte or Empress Nadia. She had never heard of anyone else fighting for the crown. Alisha had been sure that there hadn’t been anyone left in the family save for Lyte. Then again, her information had always been a little bit shaky.

She looked up at the others, watching as Rose looked away with a frown. Dezel’s face mimicked hers and Edna looked as unreadable as ever. Lailah was the only seraph still leaning over the letter, Alisha sure that she saw the seraph’s hands shake. Alisha looked away, meeting Clem’s gaze.

The knight didn’t seem too sure of the letter, she kept reaching out like she was going to touch it and then stopping herself. Finally she brushed her fingers over the seal, crumbling a part of the wax before rubbing it between her fingers. Whatever Clem was looking for, she didn’t seem to find it because she looked up at Alisha again. “It’s a fake?”

Rose was the one to speak up first, the woman huffing and slamming her dagger back into its sheath. “Of course it is. It just means that whoever has the throne now is too weak to fight, so they want to lure us into a trap.”

The declaration seemed to steady Clem, although Alisha wasn’t sure if it was because someone was saying what Clem had been afraid to bring up or if it was because it was the Shepherd saying it.

She bit her lip and looked down at the letter. She had seen plenty of demands coming from Pendrago and its emperor, most of them had been burned shortly after delivery because the demands were impossible. There had always been calls for surrender or warrants for their arrest because of their crimes against the empire, but they had always been written formally in both wording and handwriting. This was more of a request and, if it hadn’t been from the empire, Alisha would have believed that the author was begging. Still, it didn’t look official, it looked like it had been written quickly and sent off, which wasn’t something that the empire did.

Alisha reached out to turn the letter over, searching for any sign of the author aside from the signature at the bottom and the brief introduction at the top. When she didn’t find anything, she frowned and turned it back open, drumming her fingers next to the signature.

She wanted to believe that it was a hoax, that it was just something to ignore and get on with preparing for the next attack when it came. But she also wanted to believe that the call for peace was real. The war had been going on since before she was born and the world was tired of it. Alisha hadn’t seen seraphim aside from the ones that were connected to the Shepherd, and she doubted that there were any left considering the malevolence that the world was bathed in.

Alisha traced her fingers up to the lines in the letter that mentioned the seraphim, turning her head to look at Lailah. “Is it possible to free the seraphim?”

Lailah startled, looking between her and Rose before clasping her hands in front of her. “There’s no reason they can’t be freed. It’s just a spell binding them to the vessel.”

“But it’s a matter of what will happen to them when they’re free.” Edna butted in, tapping her umbrella against the ground. Alisha saw her hands grip the end of the umbrella tightly for a moment before the seraph shrugged and slung it over her shoulder. “Doing it right now would hurt more than it would help.”

“But trying to do something about it now would be better than just waiting.” Alisha looked around at everyone in the room, frowning when she noticed that the seraphim wouldn’t meet her gaze. She focused on Rose, watching as the woman shrugged.

“I think waiting would be better, considering that it’s probably a trap.”

“They’ve never offered something like this before.”

“That doesn’t mean that it’s not a trap. It just means that someone is getting smart.” Rose glanced over at Dezel, the seraph giving her a firm nod. Alisha couldn’t begin to interpret the look between the two of them, and Rose didn’t give her the time to figure it out. Rose crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head. “There’s no reason to go rushing off because of this.”

“It’s the first offer we’ve had of peace.”

“But from who? Clem said it was given to her by some border guard. They might have made it all up to keep from being bored. And imagine what will happen when you walk right into their hands.” Rose nodded at the letter. “This won’t bring peace. This will bring a promotion.”

Alisha turned to look at Clem, expecting some kind of support. Instead, the soldier just shook her head. “I agree with the Sq-with Shepherd Rose. We couldn’t get the credentials to show that this isn’t a fake. Maybe if we give Ian time to investigate then we can answer this better.”

It was a reasonable solution, the perfect middle ground between her idea and Rose’s. The problem was that Alisha didn’t feel like they had the time to wait. The letter was the first sign of peace that she had seen from the empire. That it didn’t come from either of the two main players in the civil war might mean something more, because this was someone who might have been as eager to take down the empire. That he’d mentioned that he was the emperor was something else in his favor. Maybe the unthinkable had happened, maybe someone else had won the throne.

Alisha sighed, clenching her hand into a fist. She wished that she could take the safe middle road, but the worries of the continued war were something that she couldn’t shrug off. They might get a break with the new emperor, but then the war might come back and Alisha was sure that they wouldn’t be able to hold out long.

The resistance was nothing more than what was left of the old Hyland army, and those ranks were getting thinner with each year. The majority of the resistance were farmers and villagers who would come to help when they were in the area before going back to their villages. They continued to help once back in their villages, but it was the subtle things that they were good at, the things that kept the empire’s army out of food and off balance. None of that would help if the imperial army gathered together and made a concerted effort to attack them. They just weren’t strong enough, and they were on the other side of the continent from Lohgrin, not that Alisha expected much from them either.

Lohgrin had been defeated with the empire having to invade it. All it had taken was trade to be cut off and the steady influx of hellions. Alisha hadn’t heard about how the former kingdom was doing, but she doubted that they had been wiped out completely. They had just taken the surer tack, to remain quiet and unobtrusive while the empire had other things on its mind.

Alisha closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. The pause did nothing to change her mind or alter the facts that she already knew. They could keep playing this game of cat and mouse with the empire and know they were going to lose in the end, or they could take the chance offered.

“I can’t ignore this.” She opened her eyes, not surprised to see Clem looking at her in shock. Rose was the only one who looked angry.

Rose took a step forward, her hands raising like she wanted to slap or shake her, Alisha couldn’t tell. She just guessed that it was a step in the right direction if she was being annoying enough to push Rose that far.

Alisha shook her head. “You know we can’t afford to.”

“Yes, but there’s plenty of things that go along with this that we can’t afford to do either.” Rose sighed and held up one hand, counting off the list on her fingers. “We can’t afford to waste this time doing nothing, not when we could be setting up a better supply route and gathering up anyone who would be ready to defend the borders. We can’t afford to send a guard off with whoever goes to answer this, because we need everyone we have. We can’t afford to send a representative, because it’s too dangerous to allow them to go without some better reassurance than just a letter. We can’t even get that reassurance because anyone we send will probably be captured on sight.”

Clem was quick to nod, making a motion with one hand. “I agree with Rose. It’s too risky.”

Alisha shook her head, frustrated by their continued resistance. She understood their reluctance and their reasoning was sound, but they wouldn’t get anywhere without taking a risk. But, just because it was a risk didn’t mean that they would just charge in without thinking. Obviously they couldn’t send in Rose, not with Michael so recently dead. The malevolence was so thick that she didn’t think that they would be able to survive with the Shepherd gone. Besides, handing the Shepherd over to the empire was a stupid idea. Even if the letter promised safety Alisha couldn’t bring herself to trust the empire with the most important person that they had. Ending the war was one thing, but they would need the Shepherd after the war. Alisha didn’t think they had the time to wait for a new one. She didn’t even know how to find one since Michael had found her.

There were a few others with the same political clout as Rose, but Alisha doubted that they would be as eager to pursue peace. They were all older, all of them who remembered the fall of Hyland more clearly than she did. None of them would want to bend to whatever emperor had invited them, not when the humiliation was still fresh. It was a bad excuse, but Alisha had heard enough from them to know that they wouldn’t be too helpful. Aside from them, there was no one else who would be able to help them. Except for herself.

She looked back down at the letter, staring at the name of the emperor and the scrawled signature at the bottom of the letter. The thought made perfect sense, she had the credentials to be a go between and she was one of the few that she knew that had an open enough mind to try and talk terms with the emperor.

Alisha looked up, not surprised to see the seraphim eyeing her warily. She was used to the seraphim knowing things long before the humans did. It was one of the mystical things about the seraphim.

Lailah looked worried, but Edna tapped her umbrella against her shoulder. Alisha followed the pattern before giving the both of them a nod. She didn’t know if it was the right move because Edna huffed and turned away, but it was the only answer that she had to give. It was the only one she could give.

“I’ll go.”

“Hell no!” Rose responded quickly, slamming her palm against the table. “Did you listen to anything that I said?”

“I did, but I can’t agree. We have no other choice.”

“We do. We have plenty of other choices.”

Alisha stepped forward, bracing herself against the table so she could meet Rose’s gaze. The woman didn’t flinch back. If anything, she leaned closer until their noses were close to touching. When Rose spoke, it wasn’t the shout that Alisha expected but a low voice that was almost a whisper. “Listen to me, princess. You are the one thing that his holding this resistance together.”

“Rose-”

“No. It’s true. None of those Hyland blowhards have every done anything to win their loyalty. They like me, but it’s not the same. I’m not theirs like you are. If you’re lost, then this whole chance is lost.”

Alisha held her gaze. “If I don’t do this, then we’re lost anyway.”

Rose threw up her hands and turned away. Alisha watched as Rose paced along the other side of the table. Dezel swaying in time with her. Lailah and Edna remained where they were, although Lailah hadn’t stopped wringing her hands. For a moment, it looked like the seraph wanted to talk and Alisha was tempted to let her. But, she was also sure that Lailah would try to talk her out of it too.

She shook her head, holding up a hand to count down her reasons like Rose had before. “The supply routes are in line and will be far more stable if the empire isn’t tearing through them. If we can leave the farmers in their fields instead of bringing them with us, we’ll have a _better_ supply in case this doesn’t work out. It doesn’t matter if we can’t afford to send a guard because, if we don’t stop this, we won’t have an army left. If we don’t try then we might as well march up to the border and let them take us.” Alisha took a deep breath and lowered her hand. “We _have_ to do this or do you think we can survive the next time that the empire comes for us? What happens now that the civil war is over? This last time it happened they rolled over Hyland without a problem and that was with the full might of Hyland fighting back. We won’t stand a chance.”

Rose stared at her before cursing and sitting down in her chair. Alisha looked at her, tempted to sink into her own chair. She didn’t like the answer any better, but there was nothing else that they could do aside from stick their heads into their own noose.

Alisha reached forward to pick up the letter, staring at it before folding it carefully. She ran her fingers around the crowned diamond on the seal before looking over at Clem. “Can I ask that you escort me to the border? We have to make it look good.”

Clem pressed her lips together, but the knight nodded. Alisha gave her a grateful smile, glad that she hadn’t argued. She was sure that she would run into trouble with the other knights that had attached themselves to her, but they wouldn’t say no to escorting her to the border. Alisha wouldn’t ask them to cross into Rolance, not when they might be arrested too. She might have wanted peace, but she wasn’t stupid enough to believe that there wasn’t some catch.

She nodded as Clem saluted her before turning on her heel and walking out of the tent. Alisha saw Clem’s hand clench by her side before she moved out of sight.

Alisha sighed and sunk back into her chair, tapping her fingers against her leg. She stopped the twitch abruptly when Rose looked up again. “What’s the plan if things don’t work out?”

Alisha swallowed, tipping her head back, staring at the ceiling. “It would be smart to get everything in position, but we’d have to do it subtly. Any move like that might lose us our chance.”

“That leaves the question of what to do about you unanswered.” Rose played with one of the strings that dangled from one of her knives. Alisha watched as her gaze flicked over to the seraphim, her eyes narrowing. Alisha wasn’t sure if Rose was talking to them, or if the four of them knew each other well enough to understand each other without talking. It was a rapport that Alisha had seen Michael share with Lailah.

Rose dropped the string, letting it slap against the side of the chair. “Well, if you get to go then I get to work on the extraction plan with your knights. We’ll be ready to ride in if you can’t get yourself out.”

“How will you know?”

Rose grinned and tipped her head towards Dezel, Alisha catching a mirror image of her smirk on the seraph’s face. Alisha stared at him for a while before giving in with a nod. She didn’t quite understand it, but it was reassurance that there would be someone looking out for her.

She nodded, shifting in her chair. “Where will you be?”

Rose shrugged, leaning forward to peer at the map. She shifted some of the papers before tapping at a spot. Alisha leaned forward, not quite able to see to what she was pointing to, but it didn’t matter. Rose dropped her hand from the map and sat back. “Gododdin is small enough and close enough. Besides, there’s plenty of places to hide in that ridge. I can stay out of sight until you need me.”

For a moment, it looked like Rose was going to say something else, but she pressed her lips together to keep from saying anything else. It was a strange motion, especially since Rose was usually ready to speak her mind. Alisha was sure that it had to do with her duties of the Shepherd because it was a topic that they had all been avoiding.

Alisha stared at the map for a moment before nodding and getting to her feet. “I’d better start packing then if his majesty is expecting someone. We’d better not try his patience.”

Rose snorted derisively, but made an almost bored motion with her hand. Alisha smiled at the casual dismissal, too used to it to be offended. She hadn’t really been a princess for a long while; it was hard to be one without a country.

Alisha shook her head to banish the thought from her mind, focusing on running through the things she had to pack and what she could offer for peace terms. There would be plenty more time for thinking on the road to the border, but Alisha wanted to be sure of what she was asking for by the time she got to Pendrago. Depending on the emperor, this would be their once chance at peace and she was not going to waste it.


	6. Chapter 4

“Because a king maker would always choose the weaker man. The weaker the man, the easier he is to control.”   
- _Prince’s Gambit_ , C.S. Pacat

* * *

 

The red roofs of Pendrago shone in the sunlight, Sorey smiling as he watched the light fall over them. It had been a long time since he had returned to Pendrago. He had expected things to have changed more, especially after going through so many emperors in such a short span of time, but the city remained the same. That was a relief in a way. His position might be strange and new, but the city was still familiar.

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Sorey leaned back on his hands, turning his gaze back down to the courtyard, watching the bustle of the pages and guards. A few of them stared, probably unused to seeing the emperor out in the open without an escort with him. Sorey knew that Sergei would probably insist on it, especially with the knowledge that so many of Lyte’s supporters were still in the city. But Sorey didn’t want to be surrounded by guards, it would defeat the purpose of what he was trying to do.

The people wouldn’t approach him if he had guards surrounding him, they were far too used to the presence of guards meaning trouble. Sorey didn’t think that any people living in Pendrago would remember the last time that the emperor had walked among them. His father certainly hadn’t. Then again, Heldalf had always been a man of the army.

His mother hadn’t been much beloved by the people either, but not because of her actions. Selene had just been a niece of the empress, too inconsequential to be worth the attention, especially when Heldalf had been the more dynamic of the two. Selene had always moved in quieter ways, or that’s what Empress Nadia had always told him. His memories of both his father and mother were hazy, because they had both been hanged when he was four.

His father was easy enough to find in the records of the empire, but his mother had practically disappeared. And, with Nadia gone, any connection he’d had to her was gone as well.

Sorey sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He was too used to the slightly lost feeling to let it bother him. It didn’t matter either way, because he wasn’t trying to be the emperor his father had been. Sorey doubted that he could be with the way that things were. He breathed out slowly again, trying to settle himself again.

It wouldn’t be good to linger on those kind of thoughts, not when there was so much to do. He needed to be on his toes and ready to react, not tired because of the nightmares that would come out of it. He didn’t need nights of startling awake after dreams of riding through the countryside late at night or crouching under a floor and listening to the sound of soldiers walking across the floor above him.

He reached up to rub at his eyes, trying to banish the images. He could never remember exactly what had happened to him, but he did remember the dreams.

Sorey dropped his hands into his lap, his spine stiffening as he heard someone walking up behind him. He planted one hand on the stone steps he was sitting on, turning to look at who was coming out of the palace.

It took more than he was willing to admit to keep his mouth from falling open at the sight of Mikleo standing at the top of the stairs. Sorey had always heard that the seraphim were beautiful, and there were plenty of paintings to prove it, but none of them had prepared him for the sight of Mikleo standing in the sunlight, wearing his old cast offs.

Sorey swallowed and scrambled to his feet, watching as Mikleo started slightly at the motion. Sorey gave Mikleo an apologetic smile and took a step back, giving the seraph distance. It wasn’t enough to get him to relax, but Sorey was getting used to waiting for Mikleo to readjust to the situation. He knew that it would happen faster if he wasn’t staring at Mikleo but it was hard not to.

He shouldn’t have had to, because he had seen Mikleo in various versions of the outfit. Besides, the clothes had been his once, but Mikleo had picked through the collection and taken them away. Still, it was hard to keep his gaze from lingering on the feather that he saw at the collar of the cloak, tempted to reach up to touch the scales that dangled from his own ears.

He had thought that he had cleared out all of the odds and ends out of the pockets of his clothes, but apparently he had missed a few feathers. Then again, it was only fair since Sorey had taken two of Mikleo’s scales. But it did something pleasant to his stomach, something that he didn’t want to think too hard about.

He couldn’t. He wasn’t allowed.

Sorey cleared his throat and turned on his heel. He was sure that he heard Mikleo chuckle, listening to the sound of the seraph coming down the steps. Sorey waited for the click of Mikleo’s boots on the stone to come closer before looking up from the courtyard.

Even then he didn’t quite dare to meet Mikleo’s gaze, not when he was still thinking about impossible things. Sorey took a short breath, trying his best not to get a scent off of Mikleo. It was better to breathe in the city than the seraph.

Mikleo’s wasn’t his in any of the ways that people thought. They were joined by a pact, by a mutual understanding that the world couldn’t continue the way it was, and that was the way that it would have to be. But there was no reason that he couldn’t enjoy Mikleo’s company.

Sorey smiled over at Mikleo, taking a step away from him. “Come on. I want to go out into the city.”

Mikleo’s shoulders twitched at that, Sorey waiting for the refusal that was sure to come. So it was a pleasant surprise when it didn’t.

Mikleo glanced around the courtyard before shrugging almost too casually. “Fine. I don’t see why though.”

“Because it’s not just about focusing on the council. I also have to listen to the people. I’m doing this for them too.”

Mikleo made a face, but he didn’t comment. He just fell in slightly out of step with Sorey, enough that Sorey had to look back over his shoulder at the seraph.

He watched Mikleo for a moment, taking in the disinterest in the seraph’s expression. Then again, if Mikleo hadn’t wanted to come along, he didn’t have to. There was a room for him back at the palace that was off limits for everyone. It was the one rule that Sorey had laid down without exceptions; Mikleo’s room was not to be disturbed under any circumstances. It was the only thing that he could think of that would give Mikleo the privacy that the seraph wanted.

Sorey moved his gaze away from him when Mikleo tensed again, preferring to concentrate on the gate that they were approaching. He scanned over the walkway over the gate, lifting a hand to wave at some of the guards. They didn’t wave back nor did they start down from their positions, something that Sorey was almost glad for. If the Platinum Knights had seen him, they would have demanded that he take an escort into the city, but he didn’t want that. The Platinum Knights were busy with their own business, and he wouldn’t pull them away from that. They’d been away from the capital just as long as he had.

He tipped his head back as they walked under the gate, staring up at the wooden boards that formed the top before he looked back down through the arch of the stone.

It took more effort than it should have not to just run out into the road up to the royal quarter. He could hear the bustle of the market just down the street and the voices of the people as they went about their business. It was the sounds of life, something that Sorey was used to after spending most of his time away from the capital. The palace could get loud, but it wasn’t the same.

He picked up his pace, ducking around the side of a building to step out into the open, already looking around eagerly. It looked like it was a market day, although the market itself extended further than Sorey had expected to. It was still like coming home, stepping back into something familiar.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of the scents that came with market day. He could smell food, animals and, mixed in with the rest, the scent of all kinds of people. His nostrils flared at an especially sweet smell, Sorey swaying forward slightly as he tried to follow the enticing scent of an omega starting their heat. He opened his eyes to find himself looking at Mikleo. Sorey stared at Mikleo for a moment before quickly turning his head away. Whatever he was smelling was only slightly different from the way that Mikleo usually smelled, and it was easy enough to put out of his mind.

Sorey swallowed and looked back at the market, aware that some of the raucous noise was being replaced with silence. He tensed, suddenly aware of all the eyes that were on him. Sorey glanced around at them, trying to figure out what the people were thinking.

Those that were closer to him had stopped moving entirely, just staring openly. A few seemed to remember themselves enough to look away and bow, but most where still looking at him and Mikleo. It was a concentrated stare that even made him uncomfortable.

Sorey took a step forward, hating the way that the silence fell all around him. He lifted his chin slightly, trying to watch both sides of the street, not that there was much to watch. The people were frozen, all of their faces containing some kind of awe.

There was a collective gasp to his right, Sorey turning to face the source. He saw eager faces peering out of the market stall before the people came rushing out.

They ran forward, stopping just short of him before bowing down to him. Sorey saw one of them shift something in their arms before they started to stutter out greeting. Sorey didn’t take the time to listen, he just dropped into a crouch, not caring that his cloak was lying in the dirty street.

When the family looked back, they practically jumped back to find the emperor on their level, Sorey immediately feeling bad about moving. But he didn’t want to be distant, he didn’t know how to be that kind of emperor. He knew how to connect to people.

He smiled at them, the little bit of encouragement seeming to be enough to get them to rise to their feet. Sorey followed them up, his movement enough to encourage the rest.

Sorey laughed as the people rushed over to him, swarming around him and reaching out to touch his arms and his clothes all while shouting his name to get his attention.

Sorey let it happen for a while before stretching out his arms just to get a little bit of room. The people fell back, Sorey careful not to push them too far back. He didn’t want them to move away from him, he just wanted to have a little bit of breathing room.

He smiled at all of them before turning his attention to the market, scanning it over. He picked out some damage on the buildings that he had missed on the ride in. Sorey tipped his head to the side, studying some of the damage before looking at some of the market stalls. They weren’t as full as they could have been, Sorey noting that what was for sale was mostly clothes and that the food stalls were sparse and nearly sold out. There were a few people hanging around by all of them, keeping a wary watch.

He frowned and pushed through the crowd, walking up to the nearest stall to examine what they had. The boy who had remained behind to guard it went pale and scrambled to grab something from it, but Sorey reached out to grab his shoulder. “I don’t need it and I’m not here to take it away. I just want to know what you need.”

The boy stared at him, still clutching at the blanket that was draped over the front of the stall. Sorey watched the boy’s mouth work silently for a moment before looking around at the other stalls. He would have to walk through the market to get a good handle on what was needed, or he could take the easy way and talk to the people. He was bound to find out more about what he needed to do if he talked directly to them.

Sorey turned to face the crowd, relaxing when he saw that they had started to edge closer to him. He closed the distance between them easily, using one hand to gesture back at the stalls. “I’ve come to talk to you, about what’s been going on and what you need.” He paused, disappointed when they didn’t answer immediately. Sorey cleared his throat and tried again. “I want to help you. The empire won’t survive without its people. It’s _nothing_ without it.”

The crowd shifted, most of them looking like they didn’t believe him. Sorey notice that a few of them were looking back at where Mikleo was standing by the start of the market.

Sorey recognized the longing in their eyes. No one had seen a seraph for years and certainly not one so close. And Mikleo was breathtaking. He felt his own breath catch in the back of his throat before he managed to push onward. “I want to see if we can get another harvest out of the fields in front of the city. If we can boost the city stores at the same time, the no one will have to starve.”

He took a deep breath to continue, but whatever he was going to say was drowned out by the cheer that came from the people. Sorey leaned back in surprise, looking over the people and really looking at them.

He had gotten used to gaunt faced and patched clothes as he had traveled over the countryside. Sorey had always noticed that, but he had perhaps forgotten what the promise of food could do, and how humbling it always was. He sighed and took a step towards them, intending to seek out the farmers and ask for their help but the people just swarmed around him.

Sorey froze, letting the people reach out for him and touch his clothes. Some of them were bold enough to grab him, but none of them pulled him over. Sorey looked at them all, taking in their smiles and their tears. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch a child that was pushed his way, resting his head on the baby’s head. That seemed to please the crowd more. They shouted his name, calling on Maotelus to bless him. It was a common enough saying, Sorey had heard it over and over against since he had defeated Lyte and through his coronation, but it meant far more now. This was the people accepting him on his own.

He smiled, carefully extracting himself from some of the more insistent people. He didn’t bother to move too far away from him, some part of him enjoying basking in their presence. It was something that he never expected from them, especially since he was the son of an emperor that had done nothing to help them and had been a flash in the pan. He had spent almost his whole life tucked away in a library or avoiding Pendrago entirely. But the people loved him and wanted his help, and it was far more uplifting than he ever imagined.

Sorey let the crowd of people jostle him along for a moment, muttering half remembered blessings in the ancient tongue as babies and small children were pushed towards him. That seemed to delight the people more, a few of them calling out return blessings in return, and it meant the world to him. He had reached out and they were reaching back.

He moved through them until they started to disperse back to their stalls. There was only so much entertainment to be gotten from the emperor in their presence, especially when he didn’t seem inclined to make any more grand speeches. Besides, Sorey was more than happy to let them go. He couldn’t keep his people distracted from their business, not when he would need it in the future.

With peace coming, the empire would probably have to give back conquered lands, which meant losing some of their income. Sorey didn’t intend to raise the taxes too much, not until he got a better handle on how the situation would turn out. He knew for sure that the people wouldn’t be able to handle another raise, especially with a bad harvest incoming. It would mean that the empire would have to run on a tighter budget, but Sorey was sure that it would survive it. The empire had gone through worse and survived.

He turned in place, glancing over at the stall selling carpets before looking up at the roofs of the shops that edged along the market. They were still only on one of the side streets, not even in the market proper. His heart beat faster at the thought of going into the market. There would be more people there, more willing to talk to him and help with the ideas that he had. It would take far longer to work his way through the city that way, but Sorey was sure that it would be worth it. The more concrete ideas he had, the better the chance he would be able to sway the council to his side. There was no way that they could say no if he had enough evidence of how it would benefit the empire.

Sorey grinned to himself, pushing on at a fast pace. He heard someone following him, Sorey twisting slightly to give them room to pass. He wanted Mikleo by his side for this, looking out on the city and seeing something other than a mass of humanity.

The city was beautiful in the light and part of it was _because_ it was filled with people. This was the empire as far as he was concerned and he needed people to understand that. If the council did, then maybe they could move faster with what he asked. If Mikleo did, then maybe there was a chance that the seraph would extend some kind of blessing over the city. He didn’t know if a seraph’s blessing was something that he’d just read in books or if it was something that they could really do. But Pendrago could use that kind of a boost, certainly if everything that he heard about was true. Maybe, if they were really lucky, some of the seraphim they freed would stick around to help. The world had always seemed to be a better place when humans and seraphim were working together.

He turned around, the smile on his face wavering as someone edged past him. They muttered an apology and a blessing to him before running after their child, who was making a beeline for one of the jewelry stalls. Sorey watched them for a moment before turning around to search for Mikleo.

It didn’t take him long to spot where the seraph was standing in the middle of the street back where the people had first noticed him. Sorey was surprised that he had managed to go so long without noticing that Mikleo had fallen behind. He frowned and watched the seraph, watching as Mikleo swayed slightly with the passage at the other people. It was almost like the other people couldn’t see him, something that Sorey had always associated with the old tales about the seraphim. But, on another glance, he could see that the people were passing close to him, Mikleo flinching away every time. The people didn’t seem to notice, most of them reaching out just to touch the edge of his cloak in reverence and awe. The people walked away with their hands held close to them like they had been granted a great blessing.

Mikleo didn’t look like he agreed. With every light touch he folded further in on himself, staring at the ground. It looked like he wanted to sink into the ground or turn around and head back to the castle.

Sorey wasn’t sure what made Mikleo look up, because he was sure that he hadn’t made a sound. The seraph met his gaze for a moment before looking away. Sorey watched him for a moment more before walking back towards him, ducking around the people that were making their way through the market.

He ignored the way that they muttered as he passed, their attention on him not mattering as much as getting back over to Mikleo. In the rush that had come from being surrounded by the people and being so openly welcomed by them he had forgotten about the seraph.

Pendrago was a far cry from the lonely mountain that Mikleo had called his home. There were far more people and no easy escape like Mikleo had at the palace. The people would be overjoyed to see a seraph, they had been since his coronation. Of course they would want to reach out and touch him, especially since seraphim were near mystical creatures that only existed in the shrinechurch and legends.

Sorey stopped in front of Mikleo, biting his lip when he saw how noticeably Mikleo was shaking. He curled his fingers into a fist, angry at himself for his carelessness. He held the tension for a moment before letting it go. It wouldn’t help the situation. Mikleo was more likely to lash out or shy away from a show of anger, even if it wasn’t directed at him.

He sighed, ready to suggest that they go back. It wouldn’t interrupt anything that he was doing to escort Mikleo back to the palace. He could always come out later. The people might be disappointed that Mikleo wasn’t with him, but it was better to keep the seraph from shaking apart than to keep him out in Pendrago.

Sorey smiled, about to step around him when Mikleo looked up to meet his gaze. He didn’t mean to, but Sorey jerked back slightly, surprised at the fear in Mikleo’s eyes. He was more used to some kind of anger or some sort of distant disgust, not outright fear.

He carefully angled himself away, trying to give Mikleo an escape route. He didn’t get to move too far when Mikleo held out a shaking hand.

Sorey stared at the hand that he was being offered, tempted to just reach out and grab it, but that wasn’t what Mikleo was asking. Instead, he held out his own hand, palm up, and waited.

Mikleo’s hand hovered over his own for a moment, Sorey watching Mikleo’s fingers twitch as the seraph struggled through whatever was holding him back. Sorey was more than happy to wait, holding his hand steady as he let Mikleo contemplate it. He was almost tempted to look away in case that would encourage Mikleo, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to see the moment that Mikleo made his decision.

There seraph hesitated for a moment more before dropping his head to rest on the tips Sorey’s fingers. It was a light touch, so light that Sorey had to look down at his hand to be sure that they were even touching.

He couldn’t keep his fingers from curling slightly, stopping them before they could drag too far over Mikleo’s palm. He didn’t want to startle Mikleo away. The seraph looked ready to bolt, which wouldn’t help anyone.

The contact only lasted a moment before Mikleo jerked his hand down, his gaze going with it. Sorey was tempted to lean down and try to meet it, but he doubted that Mikleo would want him any closer that he always was.

Sorey rubbed the back of his neck, giving the market a long look over. “We can go back if you want.”

Mikleo tensed, Sorey ready to take it as an answer until the seraph shook his head. “No. This is part of being the emperor. You have to be seen.”

Sorey raised his eyebrows, surprised that Mikleo would be so insistent. He had thought that Mikleo would be trying to encourage him to go back to the palace to work on his end of their bargain. He was about to offer Mikleo an escort back before he returned to his roaming when Mikleo tipped his chin up.

The seraph scanned over the roofs, Sorey seeing Mikleo wince a bit before the seraph looked ahead of them. Obviously Mikleo wasn’t in love with the city like he was and Sorey didn’t think that there was anything that he could do to fix it. Forcing it wouldn’t help, which meant that he would just have to watch Mikleo carefully. It might mean turning around sooner than he had originally planned, but it would be worth it. Hauling an angry seraph around the city wouldn’t help anyone.

Sorey scanned the street ahead of them, smiling when he saw the people eagerly looking at the two of them. He dared to lean into Mikleo a bit, pulling away before the contact could go on for too long. It was just enough to get Mikleo to look up at him, Sorey giving him a smile. “They like you.”

Mikleo shook his head. “They like you better.”

Sorey shrugged, not willing to argue the point. They were both right in their own way. The people loved the idea of the both of them, but Sorey was sure that they would come around to loving the two of them as people. No one in the empire had bothered to take care of the people for a long while, but that was going to change.

The smile didn’t leave his face as he leaned closer to Mikleo, just enough that he was protecting the seraph from his side. He wasn’t sure if Mikleo appreciated it or not, because the seraph was too busy looking up and down the street, probably for threats. Sorey let him do it for a while, it would probably be the only way that Mikleo would settle. In the meantime, he was more than content to walk through the streets of Pendrago with Mikleo by his side.

* * *

Boris sipped at his ale as he stared out into the street. It was crowded, even for a market day. Then again, the emperor was still new enough to be interesting.

In a few months Sorey wouldn’t be drawing the same crowds, although Mikleo still might. It had been a long while since the people had gotten a chance to fawn over a seraph. He had heard his grandfather tell stories about being able to meet Maotelus in the shrinechurch when he was younger, before the priests had decided to start restricting access to the great lord. Even though that had been in his childhood, it was something that his grandfather had remembered with pride. Boris was sure that the people who saw Mikleo in their lifetime would cherish the experience. It would be something to tell their children, wondrous stories of the emperor’s seraph.

He paused with his glass lowered partially to the table. He stared out into the street, watching as the people went about their business. There seemed to be a general rush toward where the market was, but that was to be expected. It was a common thing for market day, although the rush seemed to be larger today. Boris narrowed his eyes before shrugging and setting his glass back on the table.

Sorey was bound to be out among the people, Boris couldn’t think of a way that Sergei would be able to stop him. The people were the entire reason that Sorey had left the safety that his aunt could offer him for the parts of the empire that his cousins were in charge of. Danger had never stopped Sorey. If anything it just encouraged him.

Boris let his hand drop to his thigh, his fingers tapping out an idle rhythm as he watched the flow of people. He wasn’t imagining things, there were more people rushing for the market that usual which could only mean that both Sorey and Mikleo were there. Boris interrupted his rhythm to curl his fingers into his leg, straightening them out a moment later.

It wasn’t that he thought that the two of them would get into trouble or that the people would try and hurt them. It was that he found it hard to believe that Mikleo would go out among the people.

He had barely seen the seraph when they had been making the rush back to Pendrago; he had spent most of his time in Sorey’s tent. That had worked well enough for a small company of fighting men who had no interest in the seraph. Most of them wanted to avoid the seraph because they’ve all seen what a seraph could do, or at least could be forced to do. After so many years of dodging around what the army had been throwing at them, it was a relief to have a seraph that didn’t seem interested. But, with Mikleo’s strange insistence on sticking by Sorey’s side, there would be no avoiding humans now. Then again, staying close to Sorey and throwing himself into the midst of the Pendrago public were two different things. Boris almost expected to see a rush of water rising from the market as the seraph overreacted, although he couldn’t imagine Sorey letting that happen.

He hummed to himself and sat back, not bothering to turn his head towards the market that was going on. Sorey would handle things as he always did, full of enthusiasm and with a willing ear.

He had heard what had happened at Sorey’s first council meeting. It hadn’t taken much, the news had spread like wildfire through the palace, whispered by pages and spoken of by the less temperate members of the council. The youngest priest that Cardinal Forton had brought with her had been the loudest in his complaints, something that Boris would have to look out for. It would be interesting to see how much the young priest would spill before Cardinal Forton removed him from her council. The cardinal wasn’t a stupid woman, but she didn’t have much choice left to her.

The ranks of the priesthood had fallen in the last few years after Masedra’s disappearance. Boris didn’t know if there was a connection, he hadn’t been around to ferret it out. But, if he were more inclined to take a gamble, he would have said that people had no confidence in the leadership of Cardinal Forton. Then again, that line of thought wasn’t too much of a gamble.

People hadn’t liked Masedra because of what he had said, because it had gone against everything that they had been saying for years. The seraphim weren’t to be used for their personal gain; that they were to be partners with the humans. Even after saying that for years, many had loved him because he was firm when he should be and soft when he needed to be. Forton was none of that, but then she couldn’t afford to be. But people couldn’t see that.

He tilted his head back with a sigh. Maybe Sorey could help with that, ease the tension between the church and the army enough to allow for the cardinal to be able to do her job uninhibited. It sounded like he already planned as much, although he was jumping right into it with both feet. Not that Boris had expected anything different.

Boris hummed to himself drumming his fingers on his leg again. It might be good to get some more ears pressed to the ground for Sorey’s sake.

The Platinum Knights had been away from Pendrago for too long. Some of their old contacts had drifted away, and it would take them a while to get back, but that was no bother. He had nothing to do, especially since Sergei was more involved with the running of the Platinum Knights.

Boris was technically just another knight, never mind the fact that his brother was the leader. The distinction had never bothered him considering that Sergei had won the position through his hard work. Boris had seen the wound and how shaken Sergei had been when Empress Nadia had ridden back into the city after Leon had claimed the throne. Even years later, he knew better than to ask what had happened. For all of that, he could give his brother the leadership of the Platinum Knights with no qualms. He was more than content to do what he was good at, which was listening. Sorey would need someone good at that until he evened out his government.

He wasn’t worried that it would take long. It always took new leaders a bit to settle into their stride, and Sorey would do it with the same aplomb that he had always done everything. He would probably have it easier because he had a seraph at his side, a sure sign of the blessings bestowed on him.

Boris smirked to himself, remembering the coronation. He didn’t know if it had been a work of artistry or if it had really been as spur of the moment as it had looked to have Mikleo step up to bless him, but it had worked. Boris had been in the crowd, he had seen the way that the people had reacted. How they had all gone quiet at the sight of the seraph and how they had all reacted when they realized what he had done.

There were thousands of stories of the miracles that the seraphim had been able to do, but Boris didn’t quite believe in any of them. It was less a lack of faith and more a lack of evidence. He was sure that the seraphim might have been able to do those things in the past, but he had seen a few seraphim that had broken out of their weapons and they looked like they could barely stand.

Mikleo though was the exception. Maybe that would be enough. Pendrago could use some of the mysterious powers that the church said that the seraphim had, the whole of Rolance could if Mikleo could stretch it. That might have to wait, but it was something to think about later.

In the meantime, it was more important to focus at the issues at hand.

Boris tipped his head back, trying to see over his shoulder towards the clock tower on the guildhall or hear the bells of the smaller shrinechurches as they started the rounds of ringing the hour. Nothing than the usual background noise of the city met his ears, which meant that he still technically had time for his lunch, not that there was anything to be gained by waiting. He sighed and glanced back at his ale, reaching for it. He might as well finish up and get back on course. There was the market to figure out and then his usual rounds around the city.

The Platinum Knights might be lacking in contacts but it would be remiss of him not to attempt to bring some of them back. They would be there for the news on the pulse of the empire if nothing else, and there was nothing wrong with that.

* * *

Rose watched as the horses approached the border, narrowing her eyes as she saw the guards in the colors of the empire. She waited for something telling, something that would say that they were hellions or that she needed to spring into action. The Shepherd would never step in for a war between two countries, but Rose was sure that Michael would have allowed her this. Surely ending the war that had ruined the continent for so long was the purview of the Shepherd, especially when it meant a chance at getting at the seraphim that had been trapped for centuries.

She reached back for the knives tucked securely against her back, changing her grip to play with the strings that dangled from the hilts. She toyed with them for a moment before letting them drop back against her belt. The beads at the end clicked as they knocked together, Rose pointedly ignoring the look that Dezel shot her. Rose waved him on, not watching as he settled back into place. He would alert her if anything went wrong and be the one to strike. Although he might just be beat out by Edna, considering the location of the border fort. The hill looked like it would collapse easily and Edna would keep it far away from Alisha.

Rose frowned and leaned back against the tree behind her, crossing her arms over her chest. Dezel didn’t comment on it, but Lailah turned to look at her. Rose met the gaze of the seraph, a bit unsure of the look in Lailah’s eyes.

Lailah had always been Michael’s in her mind, more something of the other Shepherd than of herself. There were moments when Lailah acted just as young as she looked and Rose could forget about the near thousand year gap between them. Now wasn’t one of those times.

Lailah looked away quickly, although her hand strayed up to play with the pin that she wore. Her fingers brushed over the curve sweep of the parts that looked like wings. Michael had worn the pin, although Rose wasn’t too sure when Lailah had started wearing it. The switch had come sometime when she wasn’t looking and long before Michael had passed away. Rose had only noticed when Lailah had started the habit of touching it. She hadn’t figured out a pattern yet, but she was sure that one would emerge eventually. She was going to be spending a lot of time with the seraphim once she crossed into the empire proper. They would be her lifeline then.

Rose sighed and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. As soon as Alisha was through safely they would settle on their route. Gododdin was a long way across the empire, but it was the closest to the capital that she felt that she could get. Besides, it was tucked away and no one from the border forts would bother looking for her there, they would be too busy staring into Lohgrin and daring the former kingdom to move.

She pressed her fingers into the bark of the tree, taking another deep breath before opening her eyes. When she looked back towards the fort, the two guards had moved away, leaving Alisha to ride through while her escort remained behind. Rose watched as their horses shifted and stamped, a sign that their riders were getting impatient and Rose couldn’t blame them. It went against everything that they had been trained to do, which was protect the princess and to protect their leaders. Rose knew that the Windriders would have had to be tied down to keep from following in the same situation. The former royal guards either had more confidence or were stronger than she took them for with all of their pomp and circumstance.

Rose watched as the two knights turned their horses around, following them as they galloped back towards the camp. They would take the circuitous route so the border guards couldn’t find them, just in case they would be watching. Rose narrowed her eyes and watched the guards, not sure if she was pleased or put off by the fact that the guards went back to their duty. It was either dedication or worry.

She flexed her fingers before pushing away from the tree. It was still under control, because Dezel was still watching and Rose could feel the tell-tale tremble that meant Edna was at the ready. Rose was tempted to wave her off, but she couldn’t fault the seraph. They had all suffered in some way because of the empire and she wasn’t going to deny Edna that chance, not after what had happened with her brother. Rose didn’t know the chances of a seraph stuck in one of the weapons, she didn’t think a seraph had escaped from one to tell their tale. If it had been as long as Edna implied, then there was a chance that Eizen could have already been disposed of.

Rose frowned and took a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Lailah. The seraph turned with her, Rose feeling Lailah’s concerned gaze on her shoulder before the fire seraph looked away towards the fort. Rose sighed, reaching up to rub at the rough ends of her hair. She played with one longer strand, resolving to take care of it later. It was small in the grand scheme of things, small in the face of the danger that they were running into.

She rolled her shoulders. “So, what do you think?”

“Me?”

Rose nodded. “I’ve never been to the empire, not that I remember.”

“I haven’t been in years.”

“Your memory is still better than mine.”

Lailah muttered something under her breath, Rose sure that it was just a wordless, flustered sound. When she looked over, Lailah was touching the pin again, tracing out the shape over and over as she thought. Her fingers paused for a moment, tapping against the pointed end of one of the wings before they went back to their slow circle. “You know the forts better, but I may still remember a way to Gododdin that won’t get us seen. It might have more hellions.”

Rose grinned, taking care that it wasn’t fragile. “Hellions we can deal with. It’s probably better that we do, anyway. It might help things.”

Lailah gave her a relieved nod, Rose glad for the motion. In many ways Lailah was still the best trained out of all of them. She knew things that Rose had never learned from Michael and probably knew things that none of the Shepherds did. As far as Rose could tell, Lailah had been there from nearly the start, at least before the war started. Rose didn’t know, Lailah and the others never talked about what happened before the war.

“So, which way?”

Lailah dropped her hand from the pin, a smile crossing her face. It wasn’t a rare expression on the seraph, but it was rare that the smile didn’t hide anything. For once, it looked fully real, not that Rose blamed her.

She and Michael had been close, probably because of everything that they had been through together. Rose remembered seeing the two of them banish hellions, just the two of them working in perfect tandem. That was a kind of partnership that wasn’t going to be gotten over within a few days.

Rose reached out to pat Lailah’s arm, giving it a squeeze when the seraph looked over her way. “Lead the way and we’ll follow.”

Lailah shook her head with a sigh, rocking back on her heels. “It’s not going to be as simple as all of that. It won’t be just hellions. Roads have changed, towns have changed. We’re going to have to get creative.”

“Creative is what I’m good at.”

Lailah laughed, the sound high and bright. Rose found herself smiling in return, watching as the seraph made a vague motion further away from the border fort. “We used to cross there. It’s a dried river bed. The hellions might be thicker there, but that just means that no one will be waiting there.”

Rose narrowed her eyes, trying to judge where the dry riverbed was. She couldn’t make it out, which meant that it was a long way down the border. Rose gave up trying to spot it, she believed Lailah. They would get to the riverbed soon enough and, if it was as full of hellions as Lailah said it was, then she doubted that any of the border guards would be patrolling. It was the perfect place for one Shepherd and a few seraphim to sneak in. Better yet, one person going past wouldn’t be noticed at all.

She rolled her shoulders. “Well, we’d better get going or else Alisha will beat us there. We can’t have that. We need to be ready to spring into action.”

Edna huffed, finally looking away from the border. “Spring isn’t the word that come to mind with this. Can Dezel even spring?”

That got a grumble from the wind seraph, Rose turning to give Dezel and appraising eye. He tugged his hat further down over his head, using it and his bangs to cover his eyes. It was his usual way of avoiding a question, but it was as good as an answer for Edna. Rose caught the edge of a grin on her face just before she snapped her umbrella open and strolled in front of Rose.

Rose gave her a look but didn’t bother to stop the bickering. The bickering meant that they were still alright. Once the bickering stopped she would have to worry. She shot a look back at Lailah, catching the seraph lowering her sleeve from her mouth. And the smile was still on Lailah’s face.

Lailah didn’t bother to smooth it out. She just tucked her hands behind her back, strolling along after them. Rose let the three of them get ahead, feeling out the wakes that the seraphim left behind them. Edna set the ground shaking minutely, Dezel always had some sort of breeze following after him and Lailah just warmed the air around her. It was a constant readiness of power, something that she had gotten used to, although they were usually more subtle about it. It could have been because they were so close to the old border. After all, she was already walking with one hand on her knives.

Rose turned her head to look back at the border fort, trying to catch a glimpse of Alisha, but the princess was already gone. Knowing her, she would probably be riding at full tilt towards Pendrago. Alisha was excited about all of this, not that Rose could blame her. She would have done the same thing, if it hadn’t seemed too good to be true. It just meant that the four of them would have to rush to keep up.

She groaned and shifted her hand to rub the small of her back. Rose pushed her knuckles in hard before dropping her hand away. She broke into a jog to keep up with the seraphim, scanning for the dried riverbed that Lailah had spoken off. If that failed, she knew a good spot to duck across between two forts just few miles down from where they were. A quick dash and they would be in the empire and on their way to Gododdin.

* * *

Mikleo took a deep breath of the late morning air, letting it out slowly. The air over Pendrago felt different than the air on top of the mountain. It wasn’t that the moisture from the early morning had gone, it was something different that he couldn’t figure out and not for lack of trying.

He had been on the walls since the sun had risen, unable to stay in the palace for long and not ready sleep. Sleep came after a long day of practicing his artes or when he couldn’t push on any longer. It wasn’t an everyday thing, not like the humans did it. And there was nothing to exhaust him like that in Pendrago.

There was no reason to practice his artes, not now that he’d left the mountain. No need to chase away other humans or hellions, no need to practice until his legs were shaking and he was too weak to stand. He was safe for the moment, which was all that mattered.

He huffed and leaned his hip against the crenellation on the wall. He glanced out towards the city, watching the way that the sun glinted off the red slate roofs. Mikleo raised his arm, blocking the glare from his eyes for a moment. He tipped his head to the side, looking out from underneath his arm to study the streets below.

The people of Pendrago were moving through their daily patterns, although Mikleo didn’t know those patterns. He didn’t care to know them; that was something for Sorey to worry about. Mikleo was just there for the seraphim.

He sighed and lowered his arm, leaning his arm on the stone. It was warm from the sunlight, far better than the times that he had walked along the walls in the early morning. He’d spent the entire time holding his cloak shut. He could have done something about it, but the people in the streets below him had started to move around. Mikleo didn’t want to draw attention to himself, not when he had seen what they would do when they saw him.

Yesterday had been bad enough with all of them crowding around him and touching him. It hadn’t mattered that it had been the edges of his clothes or just brushing past him. There had been too many of them, all of them too focused on him.

Mikleo shivered and rubbed his arm, his gaze dropping back down to stare at the people.

Gramps had said that the seraphim and the humans had lived together once, and that it had balanced out the world. He remembered sitting enraptured by those stories and begging for more, although he couldn’t quite remember why anymore. They all seemed fanciful now, especially since the world seemed to be moving on fine without most of the seraphim. Or was it because he was there? Mikleo doubt that he was important or strong enough to keep the whole world running by himself. He wasn’t even properly a seraph anymore.

He frowned and looked down at his hand, turning it over as he checked for scales. None were appearing, but he was sure that he had better control of it than that. It had been one of the things he had taught himself on the mountain.

He’d gotten some training with the seraphim who had fled to Elysia to stay away from the war, but it had been in bits and pieces. Everything following had been pieced together from those sessions and the books that Gramps had tucked away and in the ruins of Camlann. Mikleo hummed to himself, glancing back in the direction of the mountain. Somewhere on the mountain was his stash of books, but Mikleo hadn’t looked at them in years. He’d gone as far as they could take them, especially since over half of them were full of more fantasies than actual help.

Mikleo flexed his fingers, looking back down at the streets full of people. A shiver ran down his spine, Mikleo rolling his shoulders back. They were far away and he was above them all. They might look but they would never really touch. He was the emperor’s seraph, the emperor’s dragon. He was untouchable and, somehow, they liked him for it.

He ran his fingers over the stone, feeling out the marks that had been carved into the stone by bored guards. It was mostly names, dates, insults; all the little things that Mikleo had come to associate with humans. They were always marking out time, and that amused him in a way. Humans were always marking out something. They marked out time, their kingdoms, and the continent. He huffed and smoothed his fingers over the stone before turning away.

He started to make his way back along the wall, keeping one hand on the top of the crenellations. Mikleo glanced around at the rest of the wall, easily picking out the guards that were patrolling along the wall.

They had been up there since he had climbed up in the middle of the night. Mikleo had seen the guards change a few times over, but they had all given him a wide berth. But, that hadn’t kept them from staring. Mikleo was sure that it would have been a sign of their interest if they had bothered to have come closer, but they had been shooting him wary looks all morning, like they expected him to attack them. Mikleo huffed and turned away, focusing more on the inner courtyard.

It didn’t take more than a glance to know that things were going as they usually did. Pages were running back and forth and the Platinum Knights were making their way across the courtyard to attend to their business. Mikleo’s gaze lingered on a group of priests, the corner of his mouth twitching the longer he looked at them. There were more priests around the palace now, although Mikleo was sure it was because of Sorey’s councils. They were probably ferrying more information about why everything that Sorey wanted them to do was wrong, which was enough to make him laugh.

Sorey wasn’t asking for much, even if he was pushing for a stop to the war. Mikleo had seen what it had done to the country and even he could see that it wasn’t sustainable, if not for the people then because Mikleo wouldn’t hesitate to claw his way to the center of the empire. He knew the way now, and he knew exactly where to aim.

He grinned to himself, sure that he could feel the bite of sharp fangs. He shook his head, working his jaw slightly until he felt the fangs disappear. That was something to wait for, because Sorey had promised him that he would take care of the seraphim. Mikleo had put him into position, so now all they had to do was wait.

Mikleo scanned over the courtyard again, preparing to go down the stairs when he saw a flash of blue among the red of the guards. He froze, turning his head to look even as Sorey shouted his name.

“Mikleo!” The human waved at him as he stepped up on the wall.

He tilted his head to the side, surprised at how eager Sorey looked to see him. He couldn’t imagine why Sorey would go out of his way to seek out _him_.

Mikleo shifted in place before turning to climb up the stairs again. If Sorey wanted him then it was better to go see what he wanted. Although, if it was to go out among the people again Mikleo might refuse to go with him. He’d gotten his fill of the people the day before.

He had almost reached the top of the stairs when there was a loud cheer. Mikleo winced at the sound, looking up at Sorey.

Sorey had the same shocked look on his face, the emperor turning to look over the wall. The move got another cheer from the people, Mikleo watching as Sorey stared out at the crowd. Sorey raised a hand shakily, giving them a wave to the sound of thunderous applause.

Mikleo saw Sorey’s hand slow for a moment before it went back to its normal speed, Sorey leaning forward against the wall. Mikleo jerked forward before he could stop himself, surprised by the flash of worry that Sorey might tip himself over the wall. It didn’t matter that the people would catch him but, then again, it didn’t matter if Sorey fell. Neither of those explanations helped slow the frantic pounding of his heart as he came to stand by Sorey.

He was tempted to reach out to grab Sorey to hold him steady, Mikleo reaching out for him only to stop halfway through the motion. He let his hand drop back to his side, preferring to watch Sorey instead of the mass of people that would be looking at the two of them from the street below. Just ignoring them wasn’t a way to block them out, although Mikleo didn’t know of any way that he could, not with the way that they were screaming for Sorey.

“Maotelus bless the emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live Emperor Sorey!”


	7. Chapter 5

“Life has become like the great Grimpen Mire, with little green patches everywhere into which one may sink and with no guide to point the track.”  
- _The Hound of the Baskervilles_ , Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

* * *

 

Sorey shoved the empty box in place, quick to retreat when Mikleo came close. If the seraph noticed, he didn’t comment on it. Sorey wasn’t sure if that was gratefulness or if it was just what Mikleo expected of him. It was sometimes hard to tell. Sorey was surprised that he had even been allowed into the room where the weapons were, and he had been almost fine with that.

The council was still pushing him on the topic of peace. Sorey didn’t think that they’d had a meeting when they hadn’t pointed out something wrong. Even Cardinal Forton had started drifting away from his side. The only times she seemed to support him was when Mikleo was mentioned, which always put him on edge.

He looked over at where Mikleo was sorting through the weapons, the seraph never remaining in contact with the weapons for long. Sorey glanced at the careful piles of weapons on the floor. He couldn’t image what the weapons felt like to Mikleo, especially since some of the seraphim had been stuck in the weapons for decades. It was probably torture to be in the room, but that didn’t explain why Mikleo had specifically asked for him that morning.

Sorey leaned back on his heels, watching as Mikleo carefully lowered an armful of weapons into the empty crate. He jerked his gaze away when Mikleo turned his head to look at the other crates. Sorey tipped his head to the side, studying the crates. There were every chance that he had been called in to shove things around while Mikleo put the weapons into some sort of order. Sorey didn’t mind the physical labor, not when he had spent a few days doing nothing but sitting around as he ran the empire.

He shifted slightly when Mikleo paused to lean against the crate. Mikleo only stayed there for a short moment, but it was telling. The seraph was exhausted, which made Sorey frown. He’d been busy with his own tasks and had left Mikleo on his own. He’d thought that it was the right thing to do because of the way that Mikleo had always avoided other humans. But maybe that had been wrong.

Sorey took a step closer to Mikleo. He saw Mikleo’s shoulders tense, the motion cueing him to stop pushing. He watched as the seraph relaxed slightly. It wasn’t a complete acceptance of his presence, but it certainly wasn’t the wariness that he had gotten used to.

Sorey offered Mikleo a smile, careful to lean away from the away from the crates when he rested his shoulder against the wall. He hoped that it was as nonthreatening as possible, although he was always sure that Mikleo would always look at him warily.

The look only lasted a moment before Mikleo turned to face him. Mikleo crossed his arms across his chest. The motion looked slightly protective, probably because of the vessels in the room. But the way that he tipped his head to the side and cocked his hip against the crate was anything but. Sorey’s gaze lingered on the bare skin of Mikleo’s neck. He swayed in place, trying and failing to ignore Mikleo’s scent. Sorey swallowed and looked back up at Mikleo’s eyes. He caught the smirk that was there for a brief moment before Mikleo was distracted by the weapons. His hair fell into his eyes, Sorey reaching out to push it back. He stopped himself halfway through the motion, his hand hovering halfway between them.

Mikleo eyed the hand, Sorey quick to drop it.

He looked away from where Mikleo was pushing his hair back away from his eyes and the circlet. “W-wait else do you need my help with. Because I don’t really want to go out there and deal with the council.”

Mikleo huffed, the sound drawing Sorey’s attention. “I told you, they don’t like you.”

“I know, but it’s always better when you are around. You intimidate them.”

Mikleo scoffed, shifting back so he could lean on the crate again. He stared at the weapons, Sorey tempted to join Mikleo but there was the careful distance between the two of them to maintain. He contented himself with leaning against the wall, watching as Mikleo studied the weapons. Sorey was sure that Mikleo kept looking at him far more than usual. Sorey shifted in place before nodding over at the crates. “What are we going to do?”

If Mikleo was disturbed by Sorey’s use of ‘we’ the seraph didn’t show it. Mikleo drummed his fingers against the crate before shaking his head. “I need to break the bindings on the weapons, and there’s two ways to do it. I could do it by brute strength, but that would be dangerous. Too much could go wrong. Or, you could do it the way you humans have been breaking the weapons for years when you wanted to get rid of a useless seraph.”

Sorey hummed, looking at the weapons. He wasn’t surprised that the way to break the bindings had been kept a secret. If the seraphim had known then they would have escaped sooner. It was a cruel trick, and one that Sorey had never really considered. He had never been allowed close enough to the weapons to attempt to break the seraphim out. Everyone had known where his sympathies lay. Even his aunt had kept him away from the weapons because she wanted to use them just as much as Lyte had. But they had never stopped him from researching how to save the seraphim. He had found the words once while reading through the old chronicles about Artorius and had tried to remember as many of them as he could, but the ancient tongue was tricky. Still, that was no excuse not to try.

He frowned and nodded towards the swords. “Can I?”

Mikleo’s eyes widened slightly, but he nodded. Sorey leaned over and reached in to pick up a sword, drawing the blade out. He studied the writing, making a face at the badly carved out letters of the ancient tongue. It wasn’t wrong, or else the binding would have been void. It was just clumsily done and hard to read at points, but he could make most of it out. The muttered the words aloud as he read, suddenly realizing how rusty he had let himself get. Once he would have been able to read it out no problem, but then he’d spent years rushing around and trying to fix what his cousins had done.

He licked his lips, reading the carved words before looking up at Mikleo with a nod. “I should be able to do this.”

He was not ready for the look of relief on Mikleo’s face. The seraph relaxed slightly, looking less like he expected an attack. Sorey stared at Mikleo, surprised at how willing the seraph was to relax in his presence. He swallowed and looked down at the blade in his hands. “I don’t know how this will go. I’ve never tried it and I’ve never seen anyone do it like this. They mostly just break the weapon.”

From the flinch that Mikleo gave, that would be a last resort. Sorey brushed his fingers over the words one last time to check it over before taking a deep breath. “Ready?”

Mikleo nodded, taking a step forward. “Yes.”

Sorey looked away from the desperate look on Mikleo’s face, not sure that he would be able to stand it, especially if he failed. There were many bindings and Sorey couldn’t remember if the words were different for the different bindings or if the same one would work. And then the question was if he remembered the right ones. Sorey bit his lip, working through his memory before speaking the first one that he remembered, hoping that it would work.

Nothing happened.

Sorey looked over at Mikleo, hating the look of disappointment on the seraph’s face. Sorey wanted to take a step forward, but he doubted that Mikleo would allow any contact after the failure. He swallowed and tried to think of something to say other than promises to look up the way to break the bindings correctly. He opened his mouth to speak when there was a flash of yellowish light.

Sorey yelped and stumbled back, dropping the sword to the ground. He heard Mikleo make a startled sound, but Sorey couldn’t see his expression through the bright light. He raised his arm to block it, only lowering it when the light faded away. Sorey glanced over his arm, staring in awe at the seraph that was swaying in place in front of them.

The seraph looked around the room in a daze before his gaze fell on the sword on the ground. The seraph practically growled as he threw out a hand. The ground shuddered before a portion of it rose to slam repeatedly into the sword, breaking it into pieces.

Sorey cursed and stumbled to the side to avoid the scatter of shrapnel. He fetched up against the wall, looking up again just in time to meet the seraph’s gaze. He expected confusion or fear, but not anger. Sorey shook his head, not sure what he was denying, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. The seraph lunged forward, reaching out to grab onto his neck and squeeze.

He choked, reaching up to claw at the seraph’s fingers. If the seraph noticed, he was too far gone to notice. “No! I won’t let you! I’m not going back into another one. I’m not fighting your war!”

Sorey gasped for breath, reaching out to try and push the seraph away. His fingers skidded over scales and claws as he tried to get a better grip. He looked up at the seraph’s face, watching as a muzzle started to grow. Sorey pushed at the seraph’s claws, managing to get them to loosen around his throat slightly before something shoved the seraph away.

He winced as he felt claws scrape across his neck, not caring about the sting of pain in favor of gasping for breath. Sorey leaned over, bracing himself on the nearest crate. He looked up at a shout, watching as Mikleo looked away from the other seraph. Mikleo gave him a quick look over, Sorey not sure if Mikleo was really worried about him or still in shock because of the seraph’s aggression. Sorey swallowed and pushed away from the crate, ready to watch Mikleo’s back if the seraph decided to attack Mikleo as well.

A quick glance at the seraph showed that he wasn’t paying attention to Mikleo. The seraph stared at his hands before letting out a wail.

The seraph lunged for one of the crates, shoving past Mikleo to reach for it. Sorey stumbled away from the seraph, stepping close to Mikleo. He intended to check on Mikleo, but got distracted by the way that the earth started shaking again. Sorey glanced at the ground before looking up at the seraph, watching as he grabbed onto one of the crates.

“Hey!” The seraph looked up as Mikleo spoke, the seraph narrowing his eyes as Mikleo stepped forward. Mikleo didn’t seem to notice, he seemed too focused on walking over to the seraph. “You’re not in danger. I won’t let him put you back in there. I’m here to help.”

The seraph didn’t look like he understood Mikleo. He just shook his head and gripped the crate tighter. “No. You won’t take us again. We can’t do this anymore. We won’t fight your war!”

The ground rumbled ominously, Sorey stumbling forward to grab Mikleo. He was about to pull him back when the shaking stopped and the air became crushing. Sorey coughed and fell to his knees, looking up at Mikleo crashed to the ground as well. He gritted his teeth, only able to watch as the seraph shook before screaming and crumbling.

The seraph fell apart, dissolving into yellow light before that shattered into pieces of dirt and rock. Sorey heard Mikleo shout, but his attention was on the crate as it broke. He couldn’t see how the weapons were holding up, but the only warning he got was a sharp ping. Sorey reached up to tug his cloak from his shoulder, the pressure on him seeming to let up a little bit, but he was still moving slowly. He flung his thick cloak in front of their faces as the weapons in the crate gave into the extreme pressure and broke. He braced himself for the shower of metal shards, but it never came.

Cautiously, he lowered the cloak slightly so he could look at the storeroom. His mouth dropped open as he saw the pieces of wood and metal that were scattered in a controlled area. Above them multicolored balls of light hovered, some of them managing to hold their form while other dissolved away instantly.

He looked away from the mess when Mikleo whimpered and crawled forward.

“Kyme?” Mikleo reached out, his fingers curling around one of the balls of light just before it shattered, delicate swirls of the same color drifting down out of the air.

Mikleo combed his fingers through them, looking like he was trying to gather them close to his chest, but the ribbons of deep purple disappeared as soon as he touched them. Mikleo stared at his hands, Sorey catching the look of shock and horror on Mikleo’s face. The stillness only lasted a moment before Mikleo curled in on himself.

Sorey’s first instinct was to reaching out and touch the seraph, but he doubted that Mikleo would allow it. At a loss of what to do he stumbled to his feet. Sorey stepped around Mikleo to watch as earth and water rained down from the dying balls of light. He edged around a few tongues of flame that drifted through the air. He reached out to touch one before tugging his hand back when it disappeared. Sorey turned in a slow circle, watching as all the lights died before looking at where Mikleo was kneeling. “W-what happened?”

“They’re dead.” The words nearly came out as a sob. “He killed them all. They would have been able to survive if we had done that carefully, but he just-” Mikleo made a choked noise, flinging one hand out.

Sorey jumped as a shard of ice slammed into the wall and stuck. He stared at it for a moment before kneeling in front of Mikleo. The seraph was visibly shaking, the only sound in the storeroom the sound of Mikleo’s harsh breathing.

At a loss of what to do, Sorey let his hands drop down into his lap, watching as Mikleo gathered himself together. Mikleo didn’t look at him, and Sorey could understand why. The seraph had been fine until he had seen him, the sight of a human had been enough to make the seraph snap.

Sorey shook out his cloak, watching for pieces of metal to fall, but none came out. He curled his fingers into the cloth, taking a deep breath.

Mikleo beat him to it, the seraph dropping his hand. “We’re done.”

“I’m sorry.”

Mikleo scoffed, getting to his feet. “Why?”

“Because they died and they didn’t have to.”

Mikleo stared at him for a second before shaking his head. “We’ll just have to do better next time. And maybe keep them away from the others.”

“We?”

The seraph gave him an annoyed look. “I can’t do this on my own, not unless I want to risk that happening. Not unless you want to give me those words.

Mikleo walked towards the door before he could answer. Sorey scrambled to his feet, reaching out to touch Mikleo’s shoulder. He jerked his hand back as Mikleo turned to face him, Sorey curling it into the fabric of his pants. “I promised that I would help you free them. We’ll find a way. I’ll give you keys to the libraries if you want them.”

He expected another scoff, but Mikleo looked at him with wide eyes. Sorey wasn’t sure if it was because of his protective tendencies or because Mikleo looked so defeated that he wanted to pull Mikleo into a hug. Sorey hesitated for a moment before acting on the urge, pulling Mikleo against him.

The seraph tensed, going stiff in his arms before Mikleo made a choked off sound. Sorey tipped his head down to see Mikleo’s expression, but he missed his chance.

Mikleo ducked his head, pressing his forehead against Sorey’s shoulder. “Watch yourself. People will talk.”

“What will they say that they already haven’t?”

“That you were seduced by a seraph.”

Sorey laughed, resisting the urge to nuzzle his faze into Mikleo’s neck. He’d barely gotten the permission for the hug, he couldn’t go further no matter how good Mikleo smelled. He swallowed and shook his head, gently letting Mikleo go. “Let them believe what they want.”

He took a step back, watching as Mikleo made an aborted motion with his arms before the seraph shook his head. Mikleo wrapped his arms around himself, looking down at the floor. “You’ll regret that.”

“You keep saying that I’ll regret things.”

“Because it’s true.”

Sorey shrugged and reached for the door. He doubted that Mikleo wanted to continue, not after what had happened. Besides, he wanted to check that he hadn’t messed up and caused the whole thing. There were so many spells that had come out of Artorius and his Exorcists discovering how to use the seraphim in their weapons, which meant that were equally as many spells to break the bindings. He’d have to try and find those books again, which wasn’t a bad thing. It meant that he wouldn’t have to spend hours arguing with his council.

He stepped into the hall, turning to let Mikleo through. The seraph didn’t look at him, his focus somewhere off in the distance. Sorey sighed and carefully shut the door behind them. He stared at Mikleo’s back for a moment before jogging to keep up.

If Mikleo noticed, he didn’t give any sign of it. Mikleo hummed and played with the feather at the clasp of his cloak. He was obviously thinking over something, Sorey tempted to task what was on Mikleo’s mind when the seraph made an impatient motion. “Let’s find your council. We can at least get something done today.”

Sorey stared at Mikleo, surprised by the change of topic. He had thought that Mikleo would want to take the rest of the day off after what had happened in the storeroom. “You don’t have to.”

“It’s part of our pact. I said I would make you emperor.”

“You have.”

“You have to stay there or else there’s no point in saving the seraphim, because the next emperor would just capture them again.”

Sorey sighed and glanced back over his shoulder. The storeroom was far down the corridor, Sorey looking back in time to catch the door that Mikleo was holding for him.

He studied the door for a moment before looking over at Mikleo. “I can tell the council to hold off the meeting for a while. I don’t think they will have changed their minds since the last time.”

Mikleo tensed at that, the reaction not what Sorey had expected. After everything that he had seen of the seraph, the suggestion should have been welcome. Still, Mikleo looked tempted. His hands clenched, Mikleo shaking his head. “No. They’ll walk all over you if we don’t keep pushing them.”

Sorey raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment on what Mikleo had said. The answer wasn’t what he expected, but he wouldn’t argue with it. He wouldn’t mind spending more time with Mikleo, although he couldn’t admit that. It would probably be enough to chase Mikleo away, and he didn’t want that. Sorey wasn’t sure that there was a safe place for Mikleo, not with the way the world was. Someone would come and find Mikleo and they would probably just force him into a vessel.

He shivered and looked at Mikleo out of the corner of his eye. The thought of anyone using Mikleo made him want to snarl. Mikleo wasn’t his, but the seraph was under his protection. He flexed his fingers, fighting back the protective urge when Mikleo shot him a look. He watched as Mikleo took a deep breath, the determination turning into shock as someone shouted for him.

“Your majesty!”

Sorey looked at the page that was running down the hall. The young girl stumbled to a stop, the girl glancing warily at Mikleo before bowing to Sorey.

“A rider at the gates. She’s wearing the crest of Hyland!”

Sorey perked up at that, shooting a grin at Mikleo. “They responded to the offer of terms.”

Mikleo might have made a sound, but Sorey’s attention was already on the page again. “Where is she?”

“Just heading into the courtyard, your highness. General Strelka is with her now, but the council has already been sent for.”

Sorey nodded and absently thanked her. The page scurried away as quickly as she had come. Sorey turned to grin at Mikleo, not having to say a word. Mikleo just nodded at him, reaching up to resettle the swoop of his bangs. Sorey felt his heart speed up at the sight of the circlet and the smile that he was given.

He tamped down the urge to pull Mikleo into his arms. Sorey shook his head, writing it off as excitement at Mikleo’s scent. He’d gotten used to it, but it was slightly more noticeable today, probably because of what had happened in the storeroom. It wasn’t too different than usual, maybe a bit sweeter. Maybe a bit more like heat, but that was something to be ignored. It wasn’t something being offered to him.

Sorey cleared his throat and inclined his head, remaining still as Mikleo swept past him. He counted Mikleo’s footsteps, waiting until five before following after the seraph.

* * *

Alisha glanced around the royal quarter, studying the buildings. The bright colored glass of the shrinechurch caught her attention, as did the single tower on the wall. She watched a few knights in partial armor running out of the tower. Alisha turned to watch them go, the knights scattering off to their duties.

She turned her gaze to the walls, watching the guards walk them. Alisha was surprised to see that the men there were the Royal Guards as opposed to the other guard units. Then again, it was a sign of the change in power that the Royal Guards were out of favor. Just what that said about the new emperor she didn’t know, she would just have to wait and see.

Alisha turned back around, considering the young man beside her. Her gaze moved over his scar before she took a deep breath, taking in the smell of omega and leather. It was pleasant, just like Rose’s scent was pleasant.

She blushed when he caught her looking, Alisha quick to give him a solemn nod. The man returned the nod, his gaze going back to the palace. “His highness should be out soon. There are still many things that people believe require his immediate attention.”

“Are there that many changes?”

The man just chuckled, Alisha not sure if that was a good sign or not. If anything, it meant that he didn’t agree with his emperor, which could be a problem, especially considering that he was the leader of the guard currently in favor.

Alisha played with one of her gloves, studying the movement in the courtyard. If the people in the emperor’s close circle couldn’t agree, then she might have to take the chance to escape sooner rather than later. And maybe it meant that she’d gotten too excited about the offer and that Rose had been right. The offer of terms might not have been a trap, but peace might turn out to be something that this new emperor couldn’t hold onto. If that was the case, then they might have to do something about the new emperor, even if he was the right one to support.

She was about to ask the man about the emperor when his shoulders straightened. Her eyes followed the curve of his spine down before she remembered herself. Alisha shook her head and turned to look at the front of the palace, taken aback by the young man coming down the steps.

He was younger than she expected, maybe three or four years younger than she was. When she had heard that there was a new emperor, she had assumed that he would have been an older man, one that had been kept behind the scenes. She hadn’t been able to imagine a young member of the royal family that had survived the civil wars of the empire. More than his youth, his choice in clothes made him stand out, all blues, whites and golds instead of the usual red and black of the empire. As far as Alisha could tell, the only thing of the empire about him was his title and the crown that he wore.

Alisha looked him up and down, about to step forward to greet him when she saw the figure lingering behind him.

She had seen seraphim before. She was used to Dezel, Lailah and Edna, but they were all the Shepherd’s companions. They were also the only seraphim that Alisha knew about that were outside of the weapons that the empire used. Her gaze dropped to the sword that the emperor wore.

It was very likely that the seraph was bound, but she had never heard of a binding that would allow the seraph to roam freely. The whole point was to keep the seraphim contained. But the letter that the emperor had sent had stressed that the weapons would be collected and dealt with. The emperor could have either been lying or the seraph was free. Her gaze lingered on the circlet that the seraph wore before looking back at the emperor.

The young man stopped in front of her, his attention moving from her just long enough to nod at the man. “Thank you, Sergei.”

Sergei nodded and turned to walk away. Alisha watched Sergei go before offering a tentative bow. She wasn’t quite sure how to address the emperor, especially when he seemed flustered by the bow. Alisha straightened up, considering the emperor. “Your highness.”

“No, please, just call my Sorey.”

“Sorey…” Alisha looked him over before offering her hand to him. “I’m Alisha Diphda.”

Sorey shook her hand eagerly, his gaze darting around the courtyard before focusing on her again. “You’re the only one?”

Alisha nodded. “The others wanted a guarantee of safety.”

Sorey nodded slowly, letting go of her hand. “That’s understandable. We haven’t been very trustworthy, have we? Hopefully we can change that.” He paused, tipping his head toward the gates. “Have you seen much of Pendrago?”

“No.”

“Then there’s no time like the present. Come on.”

“But-”

“We can get to know each other and start discussions. Personally, I’ve always thought better on the move.”

Alisha heard the seraph made a disapproving sound, but he didn’t say anything else. The seraph moved around to Sorey’s side, giving him a glare. Alisha was surprised by the familiarity between the two of them. She had thought that every seraph would avoid the heart of the empire, but this one hadn’t. Just why he had come to Sorey was beyond her, but that was something to ask later when she got a better read on Sorey.

Sorey turned to look back at the seraph, the two of them seeming to have a silent conversation. It only took a moment before the seraph shook his head and started towards the gates.

Sorey let him go for a moment before turning to look at her. “Shall we?”

Alisha nodded, falling into step beside him as they made their way out of the gates. She watched the seraph as he walked in front of them, noting the way that the people in the streets gave ground for him, but it didn’t look like it was a reaction out of fear. If anything, it was in awe. A few people dared to reach out to touch the edges of his cloak. The seraph’s shoulders twitched, but he didn’t show that he noticed the humans in any other way.

The people were quick to turn as soon as the seraph went past them, their attention falling on Sorey as soon as he was in sight. They didn’t show the same restraint as they had with the seraph. They flocked to him, calling his name and reaching out for him.

“Your majesty!”

“Maotelus bless you, your highness!”

“Emperor Sorey!”

Alisha stepped away from Sorey as he was mobbed, watching in awe as the people surrounded him. She expected him to be flustered or push them away because of the sheer numbers, but Sorey just smiled and motioned them all closer. Fromm the way his focused solely on them, he was actually listening to them, or at least trying to listen to all of them through all the shouting. Alisha could only catch three words in ten, but Sorey was nodding along like he was following them.

She heard something about food and rebuilding before she had to step to the side to allow more people to get to Sorey. Alisha turned slightly to watch them. None of the guards seemed to be worried about the emperor, so she felt safe enough to let Sorey be. It didn’t look like the people intended them any harm, they were just excited to see their emperor. None of the other emperors had seemed to care about their people, they had just concentrated on the war effort. That had to mean that he was serious about what he had offered, or he could at least be tipped their way.

She edged her way back to where the seraph stood, a bit surprised by the way that he flinched away from her. The seraph smoothed a hand down his arm, the motion seeming to be a calming one. He watched her out of the corner of his eye for a moment before looking back at Sorey. The attentiveness answered her question about the guards, she couldn’t imagine anyone trying to hurt Sorey with the seraph so close to him.

Alisha hummed to herself, rocking back onto her heels. “They like him.”

“They’re the only ones that do.”

She looked over at him in shock, trying to figure out what he meant. She watched as he tipped his head to the side and rubbed at the base of his jaw. Alisha caught the faint scent of something, almost like wet earth or a rainy day and, most tellingly, something sweeter. Alisha leaned towards him only to stop herself. She swayed in place for a moment before giving the seraph and even look. “Does that include you?”

The seraph narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know.”

It was a surprising answer, especially when the two of them had looked like they had gotten along well. Then again, the seraph could be resentful of his current state. Pendrago was likely soaked in malevolence, which meant that the seraph had to have a vessel to keep from becoming a hellion. It might have been a mutual agreement, but that probably wouldn’t be enough to keep the seraph from hating it. If things went well, then maybe Rose could clear the malevolence from around Pendrago, but she didn’t want to tell him that, not when it might not be true.

The seraph muttered something that she didn’t catch before he walked towards Sorey. Alisha watched as the people looked back at him and started to move away. Some of them even bowed to the seraph, touching the ends of his cloak. If the seraph noticed the touches, he didn’t react to them, he was solely focused on Sorey.

It took the emperor a moment to look at the seraph, but Sorey just smiled at him. The two of them holding a quiet conversation before Sorey stepped away. He made a quick apology to the people before walking back over to her.

Sorey gave her a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I wanted to make sure that things were going as planned. The council has been…less than helpful at times.”

“They can be that way.” Alisha sighed, looking back over her shoulder as the people went back to their business.

They all seemed happy enough. It wasn’t as good as it could have been, but she had seen the effort. In front of Pendrago there had been a few fields that already had crops growing, but more fields had been prepared. That was a start at least.

Alisha tucked her gloves into her belt, looking around at the city. It was nothing like Ladylake.

Pendrago felt heavier than the former capital of Hyland. The buildings were high, heavy and dark. But it wasn’t horrible or overwhelming. If anything the city felt old and lived in. Even the soldiers on the wall weren’t threatening. Alisha eyed one of the fluttering red banners before looking back at the emperor. She was suddenly struck by how much he didn’t look like the other emperors that she had seen portraits of, he didn’t have the same hardness in his face and jaw.

She cleared her throat, glancing ahead at where the seraph was walking, his fingers still rubbing at his neck. Alisha looked back at Sorey, stepping a bit closer to him. “So, why did you bring me out here?”

“I thought you might like to see the city. Not the royal buildings, but the people. But mostly I wanted to get away from the palace. The council would want to meet you, and you might get the wrong impression.” Sorey stretched his arms above his head, holding them up for a moment. “And I wanted to start with a good understanding between the two of us. And maybe your advice.”

“My advice?”

Sorey nodded. “I’ve heard about you from travelling around. Some of the villages deep in the empire would pray that the seraphim would bring you, because that meant that the empire would be in retreat. Instead, they got me.”

“I don’t think that they were that disappointed.”

Sorey shrugged, his gaze darting to the side. Alisha made a note of that, because there was a story there and one that she would have to ferret out.

Alisha rubbed her hands together, looking around the city. “So, what have you done so far?”

Sorey brightened at the question, his eyes practically sparkling when he turned to look at her. “I’ve started to disassemble the army. Not all at once because I need to make sure that things are settled, although most of them just want a plot of land and there is plenty of that to go around. It’s just a matter of getting them out there.

“I’ve also tried to start something to feed the people, because the harvest is going to be tiny this year. I don’t even have a surplus waiting for us if things go badly.”

Alisha watched Sorey out of the corner of her eye. “You’re basically saying that you’re weak to attack.”

Sorey shrugged. “We have been for a while, we’ve just managed to last this long. But I don’t think that your side is any better.”

Alisha nodded, looking away. “So we’re both at a disadvantage here.”

“Yes, but I’d prefer not to base the talks around that. I want this to be a coming together on even ground. Peace has been tried before, but it was always secondary to trying to one up each other, which is why it’s never worked. I think the two of us might have a better chance this time.”

Alisha smiled at him, but she couldn’t help being wary. Everything seemed too good to be true. But she wanted it to be true so badly. She was tired of war, and it looked like the young emperor was just as tired as she was. She looked him up and down before looking over at the seraph. “What about him?”

“Mikleo?” Sorey’s hand dropped to his sword, his fingers touching the jewel on the pommel. “He’s not…we have a separate promise. I’m helping him look for something.”

His hand closed around the sword, but he didn’t draw it. “But I promise that it’s not like the weapons. Mikleo would kill me if I tried.”

It wasn’t the best answer and Alisha doubted that Sorey would elaborate. Still, she would have to watch the two of them to make sure that Sorey was telling the truth. Being the emperor made him powerful enough, Alisha didn’t want to consider how much more power that Sorey would gain by abusing the promise that he had made with a seraph.

Alisha sighed and gave up watching Mikleo for clues. She tapped her fingers against the side of her leg. “And Hyland?”

“I don’t know much about it, which is why I’m glad you’re here. After all, you’re the one who knows the most about the country and how to put it back together.”

She blushed at the praise. “I don’t know about that…”

“Well, I don’t know much about ruling, but I know what has to be done. And that what counts.” Sorey took a deep breath. “And maybe, if we do everything right, the seraphim might come back. It won’t solve everything, but it could help. Just like getting rid of the malevolence might help as well, but we need a Shepherd for that.”

Alisha’s heart sped up. She didn’t think that the news of Michael or Rose had ever gotten out. Rose was too new and Michael had always been so careful not to attract attention. If the empire had known about either of them, Alisha was sure that it would have come after them. But that was the old empire, because the other emperors would have never worked like this with a seraph.

She gave Sorey a sideways glance before speaking up. “I may know someone who can help with that.”

“Really?”

“They’re actually more like rumors.”

“Rumors are better than nothing. If you have someone who can help with the malevolence then they can help with the seraphim. The malevolence might be too strong for them and some of them might have already turned. I’m not sure of how many, Mikleo hasn’t told me and I haven’t pushed.” Sorey sighed and shook his head. “If the rumors turn out to be true, then I might have to ask for their help. I don’t think that Mikleo and I can do it on our own.”

“After we’re done with the talks, I’ll see if the rumors are true. If they are, then maybe they could take the weapons.”

“I’ll have to ask Mikleo about it. He’s very protective of them. I don’t even know if Mikleo will let them go.”

Alisha stared up at the seraph, taking the time to look back at Sorey. He was surprised at the look that the emperor was giving Mikleo.

She was well aware of what else the seraphim had been used for and about the stories that were passed around about the seraphim. They were rumors that General Landon had kept a seraph, which was just one of the reasons that she was glad that he hadn’t survived the attack on Ladylake. Alisha pondered the relationship between Mikleo and Sorey before shoving the thought away. Mikleo himself hadn’t seemed sure of the new emperor, which just made two of them. They were just three people unsure of themselves then, but at least they were being open with each other.

Alisha sighed, looking at the houses as they stretched towards the north gate. There was no point in dragging things out. She was sure that Rose would have wanted her to do more research, but Alisha was more than willing to go out on a limb.

“Sorey.” The emperor paused, looking back at her. She jerked her head back to the palace. “I think we should begin.”

Sorey nodded and turned back toward her. He stopped in front of her, holding out his hand. “It’ll be a pleasure working with you.”

She reached out to clasp his hand and shake it, meaning every word she spoke. “And you too.”

* * *

Mikleo leaned back in his chair, smiling as he saw Alisha stand up. Whatever the general had been saying had been abruptly cut short by the motion. Mikleo bit his lip to hide his amusement, watching as Alisha ripped into them.

It was something to watch her work, because she could cow the entire council with her words. It was something that Sorey just couldn’t do, although not for a lack of trying.

Mikleo looked over at the emperor, Sorey too caught up in the debate to notice Mikleo’s attention. Mikleo was fine with that. For some reason, all of Sorey’s looks had been doing something to him, a slow heat that rolled through his stomach. It was easy enough to ignore, but Mikleo wanted the chance to watch without the distractions.

He dropped his hand from his face, leaning his chin on it as he watched Alisha continue on. It was obvious that she felt comfortable in her work, even her posture confirmed that. It was something that had to have been taught, something that Sorey just didn’t have, although he could have learned it. He could have been raised as a prince, but that might have changed him too much. And Mikleo would have still been on the mountain.

Alisha sat down again, the General Alexsei leaning forward. “I understand your concern, but there is no way we can give Hyland back. Our people will starve without the crops that Hyland can grow.”

“That’s not true.” Sorey spoke up from his chair. He fixed the general with a glare. “There’s plenty of time to get an extra harvest in. It might be a stretch but we can do it. We just need more manpower for it.”

“But we can’t just deplete our army like that!”

“We have to. It’s that or starve.”

“Then we’ll starve!”

Mikleo saw Sorey jerk in his seat. The rest of the generals were quick to hold the general back. General Vortigern was quick to bow to Sorey. “He’s always been quick to anger, your highness. He doesn’t mean anything by it.”

“He does or he wouldn’t say it.” Sorey gripped the arms of his chair tightly before shaking his head. “And I doubt that any of you agree with me. But this is happening.”

“Sire, we just believe that this will end the empire.”

“Going forward like you want _will_ end the empire.” Sorey looked around the room before turning towards Alisha. “How is Hyland doing this year?”

Alisha shook her head. “We’ll be in the same straits as you are. They’ll be enough, but no extra.”

“So we’re going to have to be self-sufficient.”

“But they’re ours!” Alexsei struggled to get up out of the chair, Mikleo tensing when he saw some of the others starting to let him go. They were obviously getting as tired of the talks as Alexsei was. From the way that Sorey shifted, he noticed it too.

Mikleo raised his hands slightly, ready to take action, but Sorey moved faster than him. Sorey stood up, mimicking Alisha’s position. “Even if it is, I will not allow anyone to starve. We won’t be pulling resources from Hyland, so we have to make do with what we have. So we’ll have to use the army since we’re no longer at war.”

Alexsei hissed but allowed himself to be shoved back into his seat. Mikleo watched the general for a moment, playing with the feather on the front of his cloak. When Alexsei showed no signs of continuing his outburst, Mikleo turned his glare to the other side of the council table where the members of the church were sitting.

They all looked neutral, although that was probably a ploy. They would get angry enough when they finally got around to dealing with the church. And that would be something to watch.

He grinned to himself, the expression faltering when he saw the way that the cardinal was looking at him. It was her usual covetous look, but there was something else about it this time. Mikleo shivered and leaned back in his chair, surprised by his reaction. Something in him was repulsed, but something in him was interested, which made him uncomfortable. Mikleo shifted to look at Sorey, watching the emperor instead of the cardinal.

Sorey sighed and sunk back into his chair. He shifted in place, throwing a glance at Alisha and Mikleo before shaking his head. “Nothing about this will change and we’re only asking you because it’s how this government is run, but I am not above ignoring that.”

“You can’t!”

“I can. The council was only established to rule the empire while the emperor was at war. We are no longer at war.”

“But you know nothing about this empire.”

“I can learn.” Sorey narrowed his eyes. “And I know more about the people than you ever will. So, your choices are this. You can help us, or you can leave.”

Alexsei huffed and got up from his seat. He stormed towards the door only to stop when he realized that no one was following him. Mikleo raised a hand to wave to the young man, grinning when the general sputtered and left the room.

The room was silent for a moment, all of the council either staring at the door or at Sorey. In the end, it was Alisha was broke the silence.

She cleared her throat. “I think we’ll call it a day now that we’ve established that. We’ll come back tomorrow to work on these problems.”

There was some sort of threat in her voice, one that made some of the council twitch. Mikleo watched them all carefully, trying to pick out who would be a problem. He doubted that General Alexsei would be back, and General Lucius looked like he would be joining him. The two oldest generals might stay because they believed they could wait Sorey out. Mikleo doubted that it would happen, because they didn’t know Sorey.

He turned his head slightly to look at the priests without looking at the cardinal. They all looked flustered, probably since they couldn’t decide which side to support, but at least they were still there, although that didn’t mean that they liked what Sorey was doing. Plenty of them had been looking at Sorey’s sword like they wanted to snatch it away, probably because they thought that he was being kept in there. It was enough to make Mikleo wonder why they wanted to get their hands on him so badly.

Mikleo hummed and rubbed at his neck, his fingers seeking out the same sore spot near his jaw. He pressed against the spot, the pressure relieving the soreness for a while, not that the relief lasted long. Mikleo explored the sore spot, feeling a slight swelling. It could have been from when the earth seraph had destroyed the crate and the vessels but there were no scratches and he couldn’t remember anything hitting him. Sorey had protected him from that.

He curled his fingers against his skin at the thought, surprised at the fissions of heat down his spine. Mikleo swallowed and dropped his hand away from his neck. He glanced at Sorey out of the corner of his eye, looking the human over.

Sorey was slightly slumped in his seat, obviously exhausted by the arguments with the council. Mikleo doubted that the meeting would have dragged on if Sorey hadn’t been so blunt, but Mikleo couldn’t imagine Sorey being anything else. He was surprised by the fondness that came with the thought. Mikleo shook his head, almost amused by the emotion. He had obviously been around the human for too long. Mikleo would have to watch out for that, because he wasn’t about to be lulled into a false sense of security because of Sorey. The emperor might be trustworthy but as far as Mikleo was concerned, no other human was.

He stood up as the councilors started to walk out of the room, tempted to growl to hurry them along. If they weren’t going to help then they could leave. He didn’t care if they all left and never come back. The problem would be that they would try to go after Sorey, which meant more work for him. He flexed his fingers, surprised that they hadn’t curled into claws. Mikleo stared at his hands before reaching up to scratch as his arms.

It didn’t relieve the itch, but it just drew his attention to the sensation that his skin was too tight. He hissed and looked down at his arms. Nothing had changed, at least not visibly. He reached up to touch the swollen places at the edge of his jaw. Mikleo pressed against his again before giving the council room one last glance.

He took a deep breath, catching the familiar scent of old paper and dust that came from Sorey. It was nothing like what he got from the generals, armor polish and iron, or the priests, incense and lavender. He was even different than Alisha, who smelled like iron and meadow flowers. The first thing that came to mind when he smelled Sorey was a scholar, not an emperor. He ran his hands down his arms, considering the both of them.

Alisha had not wavered during the talk, which had been wonderful to watch. The council had always needed to be taken down a notch, and it had been something that Sorey hadn’t managed. He would always get flustered and try to just argue his point again. It was a shame because Sorey was just getting himself in trouble. If Sorey didn’t have to spend so long wrangling his council, then he could focus on the pressing problem of the seraphim. Or maybe they could make progress if they got a better council.

Either way, that was Sorey’s problem.

Mikleo pushed away from the table, walking for the door. He had hoped that he would be able to get out of the room without a comment, but he only made it halfway across the room when Sorey called to him.

“Mikleo?”

He turned towards Sorey, shaking his head at the worried look that Sorey gave him. “It’s nothing.”

“You sure?”

He nodded absently, touching the sections of cape that hung over his arms. Mikleo play with the ties, not actually intended to tie them out of the way. He let the strings slip through his fingers. He was about to turn and leave when he saw Sorey’s eyes widen. Mikleo froze as Sorey sniffed at the air, the confusion in his eyes quickly turning to understanding. The look made Mikleo want to curl into his cloak or strip out of it.

He gripped the sleeves of the cloak, watching as Sorey flinched and looked away. Mikleo was glad of that, he hadn’t trusted himself under that gaze.

He had known that Sorey was an alpha, he’d smelled it on him when the human had climbed up to Elysia, but it hadn’t been a problem. Mikleo hadn’t been thinking about anything but the chance of revenge.

He swallowed and took a step back, his gaze darting over to where Alisha was sitting. She had the same wide-eyed look that Sorey had had, Mikleo taking a step back in the face of the focus of another alpha. He looked between the two alphas, about to just turn and run when Alisha cleared her throat and looked away. “S-sorry. If you need to go…”

“No.” They both spoke at the same time, Sorey the one to look down and blush. Mikleo cleared his throat, trying to gather himself together. It was hard with the cloying scents of two alphas in the room. He shook his head, trying not to breathe too deeply.

“You’re both busy. I’ll just go.”

Mikleo was sure that Sorey would have called him back if he had hesitated, and he didn’t want that. He didn’t want any humans close to him, not even the one that he almost trusted. The thought of any hands on him made his skin crawl, but he couldn’t deny that some part of him wanted it.

He ducked his head and walked quickly through the hall, heading for his room. He felt some of the human’s attention flick over to him. Mikleo didn’t dare look at them, not when it would call their attention closer. Mikleo wasn’t confident that they would respect his station, not when he was a seraph. If anything, more people would approach him until he did something about it, and Mikleo was sure that Sorey wouldn’t like it if he ate someone.

Mikleo shivered and ducked into his room, shutting the door behind him with a sigh. He leaned against it for a moment before reaching up to undo the clasp of his cape. He sighed in relief as it slid off his shoulders. Mikleo left the cape pooled at the door as he made his way over to the bed.

The insatiable need hadn’t started yet, but Mikleo knew that it would be coming. He’d been through enough heats on his own to know what it felt like and what would happen. The events of the morning might have distracted him from the signs, but they’d been there all day. Mikleo was just glad that he’d made it through the first meeting and that Alisha had gotten to Pendrago. At least there was someone who would keep Sorey from getting killed while he was busy. The thought didn’t cause him to worry as much as it should, but at least he wouldn’t have to think about it for much longer.

Mikleo sank down onto the bed, brushing his fingers over his circlet before removing it. He settled it on the bedside table. He stared at it for a moment before reaching behind him to undo the ties of his corset.

The knot was easy enough to pull free, Mikleo taking a deep breath as it slipped from him. He’d never tied it too tightly, never enough to hurt, but it had been gratifying in a way to see the way Sorey had reacted to seeing him in it, the way that his fingers always twitched like he wanted to reach out and grab onto his waist. Mikleo trailed his hands over his waist before leaning over to strip his boots off. They were kicked away from the bed, Mikleo twitching as the heat truly hit.

His stomach rolled as a shiver ran down his spine. Mikleo bit back a curse, digging his nails into his palms. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down even as the slick started leaking out of him. Mikleo lifted his hands up to grip at his arms, fighting against the heat for a moment before giving in.

He fell back on the bed, pulling his shirt over his head. The silk was sandpaper rough as it ran over his oversensitive skin. He gasped as it brushed against his chest. Mikleo arched into the brief touch, clutching the shirt against him for a moment before throwing it somewhere behind him. He reached for his pants, struggling with the belts there before he managed to slide them off. Then he was gloriously bare, only the irritation of the sheets keeping him from fully relaxing.

Mikleo grumbled and shifted up the bed until he was lying against the pillows. He hummed and nuzzled his face into them, breathing in his own scent. He absently ran his fingers over his arms, feeling goosebumps rise up in the wake of his touch. Mikleo took a few deep breaths, relaxing slowly as his senses calmed.

There were no other scents in the room save for his own, which meant that he was safe. It was secure and it was familiar. Up in Elysia it had always been the crisp mountain air and whatever body of water he had gone to. There wasn’t water close by, but Mikleo didn’t need the touch of his element, just being alone was more than enough. He took a deep breath of his own scent, his hands sliding down his chest. His breath hitched as one of his hands brushed over a nipple. Mikleo was tempted to linger on the spot, whimpering as he scraped his nails over his skin.

He spread his legs, rocking his hips up as one of his hands roamed down his body. He felt more slick leak out of him, Mikleo moaning as the driving urge hit him.

He needed to be fucked. To be filled.

Mikleo tipped his head back, bucking his hips up, but he kept his hands firmly on his stomach. He lifted his head to look down his body. Mikleo licked his lips, finally sliding one hand to touch his half-hard cock.

He muttered a curse, his breathing speeding up as he started to stroke himself. The dry drag of his hand was almost on the edge of painful, but it was perfect. Mikleo bucked up into his hand, dragging his fingers up to where precome was starting to leak from the tip of his cock. It still wasn’t enough to be comfortable. Mikleo whimpered before sliding his hand further down his body, teasing them along his inner thigh. His breathing sped up, Mikleo tempted to just push his fingers into himself and ride them until he was satisfied, but that wouldn’t help.

He had done that during his first heat, drunk on the pleasure that had rolled through him. But it hadn’t helped, the insistent need had returned worse than ever. Teasing an orgasm out of himself seemed to help soothe the need longer.

Mikleo dragged his fingers close to his hole. They slipped in his slick, Mikleo shifting his hips impatiently. He compromised by curling the fingers of his free hand around his cock, his hips rocking slightly. He bit his lip to keep quiet, his teeth sliding free a moment later as he twisted his hand around his cock. He rocked his hips up into his hand before rocking them back down.

This time, he allowed himself to slip a finger into himself. Mikleo moaned as he rocked onto his finger. He quickly slipped another one in, aching for the stretch that would mean that he was full. He tipped his head further back, closing his eyes as he gave himself over to the motion of pleasuring himself.

The stretch inside of him felt so good, Mikleo gasping for breath with each push. He twisted his hand, trying to find that one spot inside of him. It was hard when he was lying on his back, Mikleo shifting his shaking legs. He could go up onto his knees, then he would be able to really bear down on his fingers. He’d been able to get them deeper and right where he needed them. But that would mean pulling his fingers out. He clenched around them, pushing his hips down hard.

Mikleo barely bit down on a shout when his fingers brushed across his prostate. He rocked back greedily, his mouth falling open as he shifted his hand into the perfect position. He got a shaky grip on his cock, pumping it in time to the thrust of his fingers.

Soft sounds escaped him as he lost himself to his heat. It felt good, so good but possibly not good enough. Mikleo slipped a third finger in, stretching himself roughly to chase after a need. He wanted something wider, something heftier. He wanted someone’s weight over him, someone’s teeth nipping at his neck or biting down on his scent glands to ease the ache.

He turned onto his side, biting down on the pillows as he neared completion. Mikleo could almost imagine hands guiding his hips and the hard push of a dick inside of him. Mikleo was sure that he felt a breath against the back of his neck just before an imagined hand swept the sweaty bangs away from his face.

The tender touch was too much, Mikleo shouting as he came hard to the image of green eyes. He jerked, feeling come splatter on his chest. Mikleo bit his lips, grinding back on his fingers, chasing the feeling of a knot. It was a futile attempt, but he had to try because he needed the knot just as much as he needed to be filled. Mikleo twisted his head to look behind him, whining before pulling his fingers from himself.

He flinched at the stickiness on his fingers, Mikleo wiping them on the sheets instead of conjuring water with his artes. Mikleo rolled away from the wet spot that he had made, pressing his face against the pillow.

After an orgasm was always the worst because he was empty and cold. He draped an arm over his stomach, careful to avoid the come drying there.

He pressed his fingers against his skin, letting his eyes fall shut as his breathing slowed down. Mikleo huffed and tried to get comfortable. It wasn’t hard with the lethargy that he felt and the comfort of the bed. He stroked his fingers over his skin, smiling vaguely at the pretend feeling of someone snuggled close to his back. If he couldn’t get a knot, then maybe that might be enough to soothe some of the ache that he still felt. If he tried, he could almost make himself believe that there was something holding him, someone who smelled of old books and dust. Someone with green eyes.

Mikleo’s eyes shot open. He sat up and scooted to the end of the bed like that would get him away from what he had imagined. He barely stopped himself from falling off the edge, Mikleo swaying in place with his fingers curled around the edge of the mattress. Of all the things to imagine, he hadn’t meant for it to be Sorey. He hadn’t meant to imagine anyone in particular, just something to ease the emptiness that he felt.

He raised a shaking hand to his face, rubbing his eyes. It was a shock, but it didn’t mean anything. Sorey was one of the alphas that he interacted the most with, nothing more. Besides, heats always did strange things to him and he knew better then to think too hard about what happened when he wasn’t thinking straight. But that didn’t calm him down, because now he was stuck with the idea of Sorey curled up around him, of Sorey taking him.

Mikleo glanced at the cloak that was still in a pile on the floor. He shivered at the sight of the feather, dragging his knees up to his chest.

Thinking about someone during a heat wasn’t strange, but he didn’t want to be thinking about any humans. He didn’t want anyone to be touching him. Mikleo rubbed his arms, shivering when he felt the faint stirrings of arousal again. Mikleo swallowed and looked down at himself, but he couldn’t move his hands from his arms, not when there was a chance that he would think about Sorey. He didn’t want that, not when it would startle him every time.

He growled and tipped forward onto the pillows. He dug his fingers into his skin as he felt his cock twitch. Mikleo gritted his teeth, bracing himself against the urge to touch himself. He wouldn’t not until he was sure that he wouldn’t come with the scent of dust and old books in his nose and the image of green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sorunrun ](http://sorunrun.tumblr.com/) sent me this beautiful piece of Mikleo when I originally posted a snippet of this fic on tumblr back in November: [here](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/153424204844/mikleo-watched-them-all-carefully-trying-to-pick)


	8. Chapter 6

“…let him be plagued in war by a nation proud in arms…  
let him grovel for help and watch his people die  
a shameful death! And then, once he has bowed down  
to an unjust peace, may he never enjoy his realm  
…let him die   
before his day…”  
- _The Aenied_ , Virgil

* * *

 

Sergei rested his hand on the pommel of his sword as he strode through the halls. He tried to appear unhurried, not wanting to send the palace staff into a frenzy. Everyone was already on edge because of Alisha’s presence, although Sergei wasn’t sure what frightened the people in the palace more; the fact that the council hated her or that the people loved her. Sergei was more inclined to believe the latter, although he didn’t see it as a problem.

It was obvious that the people were tired of the war and the privations that came with it, so it was only right that the emperor and council listened to them. Sergei had heard the Royal Guard grumbling about it, about how it was a loss of glory and how they didn’t understand how the Platinum Knights could be content with the order. Sergei had kept silent because he didn’t think that they would like the answer.

The Platinum Knights had been created to fight, but they had been created specifically to protect the people. If the people wanted the war to stop, then Sergei only saw one solution for him and the others knights. They had to obey the whims of the people.

Which was why he had been following the peace talks carefully.

There were many times that he had wanted to step in, but it was far beyond him and up to Sorey and Alisha. And the two of them seemed to be holding their own well enough. It had only been two days since Alisha had arrived and they had already argued the council down to something like the start of a treaty. Sergei was sure that the two of them could manage to talk the council down further.

That was if he could find Sorey.

Sergei huffed, drumming his fingers against the pommel of his sword. He was used to not knowing where Sorey was, the emperor was always in motion between showing Alisha around the city, meeting with his people, inspecting the land around Pendrago and going to the library for research. Sergei wouldn’t have faulted him on it, save for the fact that Sorey never took a guard with him. Sorey might have been confident that the people wouldn’t hurt him, but there were plenty of others weren’t so happy with his rise to power. And he didn’t even have Mikleo trailing behind him to deter the council from acting. The seraph wasn’t as intimidating when he was in heat, but Sergei couldn’t think of anyone who was.

As it was, Mikleo would be out of commission for another two days at least. Personally, Sergei always felt shaky the first day after his heat because it was disorienting to come back out of that state. He didn’t know if heats affected seraphim the same way, but he was almost willing to bet that Mikleo wouldn’t be in any state to look after Sorey, if the seraph was even inclined to. From what he had seen, Mikleo was just in Pendrago to take care of his own business, whatever that was. The seraph was not forthcoming about it.

He paused at the corridor down to Mikleo’s room, wrinkling his nose at the scent of an omega in heat. It wasn’t particularly alluring, at least not to him. Sergei reached up to rub at his nose, trying to clear the scent from it. It didn’t help, but he had at least tried. He pressed his sleeve to his nose to block most of the smell, focusing on the corridor itself. Some part of him hoped that the pattern that had been established in the past few days would be broken, but that might have been hoping for too much.

Sorey was an alpha; a young alpha in the presence of an omega in heat. An omega that he had an arrangement with. Sergei wasn’t completely sure of the full nature of the arrangement, but he was sure that it was nothing like Sorey had been to the omegas of the Platinum Knights. Nothing with the Platinum Knights had been sexual, it had all been for comfort.

Sergei lowered his arm, watching as Sorey shifted where he sat on the floor. He shuffled to the next paper that was on his lap, rolling his shoulder forward to catch the sword that was resting against it. He reached up to readjust the sword, not bothering to look away from the papers. The only sign that he was aware of the omega in heat in the room across from him was the way that Sorey twitched at something that sounded suspiciously like a moan.

Sergei watched as Sorey resettled himself, seeing the effort that it took Sorey to focus. Sorey shuffled is papers around for a moment, shaking his head. Sergei doubted that Sorey could really focus, the scent was too thick.

He cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow when Sorey reached for his sword before bothering to look at who was there. It was little less insulting that Sorey didn’t growl at him, but Sorey had always been a laid back alpha.

The frustration left Sorey’s face when he saw Sergei. He gave Sergei a weary smile, gathering up his papers. “Is it that time already?”

Sergei nodded, watching as Sorey packed up his small camp. He frowned when he saw Sorey look back at the door before coming down the hall towards him. Sorey wrapped his sword belt around his waist, holding it in place before taking a deep breath. Sergei doubted that it would help, this side of the palace was soaked with Mikleo’s scent. Then again, it could have just been bad this time around because the seraph was surrounded by alphas. Sergei wasn’t even sure how long Mikleo had lived on that mountain, for all he knew this could have been Mikleo’s first time around any alphas.

He wiped at his nose again, giving up when it didn’t help wipe away the cloying scent. Sergei huffed and looked back at Sorey, surprised to see the emperor frowning. Considering what he had been sitting in, he should have been floating on a kind of high.

Sorey shuffled through his papers with a sigh before tucking them under his arm. Sorey shook his head and started walking towards the council room. Sergei fell into step beside him, glancing at the papers. “What’s been keeping you up?”

“Reports.” The answer came with a sheepish smile, one that meant that Sorey was trying to lie.

Sergei stared at Sorey for a moment before jerking his head back to the corridor. “Mikleo can take care of himself.”

“I know, but it makes me feel better.” Sorey ran a hand through his hair. “No one will bother me there.”

That was another lie, but one that Sergei was willing to let pass. There was a time and a place to confront Sorey on what he was doing with the seraph, but that wasn’t now. It was enough that Sorey obviously wasn’t using the seraph for his own purposes, the rest could wait.

He looked at the papers again, seeing the top of a report on the food distribution that Sorey had ordered for Pendrago and the villages. It was a huge endeavor, certainly enough to frustrate Sorey. Sergei gave up on reading the papers, looking ahead as they made their way through the palace. “What’s the matter with them?”

“Everything.” Sorey sighed. “And nothing. The food is taking a while to reach the outer villages but the system is working, everything that I’ve gotten says as much. There are delays with the army at the border and with the weapons coming back from the known depots. And there aren’t as weapons as I expected.”

“The count could have been inflated, I couldn’t put it past some of the council. I’ve seen some of those numbers and I don’t believe that there were that many seraphim in the world.”

“Maybe.” Sorey played with the edge of the papers before shaking his head. “Even then the numbers are so low, and I don’t even have the numbers of weapons that have been destroyed. No one bothered to write it down.”

Sergei hummed in agreement, but he didn’t comment. There was nothing that he could add that would be helpful. It was a relief that Sorey didn’t press him for anything else. His mind was probably on the upcoming meeting or back with Mikleo.

He frowned, making sure to keep his head turned away so Sorey couldn’t see his expression. He doubted that Cardinal Forton had been right about Sorey when they had spoken the night of Sorey’s coronation. Sorey wasn’t beguiled by Mikleo. If he had been, he would have been in Mikleo’s room. If the opposite was true, Mikleo wouldn’t have been so standoffish. By all appearances, it was exactly what Sorey had always told him, the two of them had their own agreement and nothing more. Whatever that was, it wasn’t hurting either of them and it had at least been useful when they had fought Lyte.

Sergei watched Sorey out of the corner of his eye, nothing the changes that he could see. Sorey looked more like an emperor, far better than his first few days when he had seemed lost in the palace. There was confidence there, and it had nothing to do with Mikleo. If anything, it had everything to do with Alisha.

Alisha couldn’t have come at a better time. Sorey might not have ever gone to any of his lessons in his childhood, but he was learning now. Just the day before they had managed to argue the council down to not using any resources from Hyland. It wasn’t a total withdraw, but it was a step forward, especially when it meant that Sorey would be getting his workforce to try and get a second harvest. With the way things were going, they would have a peace treaty in no time.

Sergei stepped in front of Sorey as they got to the council room. He reached out to open the doors, getting a nod from Sorey as the emperor walked into the room.

The council stood up immediately, Sergei watching as they reacted to Mikleo’s scent on Sorey. Sergei would have thought that they might have been used to it by now. Sergei couldn’t remember a time in the past two days when he _hadn’t_ smelled like Mikleo. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that they were mated. Certainly half the population of Pendrago thought it. To them it was the emperor and his seraph consort, a sign that they were blessed. Sergei couldn’t see that but, then again, they didn’t know Mikleo like he did. To them, Sorey without Mikleo by his side was wrong, but it was the opposite for him. Sorey seemed to bloom when the seraph wasn’t around.

He fell into his usual place behind Sorey’s chair, purposefully not looking at the chair that Mikleo usually occupied. He was there to watch the war come to an end, not worry about one seraph. Sergei dropped his hand from his sword, scanning over the council as they sat down.

It was much the same as it had been, save that there were three generals now, but they all looked attentive at least. Grudgingly so, but attentive. A few of them were shuffling papers around, Sergei trying to read them before giving up as Sorey took the floor.

Surprisingly, Sorey didn’t start with the reports that he’d been worrying over, he plowed forward with the treaty. “You’ve all had the time we agreed on to look over the treaty terms. Now we’re going to discuss them. But, if you can’t talk, then you are dismissed permanently.”

The council took a collective breath, but no one moved to get up. Even General Vortigern just ducked his head, his fingers running down the list of terms. His fingers twitched like he was reaching for something before he stopped himself. Sergei curled his hand, keeping still when he saw the rim of spectacles peeking out of the general’s pocket.

Vortigern remained still for a moment longer before shaking his head. “I can’t fault what you’re asking of us. It’s all standard procedure.” The last part was said with a wince, but his expression smoothed out quickly. “But the timings, your highness…they’re very tight.”

“Are you saying that you can’t do it?”

Vortigern shook his head, seeming to fumble for words. The general glanced around the room, his gaze falling on Alisha. He regarded her for a moment, slumping with relief when Alisha nodded slowly.

The princess shifted forward in her chair, resting her hands on the table. “What are you thinking?”

“The demilitarization is acceptable. But there are other things that could cause problems.”

“Such as?”

“The food distribution. Give it to the border guards. We can cut down the number but use the men there instead of throwing them out into the world.”

Sorey remained still, his gaze darting to the side where Alisha sat. The two of them considered each other for a long moment before Sorey shrugged. It was a fair compromise, but one that Sergei felt was offered too easily. It could have been that the generals were exhausted by the constant struggle or it was a last grab for power. As far as Sergei was concerned, it would be harmless enough to taken advantage of their surrender.

Sorey and Alisha came to a decision, the two of them nodding. Alisha was the one to speak up. “As long as the numbers remain low, Hyland will allow it.”

Some of the council winced at the mention of Hyland, but they kept silent. Sergei watched them all carefully, shifting when Vortigern looked up. “The numbers will remain the same as we previously agreed. Most the army is made out of older men anyway. It’s long past the time to let them retire, if the terms remain the same.”

Sorey was quick to nod. “I’m not out to punish them. They’ll get rewarded for the service they’ve done.”

Vortigern went silent again, Sergei narrowing his eyes. The old general had always been bombastic. He could have just been tired but Sergei doubted that it would be that easy. No one on the council had kept their spots through seven different rulers by giving in easily. Sergei had had enough problems keeping his own position when the emperor had wanted to change something about the Platinum Knights. If the council members were being quiet and giving in, it was only because they were waiting to see where they would be given room to maneuver.

He flexed his fingers by his side, purposefully not reaching for his sword. Any motion towards it would be giving himself away, and that would make things harder for Sorey and Alisha. It was obvious that he was already on their side. He had been since he had led the Platinum Knights off to help Sorey instead of keeping them in Pendrago.

Sergei glanced over at the side of the table that represented the church, not surprised that the two priests seemed to be gloating over the generals’ capitulations.

The church had always been at odds with the army on what to do with the empire. The fact that they weren’t arguing against what Sorey and Alisha were demanding was proof enough. Cardinal Forton was the only one who didn’t seem to be enjoying the cowing of the generals, she was just looking at Sorey, her nostrils flaring every once and a while. That was almost enough to get him to challenge her on it. He might have been wary of Mikleo, but her pointed interest was starting to get worrying.

Sergei turned his attention back to the generals as they shifted in place. All of them turned their gaze back to Vortigern. It was obvious that they had made him their leader, which was interesting.

Everyone on the council had always been disparate voices, which Sergei had always thought was annoying but maybe he had been wrong. Maybe it had been better when they couldn’t seem to agree on anything, because it meant that they were too busy interfering with each other to work against the emperor. Sorey and Alisha had managed to unite them, and Sergei couldn’t tell whether that was good or bad.

He shifted in place, watching as Vortigern worked up the courage to speak again. The old man reached for his spectacles, putting them on to squint at the papers. Vortigern curled over the papers, his lips moving as he read something to himself before he sat up again, shaking his head. “If I may, your highness, the matter of the weapons we still couldn’t agree on.”

Sergei saw Sorey tense out of the corner of his eye. The emperor rocked forward before he stopped, his hands just braced on the table. “What part of it couldn’t you agree on?”

“Finding the weapons is one thing.” Vortigern waved his hand like he was dismissing the problem as a small one instead of the massive undertaking that it probably was, like the emperor and generals hadn’t been making secret stockpiles of weapons for years. “But you are insistent on making them useless.”

“As part of an agreement with Hyland.” Sorey hesitated for a moment, obviously working through what he had to say and how he should say it. Sergei couldn’t help but smile when Sorey took a deep breath, watching as he carefully picked out his words. “Hyland has offered some of the ores they mine in return for every seraphic weapon that they destroy outside of our trade agreement. And releasing the militia units of the army will allow us to go back into weapon production, but not beyond the limits established by the treaty. We won’t be making ourselves defenseless.”

Vortigern nodded along with Sorey, his impatience showing by the way the motion sped up the longer when Sorey went on. He sighed when Sorey was done, quick to slow his nodding into something more respectful. “I understand that, but I don’t understand why we must hold the weapons until a suitable person is found to take care of them. Isn’t that just giving them weapons to wage war on us?”

“What?” Alisha stared at him in shock. “Why would Hyland do that?”

Vortigern shrugged, some of his old vigor returning to his face. “I don’t mean to imply that _you_ will encourage wars, but there will be others. The empire and Hyland don’t have a peaceful history with each other. Eventually someone will get ideas about what they should do to get revenge.” The general was quick to hold up his hand. “I don’t mean to insult anyone, but it’s just human nature. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you see humans at their worst.”

Alisha clenched her jaw, Sergei fully expecting to hear her teeth grinding against each other, but she held herself still. Sorey just barely followed her lead, Sergei seeing the aborted motion that Sorey made towards his sword before he thought better of it. Sergei shifted closer to Sorey, hoping that the emperor would see it as a sign to remain still.

It was a bait, one last attempt by the generals to get them to break. Alisha saw it plainly enough, because she just shook her head and sat back in her chair. Sergei watched the fall of her hair over her shoulder for a moment before he snapped his attention back to the situation at hand.

While she didn’t acknowledge what Vortigern had said, she looked interested at least. “If you don’t want to send the weapons to Hyland, then what do you want to do?”

Vortigern shifted, caught off guard by the concession. He had probably expected her to try and argue. Sorey certainly would have, and it still looked like he was still looking for his chance.

Sorey was leaning forward in his chair, ready to jump in if Vortigern started to push the conversation in the wrong direction. Sergei just hoped that Sorey would give him enough warning to stop him from doing anything that he would regret. For the moment, it looked that he wouldn’t have to act because Vortigern was stumbling over what he should say.

Finally the old general shook his head and rested his hands on his papers. “Certainly it would be easier to take care of the problem ourselves.”

Sorey and Alisha exchanged a quick glance, Sergei watching the two of them shift in place. If he were any less practiced at standing at attention for hours, he would have joined them.

He knew little about the seraphim; they had always existed on the edge of his world. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had seen one truly, aside from Mikleo. He was more used to them in the paintings in the shrinechurch or as flashes of power in the middle of battlefield. Sergei wasn’t even sure that there was a way to remove the seraphim from the weapons without shattering the weapons, but that usually led to the creation of hellions or dragons. The only ones that would know the true answer to those questions would be Mikleo - although Sergei doubted that the seraph would want to share anything with them - or the Shepherd. And he knew for sure that there hadn’t been a Shepherd since the last one had been killed at the fall of Camlann nearly twenty years ago.

Sergei glanced over at Sorey and Alisha, surprised by the way that Alisha looked nervous. She was the one that usually seemed to be in control of the situation but now she was messing with the gloves in her lap. For a moment, it looked like she was about to say something, but then she shook her head. Her gaze dropped back to the table, Alisha curling in on herself as silence fell.

Sergei watched her closely, fighting down his immediate reaction of suspicion. Alisha was a member of Hyland’s former royal family, but that was no reason to distrust her. She had walked into Pendrago without an escort and on what little safety that Sorey had been able to offer her so early in his reign. But her boldness had suddenly disappeared in the face of the question, and it was enough of a change that Sergei was finding himself considering that Alisha might be trying to get the weapons to Hyland on purpose. After all, it was because of the seraphic weapons that the empire had gained the upper hand in the war, especially after General Heldalf had bound Maotelus. Maybe what General Vortigern had been saying wasn’t too farfetched at all.

He reached down to loop his fingers into his belt, using the motion to keep himself from reacting too obviously. Initial reaction or not, he still trusted Sorey’s decision to continue talks with Alisha.

Sergei watched as Sorey glanced over at Alisha before he abruptly stood up and leaned on the table. It was obviously a position that he had copied from her, but Sergei doubted that the council noticed. They all leaned back in their seats, some of the glancing at the door like that were expecting Mikleo to barge in, heat or not. Sergei wouldn’t have been surprised if they were waiting for Mikleo to come in as a drake. The sight of a drake might not have been fresh in their minds, but Sergei was sure that none of the council would forget that or the easy way that Sorey had commanded Mikleo.

Sorey scanned over the table before nodding. “What alternatives do you propose?”

The council was just as taken aback by his question as by his sudden decision to stand. The generals seemed to fumble for words, and the priests were even less subtle, they were just staring at Sorey with their mouths hanging open. Even Cardinal Forton seemed to be shocked, but she recovered faster than the others, not that Sergei expected anything else from her. He narrowed his eyes as he watched her gather herself together, the cardinal leaning forward slightly to catch Sorey’s gaze.

“I think the fundamental problem is having the weapons travel. Bandits could get them and use them while saying they are fighting for Hyland. Certainly that would cause problems with the treaty. Besides, traveling with them would be inefficient. Certainly it would be easier to have a person focused on finding them out and fixing the problem there.” Cardinal Forton cleared her throat. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but there is a chance that the seraphim in the weapons could become dangerous.”

Sorey twitched at that, but he didn’t bother to say anything. Sergei watched the emperor out of the corner of his eye, waiting for something that would show that Sorey was about to snap. But Sorey held himself still, the only sign that he didn’t quite agree with the cardinal was the way that his mouth turned down.

His silence was enough of an encouragement for the cardinal. She smiled and leaned back in her chair, some of her old confidence back. “I’ve heard that there are certain ways to take care of hellions, mostly from legends of the Shepherd. But I haven’t heard of anyone like that in the main body of the empire or in Hyland.”

She flicked her gaze over to Alisha, Sergei following the glance. Alisha didn’t look up at the woman, instead just shaking her head quickly. Cardinal Forton hummed, the sound sending a shiver up Sergei’s spine, but she didn’t comment further.

Her fingers drummed against the table, the woman looking like she was thinking. Sergei doubted that it was anything but a front. If the cardinal had spoken up, it was because she had already come to a decision. She’d learned to be wary after the problems they’d had with the Pope disappearing. If she had wanted to keep her position, she’d had to be careful. Sergei didn’t blame her for her caution and careful planning, but it made her formidable, almost dangerously so.

Cardinal Forton leaned back in her chair, looking between the two of them before nodding. “Well, there’s one way I can see to settle the problem. Hyland can continue as we had agreed with the weapons that they found on their land. But why should we put the pressure on only one person? It seems like quite the job if we’re talking about taking care of all the malevolence. And it’s especially inefficient. Certainly, if we want Hyland to be acting as its own kingdom they should have their own choice as we should have ours. Maybe when the treaty is finalized on Hyland’s side they can work together but, until then, we might as well start taking care of the problem.”

She folded her hands on top of her papers, Sergei staring at her in awe. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that she was on Sorey’s side. As it was, she was playing her own game, but her game seemed to be aligning suspiciously well with what Sorey wanted.

He glanced over at Sorey, dipping his head slightly. Sorey met his gaze, the corner of his mouth twitching up. They had nothing to lose with following what the cardinal had said. If anything, it would help them both. As far as Sergei was concerned, there was nothing wrong with trying to appease the church a bit, especially when Sorey and Alisha had been pushing both the generals and the church for the last few days.

Sorey gave him a slight nod in return, although the smile quickly disappeared from his face. “There have been multiple Shepherds in the past…but they were always chosen after pulling the sacred sword free under Maotelus’ supervision. And no one knows where Maotelus is.”

“And the sacred sword is missing.” Alisha didn’t look up from her hands as she spoke. “It’s been gone since Ladylake fell.”

Sergei flinched at the reminder, but no one else seemed bothered. The cardinal even shrugged and focused on Sorey again. “I’m sure that there’s another ceremony, and one that would be suitable. Especially in times like this.”

Sorey made a concerned sound, but turned it in a cough. “I…I think that would be best, if Princess Alisha doesn’t have any objections.”

Alisha shook her head slowly. “No. Maybe it would be better to have more people working on this.” She swallowed and rested her hand on the table, speaking up again with the strength back in her voice. “It _would_ be better to include people on both sides, to foster better relations between the two countries. We can make do without the sacred sword, at least until it’s found or we come up with something different. What matters is that we clear the malevolence.”

Sergei glanced over at Alisha, trying to judge how much she had meant of that statement and how much she had made up to keep the meeting moving along. She was sitting up in her chair, looking resolute and attentive. He eyed her for a moment, turning his attention back to the council when his gaze started to wander. Sergei expected Alisha to keep a few secrets, after all peace hadn’t been formally announced. His attention was better kept on the council. They were the ones that he needed to keep an eye on after all.

He sighed and looked over the council. The generals all looked cowed again, like they had lost their last chance at winning a way around the peace terms being forced on them. Sergei caught the end of a smile when he looked over at the cardinal, but it was gone as soon as he focused on her. All the grace and poise that he had always thought of senior church officials as having was back as she gave the emperor a nod, like Sorey was the one who had given her permission to act. “I’ll look over the suitable candidates. I believe I could make it happen in a few days.”

Sergei raised an eyebrow, but kept silent. He expected something from either Sorey or Alisha, like a complaint about the time, but there was nothing. Alisha looked caught up in whatever had gotten her attention and Sorey was just beaming at the rest of the council. He was probably just glad that they had managed to push through something that could easily turned into an argument.

Sorey nodded and leaned forward, looking more like the old Sorey that Sergei had known. “Then let’s use this time to make sure that we have this thing finished. What better way to announce the end of the war with a new Shepherd?”

No one bothered to answer, but Sorey didn’t seem to notice. After all, the priests were smiling because they had won their concession. The generals would probably never forget it, but Sergei was willing to overlook that.

He shifted in place, unhooking his fingers from his belt. The danger was over, at least for the moment. It wouldn’t do him any good to imagine dangers where there were none, because then he wouldn’t be sharp for when the real problems started. Because they would, Sergei was sure about that. But there was nothing wrong with sitting back and allowing Sorey the victory. They had all worked hard enough for it, there was no shame in enjoying their victory after so many years of fighting against Sorey’s cousins and the empire.

Sergei felt his shoulders relax slightly, watching as Sorey settled into the role of ruling the empire, looking every bit the emperor that Sergei had hoped he would become.

* * *

Sorey had thought that, eventually, the crown would stop feeling as heavy and awkward as it had when it had first been placed on his head. As far as he could tell, it wasn’t any less heavy or sitting any easier, but he was at least getting used to it being there. He snuck a look over at Alisha out of the corner of his eye, watching as she walked down the aisle of the shrinechurch by his side. She turned her head every once and a while to smile at the people, but Sorey couldn’t see any of them smiling back at her.

From what he could see out of the corner of his eyes, all the people looked shocked to see her there. Sorey didn’t think that it made sense, especially with all the walks that they had taken around the city. He had wanted to make sure that the people of Pendrago were being taken care of. Besides, showing Alisha would Pendrago meant that the people would no longer be so frightened of her. After all, it was better than standing guard over Mikleo.

He knew he wasn’t helping anyone by sitting in front of Mikleo’s door while the seraph was in heat, but there was some part of him that wouldn’t calm down unless he was there.

Mikleo wasn’t his to claim, and Mikleo had made it perfectly clear that nothing would change that. But he was the only one watching Mikleo’s back, and that was enough to get his protective instincts working in overtime. Mikleo was the last free seraph, and Sorey didn’t want him ending up like the others. Just seeing the earth seraph had been enough. That kind of binding would drive anyone insane and Sorey was sure that Mikleo wouldn’t be able to stand it. If he could turn into a drake, then there was only so much that Mikleo could take before he become a dragon, and then the seraph would be lost for good.

Sorey swallowed and looked away from the people, focusing on the two thrones that were set up on the dais for the two of them. He dropped his hand to his side, his fingers flexing around nothing.

He’d left his sword somewhere, but it was hard to remember when his head was still so hazy with Mikleo’s scent. In any case, he’d been in a rush from the time that Sergei had come to get him from his vigil in front of Mikleo’s door to when he and Alisha had stepped out of the palace to make their way to the shrine church. He hadn’t been aware that he had left the sword behind until he was halfway to the shrinechurch, and by then it was too late.

Then again, maybe it was better that he had. This was going to be the start of peace, so it was better to leave the sword behind. He was a new kind of emperor, one that wasn’t focused on the war. He let his hand rest against his side, focusing on his surroundings.

The shrinechurch was highly decorated, perhaps even more so than his coronation. Then again, the empire was used to the cycle of emperors, but Sorey couldn’t remember the last time they’d had a Shepherd to celebrate. The last one hadn’t even come from the empire. Sorey didn’t know if anyone had bothered to write down where they had come from. There had been other things to worry about. Still, it was a time for celebration and the people looked happy enough, if a bit confused and wary. Sorey guessed that they were used to seeing Mikleo walking alongside him instead of Alisha, but he was sure that they could smell the reason on him. Sorey doubted that anyone could actually smell him under the scent of an omega in heat.

Aside from their worry about Mikleo, they were probably worried about Alisha. The people of Pendrago had been told that anyone from Hyland was the enemy for most of their lives. Sorey was sure that it would take more than a few walks around Pendrago and taking part in a ceremony for them to trust her. But Sorey was willing to take that time because it was all for their own good.

He paused in front of his throne, glancing over at Alisha as he tried to gauge the rate that she was sitting down. She might have not been a princess of Hyland, but he at least wanted to give her the honor that might have been her due.

Sorey sat down with her, turning his attention to the rest of the procession. He’d been ignoring the priests that had been chanting as they had walked down the aisle. They were probably trying to sing one of the old songs to worship the seraphim, but Sorey doubted that anyone in the shrinechurch would understand. It was all nonsense anyway, but it sounded pretty enough and it gave the right atmosphere, especially with Cardinal Forton walking behind them in her full regalia.

He watched as she came to a stop in front of them, trying to see her like Sergei did. He knew that all of the council had their own agendas, but it looked like they had at least started to agree with Alisha and him. Besides, Sorey couldn’t see what was wrong about a new Shepherd. The ceremony might have been different from the traditional one and he might not have met the person, but the emperor shouldn’t be the one deciding who the Shepherd should be. Sorey didn’t think anyone but the seraphim should decide, but there were dangerously few of them, so that would have to wait. After the seraphim, the church had to be the best alternative.

Sorey sat back as Cardinal Forton stopped in front of him to bow, frowning when he saw how she avoided acknowledging Alisha, but there was a time and a place for arguments. That would come later when the treaty was announced, but Sorey would make sure that Forton understood that Alisha had to be treated with respect.

The cardinal turned away from the two of them, bowing to the great shrine behind them. Sorey resisted the urge to turn around and look, because he knew what was back there. He had spent hours looking at the ornately carved shrine to Maotelus and he was sure that it had actually matched some of the descriptions that he had seen in the history books and the Celestial Record, but that been when Maotelus was in residence. And that had been decades ago.

He heard Alisha turn to look at the cardinal, Sorey smiling at her. He doubted that she had even seen the Pendrago shrinechurch, which was a failure on his part. That was another thing for after the peace treaty was finalized. It wouldn’t be fair to keep her cooped up in the palace, not when seeing her walking around would help the people come to terms with peace with Hyland.

He glanced up at the trails of smoke from the incense, wrinkling his nose at the scent. It was almost too strong for him, Sorey’s fingers twitching against the arm of the throne. He jumped when he felt Alisha nudge his other arm, glancing over at her and giving her a shaky smile. He’d be fine. It was his own fault that he was sending every sense he had overdrive by staying close to Mikleo.

Sorey sighed and leaned back in his chair, listening as Cardinal Forton made her way through the usual prayers of praise to Maotelus. He was surprised that she took the time to work through all of them, but it was more impressive that the people were starting to mumble their way through it. Sorey couldn’t remember the last time that the people participated and sounded like they meant it. Sorey could see a few flashes of metal where people were clutching the tiny medals that were sold during the important festivals. He was too far away to tell what they had on it, but Sorey was sure that they would have some kind of depiction of Maotelus. Some of them were pressing the medals to their lips while others were holding them out to be blessed by the priests that were wandering up and down the aisles.

He watched as the priests made their way to the back of the shrinechurch, taking up positions there just as Forton’s prayer came to an end. The silence barely had a moment to ring through the church before the priests at the back opened the doors.

Some of the people winced at the sound and the light, everyone in the church turning to look at the figure standing at the entrance to the church. Sorey heard Alisha take a quick breath, turning his head slightly to see her lean forward in her seat, her eyes wide in awe.

He found himself agreeing with her, because it was impossible to look at the man and not think that he was looking at the real Shepherd. Sorey didn’t know the man that Cardinal Forton had chosen, but he doubted that it mattered, he looked impressive in all white and with the cloak fluttering in the slight breeze.

The man hesitated at the door for a moment before starting to make his way down the aisle. The priests shut the door behind him, quick to follow behind him. They dropped into the garbled prayers in the ancient tongue, Sorey sure that he caught a few words that meant protector and cleansing, but the rest were unintelligible.

He sighed and sat back in his throne, watching as the man processed up to the set of stairs, stopping right in front of Cardinal Forton. Sorey raised an eyebrow when the man’s attention flicked over to him for a moment before he knelt in front of the cardinal.

Cardinal Forton looked down at the kneeling man before lowering one hand to rest on the top of his head. “People of Pendrago, I present you with a supplicant. This man humbly comes forward to ask support from you and that you will hear him out.”

She didn’t lift her hand from his head, the man leaning forward slightly more. Sorey saw the man’s gaze jump to his briefly before he spoke, projecting his voice in a way that implied practice.

“People of Pendrago, long have I been guilty of remaining silent when I should have spoken. Long have I neglected the tenants of my vocation with my silence, but I will keep it no longer. Here before you I humbly request to be allowed to take up the position of Shepherd for the protection of you and the seraphim that should be beside us at the moment.”

Sorey was sure that the man’s gaze snapped to his left, where Mikleo would have sat. He didn’t have long to muse over the empty space before the audience roared their approval. Sorey startled at the noise, a smile crossing his face when he looked out to the people and saw how they watched the man.

Cardinal Forton let the cheering go on for a moment before raising her voice above the noise. “The Sacred Sword that was used to test the Shepherds of old has been lost to us by time and war. Until we can recover it, I present the Shepherd with this ceremonial sword.” She turned, holding out her hand towards the priests to her right.

They lifted an elaborately decorated scabbard from one of the tables to the side. Sorey watched them carry it out to the cardinal, trying to pick out pieces of the ancient tongue hidden in the decoration. To his surprise, the priests brought it around in front of him, Sorey staring at the entwined wings and diamonds before the sword was unsheathed. One of the priest held it across their hands while the other stepped to the side. Sorey turned to watch him go before his attention was grabbed by the sight of Cardinal Forton turning to look at him.

She stepped away from the kneeling man, folding her hands into her wide sleeves as she bowed to him. “Your highness, I was hoping that your seraph would have recovered enough to help us with this, but I’m sure that having you bless the sword won’t cause any harm.”

Sorey glanced at the man, fighting the urge to shake his head. He felt Alisha clamp a hand onto his wrist, not sure what she was trying to warn him about, especially when he didn’t dare to look over at her. He swallowed and opened his mouth to respond, slightly relieved when Forton beat him to the punch.

“I don’t mean to imply that you authorize the Shepherd, but more for a blessing in the stead of the people of Pendrago. More like permission to have him operate in the boundaries of the empire. I believe that would be fitting.”

Sorey breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. He stood up, having to wiggle his wrist out of Alisha’s grasp. Sorey glanced back at her, giving her what he hoped was a confident smile. He couldn’t quite read the expression on her face, but he couldn’t look at her for too long, especially when everyone was waiting on him. The people had shown that they wanted a Shepherd, and he would give them one.

He reached out for the sword, stopping when a priest appeared at his elbow. The woman didn’t look at him but bowed, holding a bowl of water out to him. Sorey stared at his reflection in the bowl before dipping his fingers in. It was hard not to think about his own coronation as he swiped the water across the blade, Sorey sure that he could feel the ghost of Mikleo’s fingers swiping across his forehead. He licked his lips and lifted his hand away, making sure to wipe his hand on the towel that he was offered.

He used the moment to look over the blade of the sword, searching for any sign that it could be a seraphic weapon. He couldn’t see any runes on it, nor had he felt any when he touched the blade. Sorey sighed and rested his hand on the sword, careful to move with Cardinal Forton when she took a step back. Sorey stepped to the side, looking out beyond the man and to the people. “I’ve heard you, people of Pendrago, and I will allow your Shepherd to work within the confines of the empire, for the good of the people and to bring us back under the blessing of the seraphim.”

The loud roar of approval was repeated, Sorey grinning out at the people as he lifted his hand away from the sword. He stared out at the people, surprised by how well they were reacting to the Shepherd. He would have thought that they would be more reluctant to accept another change, especially when it would mean taking away the seraphic weapons that they had been told would keep them safe. Then again, the Shepherds were always well loved, so he needn’t have worried.

He took a step back from Cardinal Forton, almost missing the look that she gave him. For a moment, she looked worried, but then she was turning to face the crowd. If she hadn’t moved as fast, Sorey would have been tempted to reassure her. Their plan was working so far, which made everything better. The people were happy, which was their first order of business. As long as the people were happy, they would have help in repairing their empire.

Sorey sat back down on his throne, glancing over at Alisha. She looked just as surprised and happy as he was. She had shifted forward in her seat, staring out at the people. She looked back at him with a wide smile before settling back in her chair, her attention going back to the man still kneeling on the dais below. Sorey would have been content to look out over the crowd for a bit longer, but Cardinal Forton’s voice drew his attention back.

“By the power invested in me as head of the Rolance shrinechurch, which was given to me by our protector Maotelus, and by the permission of the emperor who protects us all, I grant you this sword that you may protect us from the malevolence and the hellions that come from it.” Cardinal Forton lowered the sword down, placing it point down in front of the man. She held it there with one hand, gesturing with the other. “Rise Malfore, and claim the sword and duty offered to you.”

Malfore slowly got to his feet, the Shepherd’s cloak falling artfully over his shoulders. Sorey tipped his head to pick out the pattern, raising an eyebrow at the sight of so many diamonds and sharp edges where there should have curves and circles. Still, it had been years since he had actually looked at anything pertaining to the Shepherds, so his memory might be wrong. Besides, there were thousands of years of history to look through. Sorey swallowed and tried to push the thought to the back of his mind. In the grand scheme of things, the design of the cloak wasn’t a big deal.

Malfore stood in front of Forton for a moment before reaching out to take a hold of the sword. The cardinal let go and moved out of the way, allowing Malfore to move around until he was standing in her place. Only then did Malfore raise the sword from the ground and above his head. Sorey tipped his head back to follow the motion, sucking in a deep breath as the doors to the shrinechurch were thrown open. He looked back down, staring at the crowd that had gathered outside as they started to cheer. The people in the shrinechurch were quick to follow their lead.

Sorey sighed with relief, glancing at the back of the new Shepherd’s cloak before looking around the man out into the shrinechurch and through the doors. He caught sight of the flutter of a white flag, having to stare at it a little longer to see the emblem of the Shepherd on it. He couldn’t remember them being up when he and Alisha had processed from the palace to the shrinechurch, but someone had obviously rushed to decorate for the moment. It was impressive, something that the people would remember, which was what he wanted. He wanted them to remember the day when the world started to be put to rights.

He turned his head at a tap to his arm, leaning closer to Alisha to hear her over the shouts of the people. She smiled at him before gesturing at the sword. “It might not be the one from Ladylake, but it’s just as impressive. I’m sure it will work out fine.”

Sorey felt his smile waver, but he worked to keep it in place. “You think it will, even without a seraph?”

Alisha frowned, her fingers digging into his arm slightly before they let go. “Well, Mikleo will help. Or he will once everything is finished.”

“Uh…” Sorey pointedly looked away, trying to come up with a reason that Alisha would accept. Of course she realized that Mikleo was wary of humans, but she had probably thought that it was because of his heat. Sorey hadn’t actually talked to her about any part of their deal, because it wasn’t between the two of them and he didn’t think that Mikleo would appreciate it. Sorey shifted in his seat before giving in with a sigh. “He prefers to stick close to me.”

Alisha accepted the weak explanation with a serious nod, her gaze dropping to where his sword would have been. Sorey dropped his hand down to close over the empty spot against his hip. He was surprised by the almost smile that she gave him. “I thought as much. It’s alright.”

“Oh, it’s not that.”

“I know, but you want it to look like that. I’ve heard the people talking.”

Sorey frowned and looked out at the people. He had noticed the way that the people that had looked at Mikleo, but he’d been more worried that the seraph would be overwhelmed. He’d never thought about why the people wanted to see the seraph, but he thought that it made sense. They had been told all of their lives that the seraphim would disappear during times of great calamity. But Mikleo was in Pendrago, so that gave them hope.

He smiled to himself, almost wishing that Mikleo had been there to watch this happen. The seraph might not have been happy about the amount of people, but the important part was the presence of a Shepherd. Out of everything, a Shepherd was what they needed the most. Maybe having a Shepherd and his seraphim would be enough to help get the seraphim out of the weapons safely. Hopefully, the surprise of a Shepherd, even a proto-Shepherd would be enough to brighten up Mikleo’s day.

Sorey tipped his head back to look at the sword that Malfore was still holding over his head, smiling at the sight of it. If there was any sign that the end of all the chaos and suffering was coming it was this, a Shepherd raising his sword with the promise of peace and harmony.

* * *

Mikleo frowned as he fumbled with the strings at the back of his corset. He finally managed to tie the knot, carefully untangling his fingers from the strings. He smoothed his hand over the front, frowning at the slightly unsettled feeling in the stomach, but that was something that he was used to. Heats on his own never seemed to leave him settled, there was always something missing even if the primal urges were settled. He curled his nails against the fabric before smoothing them out again.

There was no point in worrying about something that he couldn’t fix. And there was especially no reason for him to smell of sex and the heavy musk of heat. Mikleo wrinkled his nose and stepped to the door. He was more than ready to leave the room after being cooped up inside of it for four days.

He carefully stepped around the tray by the door, glancing at the half eaten plate of food. His stomach turned over at the sight of it, Mikleo sure that it was more the smell than the food. He wouldn’t have usually have eaten, but the heat always took more energy than he anticipated out of him. He was almost glad that Sorey had been looking after him, even as much as he had hated every moment of it.

It had been hard enough on his own, but he hadn’t needed the scent of an alpha close by. It had made him want to open the door and beg, because his fingers were hardly enough. It was bad enough that he had caught himself gasping Sorey’s name when the alpha was there, but he didn’t need the scent encouraging him to make the same mistake. Mikleo didn’t care that it was just the heat messing with him, he didn’t want to be thinking about that. He cast a baleful look at the stained cloak that was still crumpled at the head of his bed before turning on his heel.

What he needed more than anything was to get away from the room and Sorey’s scent. He would be able to think straight when he was away from the heavy scent. Besides, he wanted to check on the seraphic weapons, because four days apart from them made him feel jumpy. Sorey was trustworthy enough, but Pendrago was fill with too many humans that he couldn’t trust.

Mikleo yanked the door open, storming out into the hallway. He choked on his first breath, the scent of Sorey stronger out in the hallway. He clamped his hand over his nose, quickly walking to the end of the hallway to escape from the strong scent of the alpha.

He kept his hand over his mouth and nose until he was far beyond Sorey scent, focusing on just walking as fast as he could. There were still servants scurrying about, all of them looking at him in shock. He was sure that they were surprised to see him out and about, especially without Sorey dogging his heels. Mikleo clamped down on the urge to growl at them because it was just what he wanted them all to think. As long as they thought that he belonged to some human, no one would bother him. He didn’t care what they thought about him and Sorey, just as long as he got his family back.

Even still it was a relief to step into the deserted hallway that held the storeroom where the weapons were kept. Mikleo let his hand drop from his face, taking a deep breath of air that didn’t have too many scents floating around in it. The only ones that he could smell were his own and one that smelled strongly of iron. Mikleo made a face, but shook it off. He was just sensitive from his heat, so he was probably picking up some of the weapons that they had left out of the crates the last time they had tried to free the seraphim.

His hand clenched into a fist and the reminder, but the anger and desperation wasn’t as easy to reach. He would just have to be patient no matter how much it hurt, he wasn’t going to lose more of them. Not when there was a chance that he could lose more of his family.

Mikleo took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he walked away from the door. He wasn’t going to linger on what had happened, not when Sorey had had the four days of his heat to work out a solution. Then again, that might have been asking too much from the human with the peace talks going on. Sorey was sure to be concentrating on his own country, not that Mikleo could blame him. Keeping the empire at peace was important for keeping the weapons out of the hands of the soldiers. He would just have to be happy with whatever pace they were setting.

He paused in front of the door to the storeroom, taking a deep breath before opening it. He remained in the doorway to let his eyes adjust to the dim light, not quite ready to trust himself among the seraphim just yet.

Mikleo blinked, staring at the open floor of the storeroom. He clutched at the door more tightly, looking at the small room.

It had been filled with crates before, but there were only a few left now, and those were all pushed back against the walls. The piles of weapons that he had left behind were gone, Mikleo not sure if they had been packed away in any of the crates or if they were gone. Even the shards of wood and metal were gone from the floor from when the earth seraph had destroyed the crate.

Mikleo took a step back, the anger that he had reached for early rising easily the longer he stared. It wasn’t a trick of his vision, someone had come into the storeroom and taken the weapons. Someone had gotten into the place that Sorey had promised would be safe. Someone had taken them all.

He turned with a roar, the sound breaking in his throat. He felt his skin itching as scales formed, but he ignored it, just like he ignored the itching at the top of his head and the bite of his fangs into his own lip. All he knew was the rage and the swell of malevolence in him, and he didn’t bother to stop either of them.

They had waited until he was weak and distracted to take the seraphim. They had done it on purpose because humans were twisted and despicable creatures. And Sorey had let them do it. The emperor had sat at his door to keep him there while his servants and generals had grabbed everything that they could carry.

He should have listened to Gramps when he had been told to never trust humans, especially when the deal had seemed so good. He should have known that no human cared that much about the seraphim.

Mikleo lashed out at the door into the main part of the palace, hearing the sharp ping of metal. He ignored the sound, casting around for any human moving. He would get what he needed from one of them. Mikleo wasn’t sure what he would do with them afterward, but the rumbling of his stomach was giving him ideas. The malevolence hungered, and he could see no reason to ignore it this time.

He turned his head at the sound of someone walking down the hall, ignoring the way that one of the horns on his head scraped against the wall. He was too focused on the soldier in uniform walking down the hallway like he belonged there.

The human came to a stop as Mikleo snarled, Mikleo watching as the soldier realized what he was seeing, but he didn’t give the man much more time. He lunged forward, catching the human by the neck and spinning to pin him against the wall. The soldier sputtered and clawed at his hand, Mikleo ignoring the futile attempts to break free. The human wouldn’t be able to break through his scales, they were too thick.

He flexed his claws, his nostrils flaring at the scent of blood as they cut through the human’s vulnerable skin. Mikleo bared his teeth and stepped forward, following the bright trail of blood as it trickled down the soldier’s neck. It was tempting to dig his claws in further, but that would be counterproductive.

Mikleo jerked his attention back to the soldier, starting at the man. “Where are they?”

The soldier whimpered and curled in on himself. “W-who are you talking about?”

“The weapons! What has the emperor done with them?!”

The human flinched, trying to make himself smaller even as he was held against the wall. Mikleo was tempted to slam the human back against the wall to get him to talk faster, but he could feel the fast flutter of the human’s pulse beneath his claws. It would be so easy to break the human, which he almost didn’t want. Mikleo soothed his impatience with a growl, watching as the human practically started crying at the sound.

“Nothing! He’s done nothing, I swear. All of my orders come from General Alexsei.”

Mikleo tipped his head at the name, trying to place it. He hadn’t paid attention to any names that he had been told, save for the council. He’d never intended to be working so close with so many humans, but that was just the nature of the promise that he had made to Sorey. He thought it over for a moment more before narrowing his eyes at the human.

The motion seemed to be enough to encourage the human to loosen his tongue completely. “The general said that we were to clear out the weapons on the orders of the emperor to keep them away from the Hyland bitch.” He choked as Mikleo dug his claws in again, tears running freely down his face. “That’s what he said! He said to do it for the glory of our empire, before we were overrun.”

“And Sorey?”

“I don’t know! I haven’t heard anything from him. He’s been in council meetings when he’s not working in the city.” The soldier clawed at Mikleo’s arm again. “We were just told to make sure he was away before starting to move the weapons from the storeroom.”

Mikleo snarled but loosened his hold. He turned away as the human dropped to the floor, looking down the hall. He might not be able to put a face to the name, but that wouldn’t stop him. It gave him an order to work through. First, this general, and then to Sorey to demand answers.

He turned his head to look back at the soldier, watching as the human curled close to the wall. The soldier held out an arm, like it would stop Mikleo from attacking him again. Mikleo huffed and leaned over, feeling the press of half formed wings against his shirt. “Where?”

“Out back, just through those doors!” The soldier gestured frantically. “Please don’t kill me.”

Mikleo laughed, turning on his heel and walking away. Behind him he could still hear the soldier crying, but it was easy enough to ignore when he had a direction to go in. He fixed his gaze on the doors, walking as fast as he could. He didn’t know how many crates had been sent out of the city or how far that they had made it, but he wouldn’t allow any more to be sent away.

He shouldered his way through the doors, his claws skidding on the ice that leaked out from where he had touched the wood. He growled and slapped at the door, hearing it fall from its hinges behind him. Something of the drake in him preened at that. It was destruction and it felt good. It would feel better to stretch out, to sink into the malevolence and just do whatever he wanted, but he needed to hold back for just a while longer.

He stepped out into the back courtyard, giving it a cursory glance. He didn’t care about the other humans in the courtyard, at least until they tried to stop him. Once that happened they were fair game. He grinned to himself, the expression sliding off of his face when he saw the wagon parked close to the palace walls. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought that it was trying to hide in the shadow of the palace. He curled his claws, growling under his breath as he turned to stare at the wagon.

It was a nondescript thing, much like the other wagons that were constantly going in and out of Pendrago. People wouldn’t have looked twice at it, and Mikleo was willing to bet that no one would question the general in charge, especially if he had enough clout to countermand Sorey’s orders. If they had to go around Sorey at all.

He bared his teeth, wishing for all the world that he could sink all the way into the malevolence and lose himself in the drake’s mind. It would be so easy then, but Sorey was sure to come running out if anyone started screaming. And Mikleo wasn’t ready to face Sorey just yet. He had to come up with something special for the boy who had dragged him out of Elysia only to break every promise that he had made.

Mikleo didn’t know who noticed him first, the horses or the guard that was coming out of the back of the wagon. The former snorted and sidled while the later yelped and fell back into the wagon. Mikleo grinned, about to rush the fallen men when more soldiers scurried around from the front of the wagon. He paused as they leveled weapons at him, easily picking out the bindings that had been carved into their weapons. Mikleo snarled at them, but didn’t move. The way they reacted told him enough.

Some of the guards jerked forward, Mikleo catching a whiff of dirt and rocks that usual came with an earth arte. He stepped to the side, watching as a pillar of rock burst out of the cobblestone.

He stared at it for a while before jerking his head around to look at the soldiers.

There was no way that they didn’t recognize him, which meant that they were acting on orders. Mikleo frowned, trying to gather his scattered thoughts back together enough that he could work with them. It was hard with the presence of humans _and_ seraphim so close and so ripe for the picking. He licked his lips before he could stop himself, Mikleo shaking his head.

He cursed under his breath, ignoring the way that his fangs caught on his lip. He reached out his hand, calling his staff to him. He curled his claws around the wood, focusing more on packing the malevolence away so he could fight properly. He couldn’t take them on as a drake, not when there would be time between his change and his first attack, and that would be plenty of time for one of them to get at him. It would be better to face them as a seraph. At least that way he could think straight enough save the seraphim in the weapons instead of devouring them.

Mikleo shifted his hold on the staff, throwing a glance at the rest of the courtyard. He frowned when he realized that most of the other people had fled. He didn’t know if it had happened when he had appeared or when one of the soldiers had called on the arte of the trapped seraph. Then again, he doubted that it mattered, none of the humans would have been able to help him.

He shook his head, try to clear the last of the malevolence clouded thoughts from his head. He growled low, carefully watching the guards as they shifted, some of them trying to appear brave. Mikleo was sure that it was all false bravado. They would have been running if he was a drake, but he couldn’t give into those thoughts.

He moved his staff into an offensive position, about to snap at them when he saw someone coming around the front of the cart. Mikleo tensed at the sight of the uniform, his gaze lingering on the golden epaulettes. He narrowed his eyes, belatedly recognizing one of the men from Sorey’s council, the young general who had stormed out of the council meeting. Mikleo shifted to point the end of his staff at him.

The general didn’t seem to be intimidated. He just leaned his shoulder back against the side of the cart, giving Mikleo a long look over. The man didn’t look interested, but the fact that he even looked made Mikleo uncomfortable.

The man looked his fill before giving him a nod, Mikleo not sure if it was a sign of respect or not. He didn’t think that it mattered, not when he could see the edge of a crate in the cart. Mikleo swayed in place, not sure if he should just lunge forward. He held himself back when the general laughed and gave something more like a formal bow.

“It’s good to see you, Lord Seraph. Everyone was worried about you.”

Mikleo huffed, refusing to acknowledge any part of the statement. “You must be General Alexsei.” The general nodded, his lips twitching up into a smile, that enough of an answer for him. Mikleo narrowed his eyes, closing his fingers more firmly around his staff. “Then you’re the right person to tell me who authorized you to remove those weapons. Was it the emperor?”

From the shock on General Alexsei’s face, he had pushed a beyond what the man expected. Mikleo watched as the shock crossed the general’s face before it disappeared quickly, far too quickly for the general to be hiding something. Especially when it was replaced with the kind of confidence and gloating that he could see on the man’s face. His first instinct was to take a step back, but he didn’t want to admit that defeat.

General Alexsei laughed, one arm slung over his stomach like it was the only thing holding him together. The general bent over, his shoulders shaking silently before he straightened up again. He wiped the back of his hand across his eyes, shaking his head. “Of all the questions I expected…And here I thought that you two would know everything. Or has he not talked to you since your heat started? Such a shame. A waste of an omega and a seraph.”

Mikleo flinched, baring his teeth at the soldiers as they chuckled. Some of them trailed off at his expression, others were bolder because their general didn’t seem to care.

Alexsei shook his head, going back to leaning against the cart. “So his highness hasn’t been talking to you, such a shame.”

Alexsei made an impatient motion with his hand. “His highness knows nothing about this. He’s been caught up in his peace talks and his stupid orders to notice anything.”

“You had your orders!”

“Why?” Alexsei gestured at the wagon, slapping the side of it. “Why should we destroy these weapons when the next war is just around the corner? The weapons must go back to the army, it’s the only way that we can win!”

“Not with the seraphim.”

“The seraphim are _ours_. They came down to protect humanity in return for our worship, _this_ is how they protect us.”

Mikleo couldn’t help the snarl that rumbled out from his throat, and he didn’t bother to try to hold it in. That was all he had heard out of the council since he had come here, and it was infuriating. They were owned by no one, _he_ was owned by no one, no matter what act that he put on. He wasn’t going to let it stand any longer, proper chain of command or not.

He swept his arm out, feeling the chill of ice settling into his bones. Mikleo ignored the gasps from the men, just watching the glitter of the sun off their blades as they adjusted them. Mikleo grinned at the challenge.

They wouldn’t be able to attack before he would, and he didn’t have the same compunction that they did. Sorey might be disappointed with him, but Mikleo could live with that.

He formed the spears of ice, spreading his fingers as he readied to send the lances of ice towards the soldiers. He saw a few of them draw back, only the older ones leaning forward in preparation for the attack. They were the one who had seen artes aimed at them, and they had learned not to be afraid, which was a dangerous thing for them. They had only seen the artes being forced out of the weapons, but never used by a free seraph.

Mikleo flexed his fingers, ready to send the spars of ice out when the general pushed away from the cart. He watched as the general tugged at the men’s arms, pulling their swords back and kicking one who didn’t react fast enough. “Stop it you fools! We can use him, remember? After all, what’s better than using the emperor’s seraph on the emperor himself?”

He tipped his head to the side in confusion, arresting the motion of the ice with a jerk. He saw some of the soldiers actually step back, all of them probably expecting him to use the pause to his advantage, but he didn’t. There was something in the general’s orders that held him back, an implication that he could be controlled.

Alexsei pulled the sword from one of the soldiers’ hands, tossing it back into the wagon. The general ignored the incredulous look that the soldier shot him in favor of pulling out his own sword and leveling at him. Mikleo stared at it, trying to figure out what the general was trying to tell him.

His confusion must have looked like something else because Alexsei grinned at him and brandished the sword. “I thought you would recognize this.” He turned the sword over, studying the blade. “I thought it would be harder to get at considering the esteem that the emperor holds for you. I told Vortigern that we wouldn’t be able to do it, but he just left it in his room. If I had a seraph at my beck and call, I would be more careful with the thing that held you, especially after all the talk. After all, the only thing holding him on the throne is his dragon.”

The general muttered a word that Mikleo didn’t understand, the man holding the sword out in front of him. From the expression on the man’s face, he expected a reaction, maybe panic or resignation. But he didn’t have anything, because the sword mean nothing. It was just a grand weapon that Sorey had taken to wearing to complete the look of the emperor. But the council hadn’t figured it out. Apparently, they couldn’t conceive of a world were a seraph was free.

Mikleo laughed, relaxing his hand. The sound seemed to be enough to sap some of the confidence from the general’s face. Mikleo grinned, letting the ice spikes twist in the air. “I’m not commanded by anyone.”

He turned his hand palm out and released his hold on the ice.


	9. Chapter 7

“King, ride no further! Turn back, for you are betrayed!”  
- _Chronique_ , Religieux de Saint-Denis

* * *

 

The parchment rustled as it was slid across the table, Sorey standing up to better see the treaty that was laid out in front of him. He scanned over the handwriting, enjoying the way that it looked before actually focusing at what was agreed upon.

From what he could see, nothing had changed from the back and forth that they had done over the past few days. The wording might have been dressed up a little to suit the style of a treaty, but it was essentially the same. Hyland would be given back their land, the empire’s army would be reduced, care would be taken to help the people of both kingdoms, trade would resume between them and the seraphim would be freed. There were various other clauses and ideas tied up in there too, but he was familiar with them. They were full of compromises and adjustments that they all had to accept to allow the treaty to go through.

Sorey trailed his hand along the table until he reached the end of the treaty. The main body of the treaty was finished, just leaving the outline of the fancy script that would proceed his and Alisha’s long list of titles before their signatures. Following that were the start of the lines that the rest of the council would sign, both his and Alisha’s. To do that, the treaty would have to go to Hyland, and Sorey was more than eager to accompany it. He’d only gotten glimpses of it from the mountain as he climbed to go find Mikleo. There were so many things that he had read about that he wanted to see, if he could manage it.

He smiled to himself, staring at the end of the treaty as he toyed with the idea of sneaking away from his retinue for a few weeks to just visit those ruins. He doubted that he would be able to do it, not when they would be on full alert in Hyland. That and he had responsibilities now. He was responsible for an entire country now, and he couldn’t abandon them for his own pleasure.

He sighed and leaned more heavily on the table. He couldn’t regret this, not when he was stopping the war and saving people. But that didn’t stop him from wishing.

Sorey looked up when Alisha touched his hand, quick to smile at her. He didn’t want to give her the impression that anything was wrong, or to show the council that he was unsure. The treaty was fine, it was just making things so much more real that he had been ready for. More than that, it was the first big step that he’d made as emperor, a sign of the prosperity that was to come.

He pushed away from the table, letting one hand linger on the treaty. “Are we going to try and sign this at the same time?”

Alisha laughed, the sound a rare one in the council chamber. She curled her fingers over the place where her signature would go, the motion less nervous and more like an adoring touch. “We have to wait for Hyland’s copy to be done.”

“Can you blame me for being impatient?”

“No.” Alisha shook her head, her gaze dropping back to the treaty. From the look on her face, she probably expected it to disappear right in front of her eyes.

Sorey didn’t have the same problem, the fact that it was on parchment and existing made all his vague and semi-connected plans seem real. It was a step in the right direction and solid evidence of the difference that he was making. Some part of him wished that Mikleo was there with him, but Sorey doubted that the seraph would be much interested in anything other than the clauses dealing with the seraphim. Still, it was only because of Mikleo that he was here to make sure that the seraphim were safe. He’d have to make sure that Mikleo got the chance to look at the treaty once the seraph’s heat was over. It was only fair to give him a preview, and not only because Sorey was worried about him.

He curled his fingers around the edge of the table, his head snapping his head up as he caught a familiar scent. Sorey leaned out, seeking out the scent of rain and wet earth. He stopped himself before he could take a step forward, shaking his head.

Mikleo was back in his rooms, probably just coming off of his heat. There was no reason that the seraph would come to the council room, especially when he would still be smelling of his heat. If anything, the seraph would stay away from humans until everything was back under control, which was a shame. Sorey missed having Mikleo walking by his side. There was a tangle of emotion behind the reasons, but Sorey didn’t even think he could start picking them out. Then he caught the scent again.

He swallowed and took a moment to look over at Alisha. From the way that she tensed, she had caught it too, which meant that he wasn’t imagining things.

Sorey turned his gaze to the door just before it was thrown open. Sorey felt his heart jump when he saw Mikleo there, concerned by the look of fury on the seraph’s face.

He pushed away from the table, starting to come around it when General Vortigern jolted to his feet, his chair falling to the ground behind him. The general stared at the floor, pointing at something just out of Sorey’s line of sight. “What have you done to Alexsei?”

Sorey hurried around the table, slipping behind a chair as a priest attempted to get to his feet. He ignored the muttered apology from the man, his attention on the bloody man on the floor. He frowned when he recognized one of the generals who had sat on the council, and the only one who had walked out on the peace treaty proceedings. Sorey looked up at Vortigern before returning his gaze to Mikleo. “What happened?”

Mikleo opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted as Vortigern shouted. “It’s obvious what happened! This seraph attacked him! I thought you had him under control.”

The general motioned at Sorey’s waist, probably pointing out where his sword should have been. Sorey dropped his hand to his waist, bracing it there in favor of drawing attention to the fact that he was missing his sword. He doubted that it worked, but he wasn’t concerned with a sword that he had picked out on a whim. He was concerned about Mikleo, especially with way that the seraph held himself. Sorey could practically feel the rage coming off of him in waves. Sorey was sure that he saw Mikleo’s hand tremble, but it was steady the next time he looked at it.

He took a slow step forward, noticing the way that Mikleo’s gaze flickered to him before going back to the council with a familiar wariness. Sorey sucked in a quick breath at that.

So something had happened, something to drive Mikleo out of the room that Sorey had specifically designated as safe from humans. Sorey felt his stomach turn over, imaging some dumb human believing that they could just go in and partake of a seraph in heat like nothing had changed. His free hand clenched into a fist. He swallowed, taking special care to keep his voice level. “Mikleo?”

Mikleo’s attention slid briefly to him, Sorey startled by the hatred he saw in Mikleo’s expression. Then, as quickly as the gaze landed on him, it was gone.

The seraph took a step forward, carelessly stepping on General Alexsei. Sorey twitched, wanting to go and rescue the general, but he didn’t think he would be allowed. It was more important to keep close and support Mikleo in what he was about to do. Because the seraph wouldn’t have come into the council room if it wasn’t important, not while he was still smelling of heat. Sorey just stopped himself from taking a deep breath of the smell, keeping his full attention focused on the seraph.

Mikleo stormed up to the table and leaned on it, his attention now exclusively on the generals. “Tell me, which ones of you ordered guards to remove the weapons from the storeroom?”

Sorey tensed, taking a step forward to join Mikleo at the table. The seraph took a step back from him, Sorey a bit disappointed by the move, but he couldn’t blame Mikleo, not when he could see the way that the generals were shrinking back in their seats. He narrowed his eyes, fixing them with the best glare that he could manage. “Answer him.”

Some of the generals looked shocked at his command. Vortigern tried to shrug it off, making a weak gesture at were Alexsei. “I don’t know. He’s been avoiding us because we’ve chosen to stay.”

“That’s a lie.” Mikleo snapped the words out, jerking forward like he was going to lunge at them, but the seraph held himself back. “I doubt that any of you have done anything that the others didn’t know about.”

The generals shifted in their seats, the way that none of them would meet either of their gazes too much for Sorey. He cursed under his breath and leaned against the table, his mind spinning for a moment before he settled on action. It had always come easier to him than just plotting out his next move. It was better to push ahead while they were thrown off instead of giving them the time to regroup.

He turned to look at Mikleo, relieved when the seraph met his gaze. “What did you find?”

Mikleo glared at him before lifting his chin slightly. Sorey wasn’t sure if it was defiance or some kind of agreement, and he didn’t have much time to think it over. Mikleo leaned towards him, the move threatening enough for him to lean back. He thought he saw Mikleo’s lip twitch in a prelude to a snarl. He was so preoccupied with the threat that he almost missed the way that Mikleo gestured at the man on the ground.

“ _Your_ general was removing the weapons.”

Sorey stared at Mikleo for a moment, barely hearing the protests of the other generals. He could feel his stomach turning uncomfortably.

He had given orders that the room remain untouched, and he had assumed that they would be followed. He had assumed that they would be followed. The generals had never seemed happy about the order to end the war, but they had seemed content with the agreements that he had made with Alisha. After the initial convincing, it had been easy. Maybe too easy now that he thought of it, but he had been hoping for the best.

Sorey bit his lip and looked over at his generals, waiting to see their reaction. One of the three were staring at Mikleo in horror, but the other two wouldn’t meet his gaze. He felt the knot in his stomach undo as realization hit him.

It _had_ been too easy.

“You disobeyed my order.” From the way that they reacted, he had been right.

He curled his fingers over the edge of the table to keep them from shaking. Sorey swallowed, taking a deep breath to calm himself down, but it didn’t work. There was nothing but the anger that was slowly rising above everything. He didn’t dare unhook his fingers from around the carved edge of the table, because he wasn’t sure of what he would do.

Sorey fixed his gaze on the generals, watching them shrink back. There were so many things that he wanted to say to the generals, but it all got caught up in his mouth. He shook his head, trying to form anything that would resembled language. “Why?”

The three generals started at the single word, two of them shaking their head in response. That left him with just Vortigern, the old general looking resolute for the first time since Alisha had come to help with the peace talks. He huffed and mumbled under his breath for a moment before straightening his back. “Because it is foolish to assume that we can have peace like this. There will always be war, and we must be ready for it. To confiscate the weapons and to destroy them is dangerous and stupid. I for one will not watch this empire fall because of one boy and his naïve dreams.”

Mikleo lurched forward with a snarl, Sorey quick to reach out. He stopped himself before he could make contact with the seraph. He was almost sure that Mikleo would go after the generals, but he wouldn’t stop him. Sorey didn’t think that he would have the right to. He had promised Mikleo that he would watch over the seraphim, but he had allowed himself to get complacent. He was really the naïve boy that Vortigern had called him, but Sorey wouldn’t be making that mistake again.

What he wanted to do was scream and rage, but there was nothing there, because things were starting to make sense. He had thought that he had gotten through to them, but he could see now that he had been fooled. They had agreed with him, nodded and smiled at everything had said, but then they had turned around and done just what they had always done behind his back.

It made sense in some way, because they were used to running the empire that way. There hadn’t been a stable emperor since Dorann had died, the throne had changed hands so many times that the power couldn’t rest on the throne, so it had rested on the council. And they had grown rich on it. From the way that they were looking at him now, Sorey finally realized that they saw him as a threat to their own power and they had only been bidding their time.

He took a deep breath, pushing away from the table. He kept himself from looking back down the table at where Alisha and Sergei stood. This wasn’t a matter for them and it wasn’t the time to be leaning on them. He had to stand on his own.

He leveled his best glare at the council, trying to keep his voice steady as he spoke. “I take this as all of you admitting that you have done nothing that I have proposed.”

The council didn’t say anything, which was exactly what he expected and hoped wouldn’t happen. Sorey closed his eyes, trying to ignore the horrible drop that his stomach did. That meant that there were so many things that had fallen through the gaps.

Nothing outside of Pendrago had been done, meaning that the villages hadn’t received the rations they would need to get them through the time until the harvest was ready and the army had not be scaled back. Sorey seriously doubted that any of the weapons in the army had been taken up. For all he knew, the council had taken the chance to march the troops closer to Hyland. The council could have started up another war, and he would have never known until it was too late to do anything.

He cursed and looked up the table at where Alisha and Sergei were standing. As he expected, Sergei looked furious and Alisha looked horrified. The expression on Alisha’s face was the one that made him want to flinch back. He had invited her to Pendrago with promises of peace, but had allowed his council to practically start another war.

Sorey looked away from her, gesturing at Sergei. “Get the Platinum Knights. This council is dissolved and will be held for their criminal actions.” He heard gasps and the start of protests, but he just pitched his voice over them. “They’ll be kept in the dungeons until they can be put on trial for their treasonous actions.”

Sergei took a step forward, rocking in place when he stopped himself. “Your highness?”

“We can hold them here.” Sorey didn’t even need to gesture at Mikleo, the low growl that the seraph was giving was proof enough that things would be well handled. If that wasn’t enough, then the sight of General Alexsei lying on the floor unconscious would be enough.

Sergei gave an abbreviated bow and quickly rushed from the room. Sorey was quick to step back and secure the door behind the man. He kept his back against it, guarding it even as he looked over the room.

The generals didn’t meet his gaze, but the priests and cardinal were quick to get to their feet. Forton looked furious, one hand gesturing towards the generals. “You can’t blame all of us for their actions. It isn’t the action of a fair man.”

“If you aren’t to blame, then why didn’t you check up on the programs? I’m sure the villages would have liked to know that their religious leaders cared about them.”

Forton huffed. “And what about you then?”

“I’m fixing that mistake right now.” Sorey looked over at Alisha, giving her a slow nod. He wasn’t sure that she completely understood what it meant, but it was an apology and a promise wrapped up in one. Because all of this meant that he would have to stop working on the treaty until Sorey had sorted out his own country and it meant that she had every reason not to trust him.

If he couldn’t concentrate on many things at once, then what kind of emperor would he be? If he just let things slip by because he couldn’t spread his attention then he would be struggling for his entire reign, and more would slip through the cracks. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if any more of the seraphim slipped away from him or, Maotelus forbid, his own people.

He flexed his fingers, trying to stop himself from shaking. That was one thing about being emperor that no one had told him about, the feeling that he was being pulled in all directions and of time slipping away. Sorey took a deep breath and met Cardinal Forton’s gaze again. “Don’t think this has stopped the treaty. I still intend to end this war.”

The door creaked open behind him, Sorey turning his head just enough to see Sergei and the Platinum Knights starting to enter the room. He moved to stand slightly behind Mikleo, not liking the way the seraph tensed. He looked at Mikleo’s back, watching the way the seraph’s shoulders twitched. He didn’t think that it was sorrow, it was clearly anger, and he had to make sure that it was directed at anyone.

Sorey swallowed and turned his attention back to Sergei and the knights as they started to pull the generals out of their chairs and drag them away. Two of them knelt on the floor and picked up General Alexsei.

The generals were easy to lead out, Sorey not sure if it was because they were confident of their victory or if because they truly believed in their defeat. Either that or they were terrified about what Sorey would do if they resisted. He let his gaze drift back to Mikleo, sure that he caught the shine of light off scales.

He didn’t get told the gossip because of his position, but it wasn’t hard to imagine the stories. The people might have worshipped Mikleo as a seraph, but it would be all too easy to imagine them whispering about what Mikleo had been on the battlefield. All shining and scaled, every inch the dragon from their stories. The emperor and his dragon, something to be feared. But Sorey didn’t want to be remembered like that. He just wanted to be remembered and Sorey and Mikleo. If anything less, the emperor and his seraph. But it would be all too easy to see Mikleo turning with sharp claws and bared teeth on his council, and everyone else in the room.

Sorey looked away to watch the knights start to gather the priests and Cardinal up. He met Forton’s gaze as she looked at him, not surprised that she laughed. “You’re taking me too? What will the people think?”

“Let me worry about the people. It’s my job.”

Cardinal Forton huffed, but went when Fyodor touched her arm. She allowed the touch, walking around to the front of the table. She slowed to look at Mikleo, the seraph swaying towards her with a snarl, but even that didn’t deter her. She just grinned at Mikleo, the interest in her gaze never wavering. “Oh, but what will the people think, your highness? Remember, I’m the one thing holding the church together since Masedra vanished. Are you willing to sacrifice the church for the sake of another part of the empire? If you do that, then you’re not much of an emperor. Even Lyte did a better job than you, and he only sat on the throne less than a week.”

Sorey flinched, but didn’t say anything else as she was forcibly pulled away. He bit his lip to keep any other expression from crossing his face, watching as his council was escorted from the room. Sergei paused at the door, but he waved the knight on. He would come by soon enough to take care of them, as long as he didn’t get distracted. But this was one thing that he couldn’t get distracted about. He’d learned that lesson the hard way.

He waited for the knights to leave the room and for the dull thud of the door before he turned back to look at Alisha. The woman had a stricken look on her face, Sorey watching her shift in place before she shoved herself away from the table. A chair fell to the floor, the clatter obscuring what Alisha said, but Sorey could see her mouth move.

She stared at the chair for a moment before giving him a resolute look. “How can I help?”

Sorey stared at her in shock, barely aware that he was shaking his head. “This isn’t your problem.”

“No, but I’m here and after…I can’t just watch.”

Sorey sighed, stepping away from Mikleo as he smiled at her. “Thank you, Alisha.”

Alisha nodded, reaching out to carefully roll up the treaty. She tucked it against her arm, running a hand down the roll. “I’ll make sure that this gets safely back to the proper place. And after that…”

Sorey nodded, trying to focus back on the problem at hand. “Could you and Sergei check the granaries? There should be records of what is going out. Pendrago can’t supply all of the villages, but we could handle the closest ones. I’ll meet you by the front gates to check on the other problems. But don’t tell anyone, at least until we have a better handle on things.”

She was quick to nod, which made him feel all the worse. He didn’t want to lie to the people, but he didn’t want to cause a panic. Until they knew the extent of the damage that had been done, it was maybe better to keep quiet.

Sorey closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, Mikleo was right in front of him. He started backward, momentarily distracted by the scales that he could see rising through the seraph’s skin. He shook his head and met Mikleo’s gaze, trying not to waver under the anger he saw there. It was his fault after all, he had let himself get distracted by the promise of peace and his own instincts to protect Mikleo. If anything, the look on Mikleo’s face told him otherwise. The seraph didn’t need protecting, and he had forgotten that.

He averted his gaze, struggling to come up with something to say to the seraph. “Mikleo-”

He flinched as he felt something cut into his cheek, Sorey stumbling backwards. He raised a hand to touch his cheek, pulling his fingers away when they came back wet. Sorey stared at the blood on his fingers before looking back at the seraph.

Mikleo was breathing heavily, one hand still raised. Sorey saw the red of his blood on a claw, the finger shifting and going back to something more human even as he watched. Mikleo didn’t seem to notice.

Sorey dropped his hand to the side, carefully taking a step back. “Mikleo, I-”

“I kept my end of the promise. I expected you to keep yours.” Mikleo turned on his heel and walked out of the room, Sorey not daring to watch him leave.

Instead, he turned his head to look at Alisha, the woman still standing by the doors. He was quick to look away at the shock on her face. He reached up to dab at the cut again, giving up when he was sure that he was just smearing the blood around. “It’s nothing. He’s just angry and I…We have more important things to worry about.”

He expected her to push him on the subject and, for a moment, it looked like she would. Then she shook her head and adjusted her grip on the treaty. Alisha nodded, giving the treaty one last pat. “Let’s fix this, together. Compared to ending the war, this should be easy.”

Sorey smiled in thanks, having to work hard to keep it up. He was sure that Alisha noticed, but it didn’t matter. There was a problem, and one that he knew how to fix. That was far better than just sitting around, staring at problems that he had never learned how to solve. He could take action now, and that was better than nothing.

He reached up his hand again, about to touch the cut on his cheek when he saw the blood on his fingers. Sorey curled his fingers in, not daring to touch his white clothes while the blood was still wet. The people still needed their emperor, they still needed hope, and he would give everything he had to keep giving that to them.

* * *

Mikleo carefully placed the armful of weapons on the ground, resting his hand against the stock of one of the crossbows. He frowned at the letters carved into the wood, jerking them back at the glitter that he thought he saw. Mikleo huffed, annoyed by his own skittishness. He shoved the crossbow more firmly into the pile, keeping the walkways clear.

He sunk down onto the ground, looking around the storeroom. Now that he had set it to rights, it felt better. Mikleo looked around at the crates that he had bullied some of the guards to carry back into the room.

It hadn’t been hard, not when most of them had seen his fury. He had heard a few of them whispering about him, how they had seen him on the battlefield as a dragon. Mikleo hadn’t bothered to correct them, and not for the sake of Sorey’s claim to the throne. He had needed them to fear him so they would listen to him instead of trying to draw their weapons again. Besides, he wouldn’t have been able to move the crates on his own, and he wasn’t going to let them languish in the cart until someone decided to send them off wherever the rest had gone.

But the fear had worked to his advantage, and he wasn’t about to question it. Fear what was they deserved. Mikleo was sure that he had been able to hear the seraphim screaming when the soldiers had used the artes, so he considered make those same soldiers scream in the same pain revenge enough.

Mikleo shuddered, looking around the crates. It still wasn’t all of them, there were a significant number missing. The worst part was that he didn’t know where they had gone. He would need to leave the room and dive into the records of the military for that, and he wasn’t ready, not until he was sure that the rest of them could be safe. Then again, after what had happened, he’d never be sure. It was enough to make him want to never leave the room. He could strip the bedding from his room and sleep in the doorway, just to make sure something like this never happened again.

He had already lost Kyme. He wouldn’t let them strip away the rest of his family for their fruitless war.

He reached out to steady himself against one of the crates, staring at his hand as he waited for it to change into something monstrous, but the change never came. Maybe he was used to that despair, he had lived with it for ten years after all. Mikleo curled his fingers around the corner of the crate, taking a deep breath.

Things would have to be different now, although just how to go about it was the problem. He couldn’t leave the seraphim trapped in the weapons, not when they would be vulnerable. But he couldn’t just let the others get out of his reach. If he did that, then he didn’t know when he would ever find them again. For all he knew, they would be lost until someone else found them and started their own war.

He winced and let go of the crate to brush his bangs back. He froze with his palm pressed to the front of the circlet, almost sure that it felt hot to the touch. Mikleo frowned and ran his fingers over the jewel and decoration at the front, but the metal was as cold as ever. He sighed and let his hand drop, looking around the storeroom.

Sitting uselessly didn’t suit him, not when he had spent the last four days trapped in his room during his heat. He had to act and act quickly while the weapons were still in motion. They couldn’t have gotten far in the four days that he had been out and Sorey had been distracted. It would take time to find them, which would give him the time to deal with the seraphic weapons that he had on hand. That would make all the seraphim trapped in them safer, because he could take them all with him when he went after the other crates. All he would need were the words that Sorey had promised him, but Mikleo doubted that they would be coming any time soon. The emperor was too busy with other matters.

Mikleo huffed and pushed up off of the floor. No part of the palace was barred from him, and there was nothing stopping him from looking through the books himself. If the emperor was too busy then he would just help himself, and then he would be gone. There was no reason to stay if their pact was broken.

He gave the room one last look before walking out. He shut the door carefully behind him, pressing his hand against the lock and coaxing ice into it. Now no one would be able to get into the room, and only he would be able to open it. He should have done it sooner, but he had been stupid and hopeful. He’d learned his lesson from that.

Mikleo lifted his hand away, turning on his heel and sweeping down the hall. He kept his gaze fixed on a point in front of him, not daring to look side to side. He would play the palace games long enough to get what he wanted, and then he would leave. He wouldn’t be able to go back to Elysia but there were places that the empire hadn’t touched, he’d seen them on a map of the empire. Lohgrin was still safe, even with the flimsy divide of the Camelot Bridge. Sorey’s reign might make Lohgrin even safer, and Mikleo was fully ready to take advantage of that. And then, by the time that Sorey died and a new emperor was chosen, the seraphim would be ready to do whatever was needed to keep themselves safe.

He pushed open the doors to the main part of the palace, surprised to find it in an uproar. Mikleo froze in place, watching as pages and clerks rushed past him, surprised that he was being ignored. It was strange because everyone had always turned to look at him since he had come to Pendrago. There was some part of him that had gotten used to be watched and studied, and to suddenly not have it made him wary. He almost wanted to edge around the wall, but he wouldn’t allow himself that. Until he could get the rest of the seraphim out of the weapons, he would hold onto his position.

Mikleo turned and started walking towards the library, some part of him glad that the humans still gave him a wide berth. He didn’t think he could stand any of them brushing up against him, especially after everything. Mikleo turned his head to watch one page rush off with an armful of books, shaking his head at the rush before focusing on making his way through the halls of the palace.

Sorey had shown him the library on the grand tour of the palace, and Mikleo had fixed the place in his mind to visit later. He’d never gotten the chance and he had regretted it. If he’d managed it before then he might have known where to start his search for the words or any books on the old tongue. Mikleo gritted his teeth, contemplating the task that he had set himself. It would be tough, but he couldn’t see another alternative, not without risking the safety of the seraphim that were counting on him. Certainly not without risking Melody and Natalie.

He clenched his hands into fists and pushed on faster, completely ignoring the people around him. He had his own business to take care of, he had spent too much time with the humans already.

Gramps had been right about them in the end but, then again, Mikleo couldn’t remember a time that Gramps hadn’t been right.

Mikleo slowed down as he entered a familiar hallway, having to work hard not to glance towards the council room. He had known that he would have to pass the room on his way to the library, but he had been prepared. He had intended to just ignore whatever was going on and get on with his own work, but he had never expected the source of the rush of people through the hallways was the room.

He came to a stop in front of the council room, taken aback by the sight of Sorey leaning over a large map of the empire that took up nearly all of his half of the table. He had papers in messy stacks around him and small figures placed all over the map. Mikleo couldn’t tell what they were marking. He was almost curious enough to enter the room, but he held himself back. There was no reason to interfere with the workings of the empire.

He huffed and turned to leave only to have to stumble awkwardly out of the way as a clerk nearly ran into him. The man stared up at him before bowing and muttering something so quickly that Mikleo didn’t catch it. The clerk darted around him before he could say anything else, the man rushing up to Sorey and dumping his new armload of papers. The clerk bowed again and scurried off, making sure to take the long route to avoid Mikleo.

If Sorey noticed the new delivery, he didn’t react to it. He kept looking through the papers in front of them, sorting them into piles before blindly reaching out for the stack that the man had left. Something written on them made him frown, Sorey flipping through them before letting the papers drop back onto the table. He ran a hand through his hair, resting it on the back of the neck as he looked up.

Mikleo tensed as Sorey looked his way, watching as Sorey did the same. He narrowed his eyes, tempted to just turn and walk away. It was obvious that they were both busy, so it would be better to get on with what they both needed to do. Mikleo huffed and turned away, stopping in surprise when he heard a chair scrape against the wood floor.

“Mikleo…” He turned to look at Sorey, noticing the way that one hand was still lingering on the back of Sorey’s neck. Sorey kept it there for a moment more before letting it drop down to his side, Mikleo glancing down to follow the motion before he turned his attention back to the human.

Sorey wasn’t looking at him, the human staring over at the map. His gaze seemed to be lingering on one spot taken up by a closed inkpot. Sorey reached out for it, his hand hovering over the table before he set it down on the edge of it. “Do you need anything?”

There was an opening there, one that Mikleo preferred to ignore. He shook his head, taking a step back from the doors. “I have something else to do.”

“Oh, okay.” Sorey dropped his gaze down, Mikleo sure that he saw Sorey’s arm shake. He wasn’t sure what to make of the motion, and he was annoyed that he took the time to try and figure it out. It gave Sorey more time to come up with something else to draw him into a conversation. Mikleo almost cursed when Sorey glanced over at him, the human taking a deep breath.

He was ready for more excuses, apologies or promises to try and keep him in place. But he wasn’t ready for Sorey to reach out and touch the spot on the map where the inkpot was resting.

Sorey’s fingers lingered over the top of the inkpot for a moment before dragging them down to rest on the map. “If it helps, I know where most of the weapons went.”

“What?”

Sorey tapped the place on the map again. “I asked at the gates, they keep records of all carts and where they’re going. A few said that they were going to Lastonbell, but most were going to Gododdin.”

Mikleo swayed forward, keeping himself from stepping into the room because that would be inviting more conversation. “How do you know that? They don’t have to go where their paperwork says.”

“No, but,” Sorey turned to rest his hand on a short stack of paper, “I looked into places where the generals would have supporters. Vortigern and Viktor both have supporters here because they were…” Sorey swallowed and shook his head. “Well, the only two on the council with supporters outside are Lucius, who spent most of his time in Lastonbell, and Alexsei, who was based on Gododdin until Konan brought him back around the time of the Pope’s disappearance. Where would the weapons be safer than with their supporters? What better place to start another coup?”

It was tempting to ask Sorey how he knew so much about the military and how they would structure a coup, but Mikleo held himself back. He had been burned once by the workings of the human government, and he had no intention of going back into it. He gave Sorey a curt nod. “Gododdin it is then.”

“Are you going to go after them yourself?”

Mikleo raised a shoulder in a shrug. He didn’t think that Sorey needed an answer to that, it wasn’t the human’s business. He turned away, freezing with a growl when Sorey spoke again.

“Are you going to leave the others here?”

“No.” The word came out more like a snarl, Mikleo impatient with the delay.

If Sorey heard the threat in the word, then he didn’t act like it. He nodded and grabbed at a piece of paper. Mikleo couldn’t see what made it different than the others, but Sorey didn’t bother to enlighten him. The human was too busy writing something on the paper. Mikleo watched as Sorey’s eyes narrowed slightly, his mouth moving with whatever he was writing.

Sorey remained bent over the table for a good few minutes before standing upright again, holding the paper out for him. When Mikleo didn’t immediately walk into the room, Sorey waved it a little. “You’re going to need the words then. These are all that I remember and I can’t remember if they have specific bindings that they go to, but I wrote down the title and location of the books they would be in and a pronunciation guide. And I can get you a pass, no one would question the emperor if I said that you were taking the weapons anywhere else. Take the books with you. I’d rather them be in the hands of the seraphim so this doesn’t happen again.”

Mikleo stared at Sorey during the torrent of words, not sure what to make of them. It sounded like another apology, which was something that he didn’t feel like accepting. Keeping an eye on the seraphim had been part of their deal and Sorey had known that. That wouldn’t stop him from taking what was offered.

He stepped into the council room, grabbing the paper from Sorey and quickly taking a step back. Mikleo glanced at the scrawled handwriting, scanning it over. He would take this, and whatever would get him and the seraphic weapons out of the human’s hands the fastest. Besides, Sorey would never know where they were going. He would be able to take the pass and disappear. No one would be able to find them and they would be safe.

Mikleo turned the paper over in his hands before nodding at Sorey. He turned on his heel and started to walk out of the room, slowing down when he heard Sorey sigh. It went against everything that his instincts were telling him to stop, but he couldn’t help but being curious. This wasn’t the behavior of someone who had helped orchestrate the removal of the weapons. This was remorse. If not that, then good acting. He shifted in place before looking back over at Sorey.

The human had gone back to leaning over the table, sorting through the papers that had been brought to him. Everyone once and a while he would reach out and adjust something on the map or shift a random item hidden by the stacks of paper onto the map. Mikleo was sure that he heard Sorey mutter to himself as he moved, all of that probably having something to do with the other programs that Sorey had tried to set up.

Sorey dropped the papers he was reading to the table with a sigh. He sunk down into the chair, scrubbing his hands over his face. He stayed like for a moment before pulling the chair forward, seemingly oblivious to the blood that had started leaking from the cut on his face.

Mikleo watched the blood trail down, his fingers twitching. There was every chance that it could all be an act; the treaty, the programs and everything that Sorey had done in public. The problem was that Mikleo had been there with him for all of those and, if there was one thing he had learned about Sorey, it was that the human was terrible at lying. The terror and anger that he had seen on Sorey’s face hadn’t been an act.

He watched blood make its sluggish way down Sorey’s cheek, waiting for Sorey to do anything, but Sorey was completely focused on the work in front of him. He was dwarfed by the piles of papers, the stacks closing him in and nearly swallowing him where he sat. Mikleo didn’t expect his stomach to twist with guilt at the thought, because it wasn’t his fault. If anything he had helped by revealing the fact that the council had been moving behind his back. The only thing that he was guilty of was the cut on Sorey’s cheek, and even that wasn’t bad. As long as Sorey kept from ripping the scab off, it would heal without a scar. But that didn’t solve the problem of the wall of papers and the sight of the emperor so much alone as he worked feverishly. It was too close to home.

It was too much like _him_.

Mikleo stepped towards Sorey, hesitating a moment to see if Sorey looked up. The human was too busy with whatever project needed his attention at the moment, which was enough to get some of the tight knot of worry that had settled in Mikleo’s stomach to unravel. He took a deep breath, covering the distance between him and Sorey before he could change his mind.

He reached up with his free hand, calling on his powers even as he reached up to touch Sorey’s cheek. His fingers brushed across Sorey’s skin a little bit behind where the cut started, Mikleo feeling Sorey start under his touch. He ignored the motion, breathing out slowly as he pressed his palm against the cut. Mikleo closed his eyes, focusing on the healing arte.

It was a simple matter, especially since the cut wasn’t too deep. It was a matter of concentrating the arte on one spot, of coaxing the blood to retreat and the skin to close up.

Mikleo sighed when it was done, surprised at the release that came from using the arte. He’d used artes on Alexsei and the guards, but that hadn’t felt like this, like how the cool and clear streams of Elysia had felt in the summertime.

He opened his eyes to find Sorey staring at him in awe, one hand raised. Mikleo glanced at the hand before turning his gaze away. He didn’t need to do anything else to the cut, but there was no harm in cleaning out the blood that hand started to dry against his palm and Sorey’s cheek while he waited to see what Sorey would do.

It too far less effort than he thought it would to stand still when Sorey touched his cheek. It helped that Sorey jerked his hand away like he had been burned. When he didn’t react, the touch came again, as light and gentle as all the other times that Sorey had touched him.

Mikleo shivered, fighting the urge to lean into the touch. It felt so good after spending a heat on his own. It felt better than all the orgasms that he had managed to wring out while driven on by the relentless need of his body.

His eyes fluttered shut before he could stop himself, Mikleo sighing as Sorey rubbing his thumb along his cheekbone. Mikleo mimicked the motion once, his fingers splaying wide when Sorey turned his face into his palm. Mikleo thought he felt the light flutter of a kiss, but it was gone before he could think too much about it.

Mikleo let his hand drop back down to his side, remaining still as Sorey stood up. He twitched a bit when Sorey cupped his other cheek, more out of surprise than disgust. He’d missed the hand moving. Mikleo was sure that it was a bad thing, but he couldn’t think too much about it when Sorey was staring into his eyes.

Mikleo swallowed, trying to come up with something to say when Sorey was standing so close to him, but his mind was a blank. He was surrounded by the scent of old books and dust that had taunted him during his heat. All he could do was watch as Sorey swayed forward, some part of him sure that the human would kiss him.

Instead, Sorey reached up to part his bangs away from his forehead, brushing his fingers over the circlet. Mikleo lifted his hand, helping Sorey push his hair back. He kept combing his bangs away from the circlet even as Sorey’s hands slipped away. He got the strands of hair comfortably tucked away before he even dared to look at Sorey again, freezing when he saw the smile on Sorey’s face.

He remained still even as Sorey took one of his hands, turning it over in his own before clasping it tightly. “I’m sorry I let them take your family again.”

Mikleo looked away, finding the floor a safer place to look than at Sorey’s face. “They would have done it anyway.”

“No, I should have paid more attention, and I’m not going to let it happen again. You have my word on that.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to remind Sorey just what his word had gotten them so far, but he held the words back. That wasn’t the point, and they both knew that. He frowned as he tried to come up with something to say in response, surprised when Sorey let go of his hand to cup his cheeks again.

It didn’t take much to convince him to look up again, Mikleo holding still as Sorey met his gaze. Sorey nodded, his bright smile coming back. “I’m going to fix this, because you’ve kept all your promises to me and it’s not fair to let me off mine. If this is going to work, then we need to be equals.”

Mikleo ignored the way his stomach flipped. “When were we not?”

Sorey breathed a sigh of relief, Mikleo more focused on the thumb that skimmed over his cheekbone. He shivered, letting out a shaky breath. He heard Sorey hum in response, Sorey’s expression changing slightly. The seriousness was still there, but it had turned into something that Mikleo couldn’t place.

He didn’t get the time to study it more, Sorey’s gaze jumping to something over his shoulder. Then he was dropping his hands away, Mikleo felling strangely bereft when Sorey stepped around him. He fixed his gaze on the back wall, taking a few deep breaths to settle himself before turning around.

Alisha and Sergei were standing by the door, both of them holding more stacks of paper. Mikleo assumed that they had accosted some of the running pages and took their loads from them. From the noise that he could hear in the hallway, the grand rush wasn’t done yet. He huffed and crossed his arms, watching as Sorey relieved them both of a few papers before carrying them to the table. Sorey set them down, already starting to sort through them.

Mikleo came up beside him to read over Sorey’s shoulder. He skimmed over some of the writing before losing interest. It was nothing but troop movements, but even he could see that none of them had started to go where they were supposed to. He raised an eyebrow and ducked around to Sorey’s other side. He poked through some of the papers in another stack, stopping at the sight of a familiar name. He tipped his head to the side and picked up the paper, skimming it over.

Apparently, Gododdin wasn’t only one of the most likely places for the seraphic weapons to go, but it was also one of the bases for Sorey’s food distribution system. He hummed to himself, cocking his hip against the table. Mikleo kept his gaze on the paper, pretending to read it over as Sergei and Alisha collapsed into separate chairs. Sergei leaned back in his while Alisha remained at the edge of her seat. She stared at the stacks of paper, taking a deep breath. “Is what they said true?”

Sorey nodded, sitting the papers he had been reading back down on the table. “It is.”

“Bastards.” Mikleo was amused by the depth of anger in Sergei’s voice. The general had always seemed to be the most laid back out of all of them. Then again, it was his people being threatened. Mikleo looked away from the paper as Sergei shifted in his chair. “I just wish we could have done that earlier.”

Alisha made a noise that could have been agreement, but it was hard to tell, especially when she didn’t look up from her hands. “What will you do now?”

“Well, I’ll have to put them on trial for what they’ve done.”

Mikleo leaned over to put the paper back on the pile. “That will take a while.”

Sorey sighed and leaned forward to brace himself on the table. “I know, but it will give me time to fix the rest of this. We’ll have to send out messengers to the main centers to sort out the food. That should be our main focus.”

“The food is important, but will the army listen to you when you call them back?” Alisha looked up, biting her lip. She seemed to realize what she was doing a moment later because she stopped. She reached up to tuck her hair back behind her ears. “When has the last time the emperor has commanded the army?”

The way that Sorey’s face fell was answer enough. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, looking between the two humans before shaking his head. It was silly to worry about the army, especially when he was there. The news that the emperor had a dragon on his side might have spread, but none of the humans would be prepared to take him down. He would be more than enough to make the army change their minds, loyalty to their generals or not. In the end, they were just human, and humans always wanted to live.

He made his way around the table, staring at the map and all the marked places. All of them were major centers according to the map, which made sense, and all of them were confined Rolance’s former boundaries. Mikleo could still see the faint lines that had once marked out the kingdom. He traced his finger around it, following the border until it curled around to where Gododdin was at the end of Biroclef Ridge. He frowned and leaned further over the map.

There didn’t seem to be anything around Gododdin aside from the ridge and what looked like a few scattered towns. It was probably only because Gododdin was the largest town in the area that it was a distribution zone. The area was probably a sad place to live, especially since it looked so barren. Maybe if it had been any age but the one they were living in there would have been a seraph there making the place bearable, but they had no help now.

He drummed his fingers against the map, looking up when he heard one of them clear their throat. He met Sorey’s gaze before giving him a short nod. If Sorey wanted to send out messengers, then he needed to send out ones that he could trust. Mikleo was sure that list only included the roll of the Platinum Knights after the betrayals that Sorey had suffered. Then again, Mikleo wouldn’t even pretend to have an ulterior motive for wanting to go, Sorey would probably expect his answer.

He cleared his throat and rested his hand on the inkpot. “I’ll go to Gododdin.”

Sergei made a disgruntled sound, Mikleo sure that it was a cut off refusal. He raised an eyebrow, waiting to see if Sergei would speak up, but the knight didn’t. He probably didn’t want to contradict him in front of Sorey. That thought was almost enough to make him smile, but Mikleo held himself back. Instead, he just looked over at Sorey.

He was about to repeat himself when Sorey took a deep breath and stood up. Sorey looked at all the papers before shaking his head. “I can’t just sit here and run the empire like the others have. I left these things to others before, and they didn’t get done. It would be better if I went out and checked on them myself.”

“You’d need an escort.”

Sorey tipped his head to one side. “I’ll have Mikleo.”

Sergei made the same disgruntled sound again, this time continuing his argument. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to leave the capital when this has happened. Everyone will want to know why you’ve arrested the leaders of the church. You’ve seen how they depend on them.”

Sorey flinched. “I know, but they have the Shepherd. That might be enough for now.”

From the looks that the others gave him, Mikleo doubted that they believed Sorey. As it was, he was surprised to hear about a Shepherd.

He heard stories of the Shepherd in Elysia from Taccio and Medea. Everyone had gathered around them to listen to the tales of how the world had been. Mikleo remembered listening in awe, because it was a world that he had never seen, one where humans and seraphim worked together. But that’s all they were now, stories.

Mikleo gave Sorey a long look, surprised by the apologetic smile that he got in return. Mikleo watched Sorey for a moment before shaking his head. He probably just thought that he should apologize for not telling Mikleo about it, but he didn’t care. There were probably many things he had missed while his heat was going on, and there were better places to be told about what had happened.

Sorey looked back at the others, Mikleo seeing his shoulders shift slightly. From the way that Sergei reacted, it was a bad thing. The general shifted in his chair, Mikleo finding himself leaning towards Sorey in response.

If Sorey noticed the motion, he didn’t acknowledge it. He just looked at the map before sighing. “I can’t just stay here. I need to be out there and helping people.”

“You could always go on progress.”

“It might too be late by then.”

Sorey and Sergei stared at each other, the silence in the room growing heavy until Alisha stood up and came around to look at the map. Mikleo took a step back to give her room, confused by the smile that she gave him.

She looked over the map, walking her fingers across it as she calculated the distance. Mikleo watched her measure out the miles between a few of the main centers marked out, frowning the longer she measured. Eventually, her hand drifted back to Gododdin, her fingers resting just under the ink pot. Alisha sighed and looked up at the other two. “Gododdin is closer.”

Sorey beamed at her and nodded, quickly chiming in. “And it’s the one that’s most in need. The Biroclef Ridge villages have always struggled and they need our help more than ever now. Besides, there’s General Alexsei to consider.”

Sergei pursed his lips, glancing at the map before sighing. Mikleo was almost amused by the annoyed look on the knight’s face. From Sergei’s expression, he had realized that this was a fight that he wasn’t going to win. Sergei grunted and sat back in his chair. “ _One_ village. That’s all we can afford.”

Sorey nodded. “I understand.”

For a moment, Mikleo expected Sorey to thank Sergei for what he was allowed. The corner of his mouth quirked up at the thought, amused by the fact that the emperor was asking permission to go anywhere. He turned his head away before anyone could notice his amusement. He scanned the back wall, turning back around when the humans had moved on to another subject.

He huffed and turned his attention back to the map, searching out other towns and places that caught his interest. It was tempting to just leave the humans to their affairs and get moving. From the sound of the discussion, they would be trying to talk each other around to different ideas for a while. If he left, he might be able to catch up with some of the carts on the road. After all, he didn’t need to sleep or eat and the humans did.

Mikleo picked his way around the table, moving back to Sorey’s side. He intended to pass Sorey without doing anything, save maybe resting his hand on the back of Sorey’s chair. It was a test of sorts, to see when he would jump away. After all, he been able to reach out for Sorey once, it was tempting to see if he would be able to do it again.

He had just passed behind Sorey when Sorey lifted his hand slightly. Sorey stopped short of touching him, but the invitation was obvious. Mikleo stared at the upraised hand before carefully moving his wrist into it. Sorey’s fingers curled slightly, but they didn’t close around him. Mikleo moved his wrist back and forth, testing to see how far Sorey would allow him to go. He had a full range of motion, even when he started to pull his hand away completely, although Sorey’s fingers dragged across his skin and made him shiver.

He went still, looking up at Sergei and Alisha as Sorey cleared his throat. “Mikleo already said that he was going to head to Gododdin. Wouldn’t it be better for me to go with him than the Platinum Knights?”

Mikleo tensed at the question, realizing that he had missed a good part of the conversation. From the look on Sergei’s face, it had just been the question of guards for the emperor. Mikleo rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to flash his fangs or some scales. Sergei probably wouldn’t react well to what he was trying to say if he had any draconic features, he would probably see it as a threat. Mikleo shook his head, leaning over Sorey slightly instead. “I’ll be there.”

There must have been enough of a threat in his voice to keep Sergei quiet. The general shifted in his seat for a moment before giving the two of them a terse nod. Mikleo wasn’t sure if it was permission or not, but he didn’t care. He didn’t think that Sorey would actually be stopped by anything Sergei said. Besides, Mikleo didn’t want another group of humans standing around while he went after the weapons. Sorey might trust the Platinum Knights, but he wasn’t quite ready to. They had grown up with the idea of the seraphim being controlled and he couldn’t tell if they were with Sorey because their oaths were or if they actually believed the same thing that Sorey did.

He pulled away from Sorey, moving out of his way as Sorey stood up. He stuck close to Sorey, watching as the human nodded at Sergei. “Then I’ll leave things here to you. If we can get the system working in Pendrago and Gododdin, then it should be easier to start it with the other cities.” Mikleo was sure that the statement should have been a question, but he ignored that instinct as Sorey continued, gesturing at the other two. “Sergei, you’ll have my full authority to act while I’m gone.”

Sergei gave another one of his curt nods, the general standing up. Mikleo eyed him carefully, watching for any sign that he wasn’t pleased with the order. If was, Sergei kept his face carefully blank. “When can we expect you back?”

Mikleo wasn’t surprised that Sorey didn’t have an answer. It was harder to keep his mouth shut and keep from saying that they would figure that out later. That would be enough to annoy Sergei, and he didn’t feel like working with the delay that it would cause. The longer that they spent talking, the further that the seraphic weapons would travel out of his reach, which would mean that they would be in Gododdin longer.

It was a force of will that kept him from crossing his arms over his chest or making any other impatient gesture. He kept his gaze locked on Sorey, watching as he scratched at the back of his neck. In the end, Sorey just shrugged and tried for a look that might have been apologetic in any other context. “As soon as I can, I promise you that.”

For a moment, it looked like Sergei wanted to argue, but Alisha spoke up before he could get a word out.

She smiled and waved the two of them on, Mikleo suspicious of how eager she seemed to move the two of them out of the room. “Go fix that end of this problem. We’ll have plenty to work through here.”

Sorey’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t want to make you fix my mistakes.”

Alisha shrugged, already moving around to stare at the papers that Sorey had left stacked. To Mikleo’s surprise, Sergei didn’t make a move to stop her. She rested her hand on a stack, the smile not leaving her face. “Call this advanced research. Considering the state of Hyland, it wouldn’t be too bad to consider setting up a similar system.”

“Thank you, Alisha!”

“No problem.” She waved them on again, Mikleo reaching out to grab Sorey’s arm before he remembered himself. He let his hand drop to his side, meeting Alisha’s gaze before turning on his heel and walking away. He could feel her gaze on his back as he left, the hair on the back of his neck rising.

She assumed too much, and he didn’t know why it bothered him. All of Pendrago probably assumed the same. Every time he had gone out with Sorey they had giving the two of them the same looks, but it had never bothered him then. Maybe because they were always at a safe distance and couldn’t see through the act that the two of them were putting on, although Mikleo didn’t know how it would make a difference. He was sure that the people wouldn’t try to overthrow the emperor if he wasn’t involved with his seraph like everyone assumed.

Mikleo took a deep breath and let it out slowly, turning his head when he saw Sorey finally stepping out of the council room. He gave Sorey an expectant look, not surprised when Sorey didn’t see it. The emperor seemed to be caught up in his own head, Mikleo almost sure that he caught Sorey muttering to himself about something, probably packing plans. He shrugged it off, following after Sorey.

He made sure to hang back a bit, wanting to leave Sorey to his own devices. If he’d had it his way, he would have gone flying off to Gododdin himself, but there was something satisfying in Sorey coming with him. Even if it hadn’t been Sorey’s fault, there was some little part of him that was glad that Sorey was going out to fix the mistake instead of letting it sit. Mikleo wasn’t sure what he would have done if Sorey had just shrugged his news off and kept going, probably eaten him and the rest of his council.

Then again, that sounded nothing like Sorey.

He jerked to a stop when Sorey slowed down in front of him. Mikleo frowned and went to move around Sorey when the human moved. He shied away as Sorey turned to face him, ignoring the disappointment on Sorey’s face. Permission granted to touch once was not wholesale permission. Mikleo fully expected Sorey to protest, but Sorey just took a step back to put more distance between them.

Sorey offered him a smile, Mikleo not sure if it was an apology or reassurance. He didn’t have too much time to think it over because Sorey tipped his head to the side. “Do I have the time to pack or are you going to fly off without me?” Mikleo opened his mouth to answer, snapping it shut when Sorey took a deep breath and pressed on without waiting for his answer. “The people have missed you, you know. They’d like the chance to see you again.”

Mikleo huffed, almost sure that Sorey was stretching the truth a little bit. But there was permission to refuse there, something that he was tempted to do. It would be easier and faster to fly ahead. He could always set himself down for the night and wait for Sorey to catch up on horseback, but that would be annoying, especially when he was sure that he could easily cover the distance from Pendrago to Gododdin in a day. Then again, he didn’t want to be among that many humans on his own.

He closed his eyes, trying to decide between the annoyance of traveling slowly or being on his own among humans. He shuddered as he considered the latter. There was no telling what the other humans would do, especially ones so desperate. For all he knew, he would end up in a weapon himself and his only ally wouldn’t know where he was. Mikleo rubbed at his arms, opening his eyes and looking back up at Sorey. “Fine. As long as it’s not too much of a show.”

Sorey smiled like Mikleo had offered him the world. “Don’t worry, I want to get on the road as soon as possible. If we’re lucky, we should be able to get halfway there before we have to stop for the night. We would be in Gododdin by morning!”

Sorey spun around and started down the hall to his room, leaving Mikleo staring after him. In the face of Sorey’s exuberance there was nothing else to do but stare. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, squashing the odd feeling of fondness with a shake of his head. It was just Sorey being Sorey, there was nothing special about it. If anything, it was just the remains of the heat talking. It would take a day to settle back into something like normal but, until then he would just have to put up with it all.

He rolled his shoulders, trying to resettle himself. It would only be a day, and then he would stop jumping at everything that Sorey said or trying to get closer to the human. By then, they would be in Gododdin and Mikleo would have all the space he needed. If Sorey didn’t get the hint, then it should be easy enough for Mikleo to convince him to split their work. After all, they were on a schedule and it would be a better use of their time to work separately, especially if all the seraphim were going to panic when they saw him. Maybe it would be best to keep Sorey away from them.

Mikleo hummed to himself, before shaking his head. There would be plenty of time to think of that on the road and come to a decision. Until then he just had to work on keeping his impatience in check until they got to Gododdin.

* * *

Alisha set the last stack of paper on her desk, reaching up to rub her temples. It had been a long day, one that she hadn’t been expecting. If anything, she had been thinking that she and Sorey were going to go over the treaty and plan when the official, ornamented copy would be signed. But maybe she had been too hasty to believe that everything was going so well. After spending most of her life on the run, she should have been more ready to be suspicious because the whole thing had sounded far too good.

She sighed and leaned her shoulder against the wall, staring out into the inner courtyard of the castle instead of at the stack of paper on her desk. It was only half of all the records that the pages and clerks had managed to dig up, but it was still intimidating and disturbing. She had known that the council was stubborn, but not that they were so entrenched. She had always thought that the person on the throne was in charge, but seeing how the system worked made it make more sense. It was clear how the empire had managed to take over most of the continent, even when their rulers were too busy killing each other.

She leaned her head against the window, closing her eyes at the feeling of cold glass against her skin. She could almost hear Rose calling her an idiot for just believing that things were just as they seemed. The thought made her smile, even as it made her a little homesick. She was sure that her knights would have thrown themselves into the task. Rose would have too, after she had thoroughly lectured her on what she had done. But it would be nice to have supporters on her own. Sorey seemed to trust the Platinum Knights above everyone else. From what she had seen it was a good choice. They were all eager to rally around him and, surprisingly, her.

Alisha opened her eyes, staring into the courtyard. She could see some people walking through it, all of them probably on their way home. A few pages rushed by, Alisha feeling sorry for them. Sergei would be keeping them up late searching out anything they could use to bring the council to trial as soon as Sorey and Mikleo got back.

She followed one of the pages until they ducked back into the castle, her gaze darting up to a guard on the wall. The man waved at someone and walked down the wall. Alisha scanned over the rest of the guards as they shifted in their positions, patrolling the inner wall. Alisha followed their movements before turning back towards the desk. She wanted to get a good handle on what the situation was before she started putting together plans to help.

She turned to look at the papers, taking a handful of the top of one of the piles and turning them towards the light of the lamp that one of the pages had brought to her room. She had been quick to claim anything to do with the food distribution system when she and Sergei had been dividing up what they had found. She had expected him to protest, but Sergei had just looked grateful. Alisha supposed that it was because he wasn’t left on his own to tackle the problems of the empire. From what she had been able to see, Sorey only had the Platinum Knights and Mikleo, which was a shame. She couldn’t imagine working with only a small group of people. It seemed like a very lonely way to exist.

Alisha tried to rein her thoughts back in, focusing on figuring out the workings of the system. She hadn’t been lying when she had told Sorey that she wanted to copy the idea. If the empire was in a bad condition, then Hyland was in a worse one. Alisha wasn’t sure what would happen to her country as winter came around, she had kept herself from thinking about it for so long, but it was getting impossible to ignore. Unless she wanted to leave most of the country to starve, she had to come up with something and quickly.

She ran her finger down the page, marking of main towns and the villages that they were in charge of. It seemed like a pretty comprehensive plan, because it would make use of the depleted army and integrate them back into the workforce. From what she could see, it would work to get the empire through until the next harvest, if things worked well enough. If they worked fast enough, they might have the time. Alisha didn’t want to think too hard about what would happen if they didn’t.

She shuffled through the pages trying to make some sort of sense from them. They weren’t in any kind of order, probably because they had been entrusted to different people by the council and spread around until it was ineffective. She didn’t even know where the pages and clerks had found the papers. Alisha set the papers down on the desk, reaching out for the next pile.

Sergei had taken control of anything to do with the army, and she’d let him have those without an argument. He knew the system far better than she did and he had the authority that she would never have. Besides, Alisha was sure that no treaty would made the empire’s army comfortable with a former enemy reading their records. What that left her with she didn’t know, because there had been many demands made to the council. It was a miracle that they hadn’t completely ignored all of them.

She shifted the stack of paper closer to the lantern, squinting as she tried to read the cramped handwriting. She thought she saw something relating to the treasury and the money remaining in the empire, but the next page had something about future plans with Lohgrin and the third one looked like a report on the church. Alisha scanned through all of them again before setting them out on the table. If there was some sort of order then she would find it. If not then she would work with what she had. She was sure that Sergei would have the same problem.

They would have to come together tomorrow and sort through what they had, on the off chance that some of the papers had gotten switched around. Alisha wouldn’t mind, not when it would help them both and certainly not when it would mean spending more time with Sergei. She drummed her fingers against the paper, considering Sergei before her mind shifted to how Rose would like Sergei. There was a certain charm about him, and he had a wonderful smile, something Alisha knew Rose was a sucker for.

She toyed with the idea for a moment longer before shaking her head. There was no time for her mind to wander.

Alisha flipped through the next few pages, trying to decipher the clerk’s handwriting when the sound of people running through the courtyard caught her attention. She looked up, catching sight of a few people running into the Platinum Knight’s tower. Alisha tipped her head to the side at the flash of armor that she saw in the torchlight.

It wasn’t anything strange, the Platinum Knights were always wearing some pieces of armor, even if they weren’t on guard duty. But that didn’t ease her sudden sense of unease.

Because it was quiet. The palace would always become muted, but it was never quiet, and never like this as far as she knew. Alisha shifted in place, scanning the courtyard before dropping her gaze back to the papers.

There was every chance that she was just being paranoid and reacting to the fact that the council had been working against them for so long. But there was also every chance that she was right.

Alisha hummed to herself and stepped away from her desk, trying to make the motion look natural. There wasn’t anyone in the courtyard that she could see, but she couldn’t be sure. She was in the middle of enemy territory and without the emperor around to vouch for her protection. She bit her lip, glancing around her room.

Her weapons were tucked under her bed, jammed between the night table and the frame itself. It wasn’t the spear that she was used to, but the dagger had always served her well. Her fingers twitched at the thought of it, Alisha carefully keeping herself steady. She didn’t want to alert any watchers, not until it looked like she had gone around the room to finish up for the night. Then she could draw the curtains and change from the lamp to the candle and keep up a watch until she felt that she was safe.

She took a deep breath, ready to turn around and go through the familiar motions of settling down for the night when there was a knock at the door.

Alisha froze, tipping her head towards the door as she waited for someone to call to her or a page to stutter out some invitation to visit Sergei. Instead the second knock never came, the door opening.

She lunged for her dagger before she saw who was at the door. She closed her hand around the hilt, drawing it even as she turned to face who had barged into her room.

She frowned when she saw Sergei standing there with another Platinum Knight at the door. The knight kept glancing around the hallway, his hand resting on his sword. Sergei had the same pose, the general looking around the room before his gaze finally settled on her again. “Has anyone been in here?”

“Why?”

“For your own safety.” Sergei glanced over at the window, making a quick motion towards the guard at the door even as he walked further into the room. “Boris.”

Boris slid into the doorway, blocking it up completely without giving up his watch on the hall.

Alisha eyed him warily, targeting the best shot to get at his kidneys before shifting so she could see Sergei as well. He was checking the room by her window, his gaze fixed on something there. She was too far away to see into the dark courtyard, but he must have seen something because he took a step back. She heard him curse before he turned around, glancing at the papers before shaking his head. “Have you found anything incriminating? If so, bring it. Leave the rest.”

“Why?”

Sergei didn’t answer her, already moving to go talk to Boris. The two of them conferred in low voices until Sergei noticed that she wasn’t moving. He made an impatient motion, Alisha almost insulted by it. She didn’t want to be left in the dark, not when it was obviously something important, especially if Sergei was saying that they needed to take anything incriminating.

She edged back towards the window, using the motion to glance outside. She couldn’t see anyone in the courtyard, nor on the walls and it was the latter that sent a shiver down her spine. Even with the emperor and his seraph gone, the guards should still be on rotation. Alisha scanned the walls before looking down on the desk.

There wasn’t anything incriminating that she had found yet but, by the way that Sergei and Boris were behaving, they wouldn’t have the time to wait around for her. But there was the treaty.

Alisha set her dagger on the top of the desk, reaching down for the copy that she had taken from the council room. In the rush to take care of the council and secure them no one had bothered to take the draft of the treaty. She had taken it because she hadn’t known what to do with it. As far as she was concerned, the treaty was the most important paper in the room.

She rolled it up and tucked it under her arm, grabbing the dagger from the desk. Alisha looked back at where Sergei and Boris were still talking.

They cut off their conversation quickly when they saw her, Sergei glancing at the treaty and nodding. Boris barely looked at her, the man already slipping out into the hallway. Alisha saw the edge of a signal for them to move, stepping up beside Sergei as he moved into the hall.

Both men drew their swords as soon as they were out in the hall, Alisha following suit with her dagger, although the motion was clumsy with the treaty still tucked under her arm. Sergei noticed and gave her a nod before dropping back to walk beside her. He turned slightly so he could cover her back, lowering his voice to nearly a whisper as he spoke to her.

“We’ve seen armed supporters of the council roaming through the palace. It means that they’ll be coming for you.”

A chill ran down her spine, but Alisha tried to keep herself from reacting. It made sense considering the support that the council had behind them. After all, they were the most stable form of government that the empire had had over the past seventeen years. The only thing that she was surprised about was how fast the news had gotten out and then how fast their supporters had acted. Then again, it came down to just who they could trust in Pendrago and, as far as Alisha was concerned, that list only included four people.

She adjusted her hold on her dagger, glancing around the hallway. They were all suspiciously empty, which meant that people had been told to leave or had scattered in the face of the consequences that would be rained down on them. Alisha frowned, looking towards a door that she thought she saw open, but no one moved. She glanced at Sergei out of the corner of her eye. “So, what do we do?”

“We don’t have the men to fight them. The Royal Guard took the tower. All of the other knights are being held in there.” The corner of Sergei’s mouth twisted at the admission. “The best chance we have is a few hours ride out. If we can get to Sorey then he can convince Mikleo to come and help us.”

“What can Mikleo do?”

“You must have heard of the emperor’s dragon?”

Alisha shook her head, her stomach twisting. No one had talked about dragons the entire time that she had been in Pendrago, even with the high malevolence in the area. She was sure that Mikleo was only surviving because he had a vessel to dwell in. Without that, he certainly would have been a dragon, or that’s what she had heard from Michael and the others. If Mikleo had the capacity to become a dragon or even a drake then he was more dangerous than she thought. On the other hand, if they had something like that on their side she wasn’t going to complain.

She gave Sergei a short nod, trying to ignore the way her stomach rolled at the thought of pushing a seraph to the point where they turned into a drake. “So we get Sorey, and then what?”

“We send you on with the treaty.” Boris was the one who spoke up, his attention still on the hallway in front of them. “You’ll be safer in Hyland until this is worked out.”

“That won’t solve anything.”

“No. But it will keep another war from starting.”

Alisha snapped her mouth shut, refraining from pointing out that her life wasn’t a guarantee of stopping a war. Considering how the council had behaved, they would use any chance to start up the war again and Hyland would have to answer or else they would be rolled over again. She doubted that the two of them had thought of that, not that she blamed them. There were more important things to be worried about at the moment.

She nodded, not sure if either of them noticed. “What’s the quickest way back to Hyland?”

Sergei was the one to respond, the knight turning slightly to face her. “Boris will-”

The clatter of armor and the thud of boots interrupted him.

Alisha jerked to a stop at the same time that Sergei swung to cover her back. She felt Boris’ arm knock against her shoulder as he pivoted as well. Alisha adjusted her told on the treaty, wincing as she shoved it partially behind her and into her belt. She heard the vellum crinkle, hoping that nothing got ripped or obscured but there was no better place to put it. She brought her dagger forward, watching as armed guards rushed into the hallway. She tensed at the sight of their crossbows already loaded, watching as they were centered on her and Boris. From the way that Sergei shifted behind her, there were guards on the other side as well. She eyed the emblem of the Royal Guard before scanning over the soldiers.

She didn’t recognize any of them, not that she was surprised. Sorey had kept them on the walls and out of sight, which was probably part of the problem. After all, they had been the premier force in the empire and they had been relegated to guard duty. It was no wonder that they had chosen to fall on the council’s side, if they hadn’t been on their side already.

“Hold.” The familiar voice echoed down the hallway, Alisha looking up at the same time that she felt Sergei turn to get a better look at who was approaching.

“General Vortigern.”

The old general gave the three of them a slow nod, his hands remaining behind his back. He didn’t look like the beaten down man that she had seen in the council meetings, not that he hadn’t already shown that his behavior had all been an act.

Now he just grinned at them, tipping his head slightly towards Alisha. “Ah, I see that you were trying to anticipate me. It’s a shame that you didn’t work fast enough. What were you aiming to do? Get the princess out of the country? Or go get Sorey and the seraph? Were you thinking turning the dragon on us? On the loyal people of the empire?” Vortigern shook his head, Alisha sure that she heard something like a laugh. “This is what happens when you collaborate with enemies of the empire.”

She heard Sergei sputter, but Boris was a bit steadier. He shifted beside her, turning so he was facing Vortigern more completely. “You have nothing on us.”

Vortigern shrugged before gesturing at Alisha. “I think this is enough, as is your support of Sorey. He’s not royal, not really. His father usurped the throne from Emperor Dorann. His relation through his mother doesn’t count either. All he did was kill the rightful emperor and steal the throne. Your oaths should have kept you from standing by him. Don’t you think that is telling?”

From the very visible flinch that Sergei gave, that was answer enough. But at least the two of them didn’t waver, which was all that Alisha could ask for. She could feel her heart beating faster the longer that they stood there, because she had a feeling that she knew how it was going to end.

They were outnumbered and without reinforcements with the rest of the Platinum Knights stuck in the tower. Unless the three of them wanted to fight to the death they had no choice but to surrender. Alisha gritted her teeth, torn between the two thoughts. She didn’t want to just give up, not when they were so close, but she didn’t want to run the risk that her death would encourage Hyland to war. If that happened then they would be destroyed and everyone would continue to suffer. There was always the chance that one of them could escape and get to Sorey, and Alisha was sure that Boris and Sergei would make sure that it was her.

She reached back behind her, closing her fingers around the edge of the treaty, just reassuring herself that it was there. It didn’t matter which one of them managed to get out of the situation alive, just as long as one of them had the treaty. Whoever that was had to be the person that managed to avoid the worst of the first barrage or the one who managed to get through the gates, but both of those chances were slim, and Vortigern knew it.

The general nodded and motioned some of the men forward. The came with crossbows aimed carefully, Alisha tensing as she waited to see what they could do. None of them seemed interested in attacking just as long as the three of them were still. For a brief moment she considered attempting to push through them, because the alternative was worse to consider. Then there was a crossbow bolt in her face and Alisha was highly aware of the dagger that she was holding. She might be able to take down one or two of the guards, three if she was lucky, but they were in armor and she wasn’t. Alisha frowned before relenting a fraction, glaring at the guards as one grabbed for her arm.

She felt Boris jerk against her shoulder sure that he was ready to fight. Alisha leaned back, watching the guard in front of her shift his grip on the crossbow. The stalemate lasted for a moment before both Sergei and Boris dropped their swords. If Vortigern gave another order it was lost in the clatter of the two swords on the ground. It wasn’t too hard to guess at what the old general said because the soldiers were quick to secure Boris and Sergei and to rip the dagger from her hands.

Alisha’s first instinct to go after it, because the dagger was more than just a functional weapon. Maltran had given it to her as a gift at the end of her training and it was the only thing left of her old mentor that she had.

She leaned after the weapon before stopping herself, holding herself carefully still as the soldiers secured the three of them. Alisha turned her head as she heard one of the men grunt. She saw Sergei bent partially over out of the corner of her eye, obviously reacting to being punched. Alisha echoed Boris’ warning growl, surprised by the flare of protectiveness over Sergei, but she didn’t linger over it too long. She turned her head as movement in front of her called her attention completely.

Vortigern stood in front of her, looking her over slowly. The old man shook his hand before stepping slightly to the side to reach for the treaty tucked against her back. Alisha shuddered as his fingers brushed against her back briefly before he pulled the treaty away. The old general unrolled it, shaking his head before turning away from her. She thought she caught him say “Foolish dreams of children” before he lifted the treaty up to one of the torches in the hallway.

It took the vellum some time to catch, Alisha feeling a bit vindicated that Vortigern had to stand at the torch and wait for it. There was some triumph in that fact, but that meant little when all of their hard work was burning in front of her eyes. It didn’t matter that it was just one copy of the treaty and that there were others. The other copies would meet the same fate if the council was back in charge and it would be the end at their attempt at peace.

Vortigern finally dropped the burning piece of vellum to the ground, tossing the torch on top of it for good measure. He gave the burning treaty a baleful look before motioning impatiently towards them. “Take them all to the prison. Make sure they’re well secured before you start on the rest of the Platinum Knights. But we quick about it, the cardinal is waiting for you to escort the Shepherd. That demanding woman.”

The last part was muttered, and probably not meant for their ears, but Alisha supposed that it didn’t matter. Things were completely out of their control now.

She glared at General Vortigern’s back before her gaze dropped back down to where the treaty was still merrily burning on the floor. She tried to ignore the way that her stomach twisted and dropped, because she couldn’t just give up.

Maltran had always told her that there were times when she had to step back and reassess the situation, and this seemed like the perfect time. Although just what Alisha could do she didn’t know, not unless one of them managed a miraculous escape.

She gave the treaty one last look before giving into the sharp tugs on her arms, letting the guards pull her away after Sergei and Boris.


	10. Chapter 8

“He who holds, must first have discovered. He who has discovered, must first have sought. He who sought, must first have braved all impediments.”   
– _Y Chadee_ , Peter Berresford Ellis

* * *

 

Hellions wandered the bottom and the steeply sloped paths of Biroclef Ridge, Sorey watching as they scattered on the floor of the ridge below him. He didn’t have to look too far to see why, Sorey watching as the shadow of a larger creature drifted over the floor of the canyon. He tipped his head back to look at it, lifting a hand to cover his eyes. He thought he saw something that looked like a gigantic bird make a slow circle around the ridge before it was gone, flying off higher into the mountains. Sorey shuddered, glad that it was going away and that Mikleo had come with him.

All the hellions had avoided them when they had camped for the night and while they were winding their way up through the paths that made up Biroclef Ridge. Sorey wasn’t sure that Mikleo’s presence would keep the larger hellion away, but he hoped that it did. He wasn’t prepared to handle it. He’d only brought a sword with him and he doubted that Gododdin would be in any condition to help them.

Sorey turned his head to look at the town they were approaching, eyeing the wall that they had built. It might have been sturdy once, but now it had gaping holes in it. There were a few stacks of rocks and evidence that they were working on it, but it didn’t seem to be fast enough, which concerned him. There were more hellions than he had seen for a while wandering through Biroclef and it made him worry about the smaller villages scattered in and around the canyon. If Gododdin had been so hard hit it made him wonder if there were any villages left in the area.

He bit his lip, considering the wall for a moment before shaking his head. Waiting outside of the village wouldn’t solve anything, certainly not when Mikleo was looking impatient. He was probably already pushing on the seraph’s patience; first with his insistence on coming along and then with the slower pace riding forced on them. His hand twitched on the reins, Sorey trying not to reach up and touch where he had been scratched. He doubted that there was anything there now, not even a scar. He had checked in the mirror before they had left and there was nothing, but the silence on the few hours ride out had been more than enough to tell him that he wasn’t quite forgiven.

Sorey sighed, shaking his head when Mikleo turned around to look at him. Instead, he just made a tired motion towards the gates of the village. “Come on.”

For a moment, it looked like Mikleo was going to say something, but the seraph just shook his head and nudged his horse after Sorey’s. Sorey didn’t let his gaze linger, instead focusing on the gates of the village. It didn’t matter that he could still smell the last lingering vestiges of heat on Mikleo, it was best to ignore those, even if they sometimes made him shiver. It wasn’t the time to be thinking about something that wasn’t his. There were more important things to worry about, like the large hellion that seemed to have made Biroclef Ridge its hunting ground.

He eyed the wall again, breathing out slowly. At least the town had some sort of protection with the wall, even if they needed to keep in in constant repair. And at least Mikleo was with him. Mikleo might scare off some of the smaller hellions, and even the larger one, which would give them the time that they needed to full repair the wall. If not, then General Alexsei’s border troops were still somewhere close. It wouldn’t take them too long to get to Gododdin. There was nothing happening on the border between Lohgrin and the empire anyway and Sorey didn’t want his soldiers causing trouble there, not when the war with Hyland was so recently ended.

He rubbed a hand over his face, breathing out slowly. He was sure that his hand shook at the thought of the treaty that had been put on hold, Sorey not sure that it was anger or the near miss that he had suffered. For all he knew, the treaty would have been signed and then the council would have turned on both him and Alisha the next moment. He might have gotten out alive, just as long as Mikleo had never found out about the weapons. If he had, then they all would have died because of Mikleo’s rage.

Sorey looked back over at the seraph, watching him sit uncomfortably on the horse. The seraph didn’t look happy with the animal, but he had insisted that he didn’t need a cart and Sorey hadn’t wanted to push the idea of them sharing. That hadn’t stopped Mikleo from struggling with the horse from the moment they had left Pendrago, but Sorey didn’t dare offer an alternative. Besides, they were close enough to their destination anyway.

They would be stopping in Gododdin for as long as Sorey could drag it out. He didn’t want to go back to Pendrago, not yet. He wanted to spend a few days doing what he knew how to do instead of stumbling through the intricate steps of the court. He might not able to run a country, the latest problems with the council had proven that, but he could at least help people. He was good at that.

He turned his attention to the town as they rode through the rusted old gates set into the stone wall. Sorey sucked in a quick breath, looking around.

Gododdin was completely run down, Sorey counting only five standing houses, seven if the two ones with roofs half completed could count as done. It was a piteous state, one that made him wince. He should have made the rounds to Gododdin sooner, but he had always stayed away because it was too close to Pendrago and where his enemies were. And maybe it had been a good move, because Gododdin was still there while so many other villages had been razed to the ground by Lyte. That still didn’t make him feel any better about the shape of the village. After all, the only building that looked to be in good repair was a schoolhouse, and even that looked like it was starting to strain under the weight of what it was being put under. Sorey could see at least five clotheslines strung from various windows to the old tree in the front of it.

He slowed his horse down in the empty space in front of the schoolhouse, surprised when a brace of children rushed out of the front. The forerunners didn’t get further than the bottom step before plowing to a stop. They were quick to group together, the other ones glancing between him and Mikleo before grabbing onto as many of the younger ones as they could and starting to run off for the houses. Considering their condition, Sorey doubted that the houses were being used, but they were as good a hiding space as any and the children looked slightly terrified.

His first instinct was to look over at Mikleo to see if the seraph had slipped up somehow, that he was purposefully frightening the children away. But the seraph wasn’t showing scales or fangs, he was just sitting on his horse with a bemused look. Sorey didn’t have the time to ask Mikleo’s opinion because the adults were filing out of the schoolhouse as well, most of them bearing some kind of board or scrap of wood that looked like it had been written on.

The adults came to as quick of a stop as the children, although they did not run away. Most of them looked like they wanted to fight, which was surprising and it made Sorey wonder just what the soldiers on border duty had been doing during their down time. He closed his hands more tightly on the reins, quick to shush his horse when it tossed its head. That just seemed to rile the villagers up more.

He’d left most of the accoutrements of his station behind, because most of them would have fallen apart in travel. The cape and the jacket had been left behind, as had the more ornate sword, switched out for one of the standard ones that the Platinum Knights used. The only thing that would betray him was his crown, and he hadn’t been able to leave that behind, not with the grand exit that they had made and the authority that it conferred. Still, it was enough to make him want to stuff it into his saddlebags. But that wouldn’t help either, not with Mikleo tagging along, anyone could see what he was.

Sorey slid off his horse, hearing Mikleo make an interested sound. He ignored the seraph for the moment, preferring just to lead his horse closer to the villagers. He gave them what he hoped was a friendly nod, about to speak when an older man stepped out of the schoolhouse.

Some of the villagers turned to face him, giving way to the elderly man as he made his way down the stairs. Sorey went still, waiting for the man to reach the bottom of the stairs. He wasn’t surprised that the man bowed to him, he was used to that as his due, but he was surprised that the man turned and bowed to Mikleo.

“Your highness, my lord seraph, what brings you to our village?”

Sorey risked a glance back at Mikleo, sure that the same look of surprise was on his own face. He turned to face the old man again, offering a tip of his head of his own, at a loss of what to really say. “I…I came because something I ordered was left undone. There was something that was supposed to be helping villages like this, but there was nothing, and I’m sorry.”

He was almost tempted to bow, but he stopped himself short. That had always been the way he had spoken to wary village heads in the past, but he couldn’t anymore, the divide was too large. It was a tricky distance to cover, and Sorey found himself floundering like he never had before. He glanced around the village before taking a deep breath and plowing onward before he could get too caught up in himself. “There should have been food delivered to you and the other villages around here.”

One of the women snorted derisively, but no one bothered to motion for her to be quiet. From the look on their faces, all of the villagers agreed with her. The only one that seemed be sympathetic was the village chief. He nodded slowly, shooting one of the men a disappointed look when they laughed and made a motion back towards one of the standing buildings.

“We got what you delivered all right, courtesy of your highness’ troops. It was slightly off though, because we got more weapons for this war. Is this the way you’re recruiting now? Because Gododdin has given you all it can afford, or do you not see that?”

“Octavian.”

The gentle scolding didn’t seem to do much, the man just glaring at the chief before gesturing out towards the rest of the village. “What else does he want from us? We’ve given you everything we can and we haven’t gotten anything back. We’ve never been threatened up here aside from the hellions, but the soldiers on the border don’t do anything about them, they’re too busy fighting imaginary rebels. Meanwhile, we’ve become the only village left in Biroclef.”

Sorey stared at the man in shock, trying to process what the man said. “The only one left?”

The man looked like he was going to say something else, but the chief made a motion and the man remained silent this time. The chief gave him a long look, like he was waiting to see if anyone else would speak before turning back to face Sorey. Only then did he look back at him and Mikleo, the chief nodding slowly. “We’ve gone out and checked after some of the attacks. We took in the survivors and buried the dead.”

Sorey felt bile rise in the back of his throat. There had been at least five villages on the map, and they were all gone, and it was his fault. If he had moved faster or if he hadn’t just assumed that he’d be listened to some of the might still be alive. He’d read plenty of books about past emperors, and how they’d had to fight to get anything done when the throne wasn’t inherited through birth. But he’d just assumed that everyone would let him have it, because it technically was his through the complicated line of succession. Sorey turned his head away, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm his stomach down. It didn’t help completely, but at least he was able to talk.

“That was…a mistake. One that I’m not going to let happen again. I’m going to take back the weapons that you were sent and make sure that you get the supplies you need. And I’ll see about making sure that the hellions won’t be able to get to you again.”

From the expression on their faces, most of the villagers were skeptical, but there was also surprise there. They probably hadn’t expected any kind of support, not after the way they had been treated by the rest of the emperors and the troops. It was the smallest of victories that he could have won, but he would take what he could.

He looked over at the village chief, watching as the old man worked through what he had said. From the way that the old man raised his eyebrows, he didn’t quite believe him, but that didn’t stop the man from nodding slowly. “Even if that’s not the case, there’s no reason we shouldn’t offer you hospitality. You are our emperor.”

The last was thrown back at the rest of the villagers, Sorey watching as they shifted in place. He waited for them to disperse with the scolding, surprised when the chief stepped up in front of him, bowing low again. “As you can see, our village is humble, but we can find a place for you.”

“Don’t put anyone out because of us.”

The chief stared at him for a long minute before shaking his head. “You are our emperor and it has been a long time since a seraph has graced us with his presence. An effort must be made.”

He walked away from them before Sorey could stutter out a protest. He looked back over his shoulder at Mikleo, almost expecting the look that the seraph gave him. Mikleo certainly wouldn’t turn down the offer, which meant that Sorey couldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to leave Mikleo alone in a position that he wasn’t comfortable with. The seraph was only staying in Gododdin because he was there.

Sorey sighed and started leading his horse after the chief. He slowed down when he saw Mikleo slide off his horse, the seraph falling into step beside him.

Mikleo glanced around the village, his expression hard to read. Sorey had halfway expected disgust and more jabs at what humans were doing to each other, but Mikleo’s focus seemed to be elsewhere. His head kept moving from looking at the houses to looking up at the mountains that guarded Gododdin in the back. He seemed to be looking for something, the seraph’s watchfulness sending a shiver up his spine.

Sorey took a step closer, stopping just short of allowing their shoulders to touch. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “What is it?”

It took a moment for Mikleo to respond, the seraph gazing off towards the back of the village before shaking his head. “I don’t know. But they aren’t telling us something.”

“About the weapons? The other villages?”

“No. I don’t know.” Mikleo shook his head, jumping when he realized how close Sorey was.

It was a loss to have Mikleo move away from him, but Sorey let the seraph go. Mikleo’s gaze was quick to snap back to the sheer rise. It lingered there for a long moment, Sorey wanting to ask if it was the large hellion, but then Mikleo was looking away, apparently unconcerned. That didn’t stop Sorey from scanning the sky, looking for the large shape of the creature, but the skies were clear. He looked back at Mikleo as the seraph shook his head.

“I’ll leave the villagers and their chief to you.”

“And what about you?”

Mikleo shrugged and passed the reins over to him. Sorey took them automatically, staring after him as Mikleo ducked under the neck of his horse and started off towards the center of the village. He pulled both horses to a stop, watching as Mikleo stepped into the open space between houses, stopping and turning in place. Whatever he was looking for wasn’t completely apparent because he remained there for a moment before starting off in what looked like a random direction. Sorey leaned back to try and follow him, watching as some of the villagers that were lingering scattered to avoid him, although they all looked at him in awe.

Sorey tipped his head to the side, not quite willing to let Mikleo out of his sight. The seraph could handle himself, Sorey was sure of that. But that didn’t stop him from worrying. Sorey didn’t know if it was some lingering alpha instinct that he had forced himself into by sitting outside of Mikleo’s room during his heat, or if it was because of the way that Mikleo had been acting.

The seraph had been unusually quiet and distracted, which could be dangerous with so many hellions roaming around. Besides, these people might have been in awe of seraphim, but they wouldn’t know to stay away and give Mikleo all the space he wanted. Sorey didn’t want any casualties in Gododdin, not when it was the only remaining village in Birocelf Ridge because of his negligence. The emperor was supposed to protect his people.

He turned back around when he heard someone clear their throat. He nodded at the village chief, not sure that the man even saw it. The chief’s attention was completely on where Mikleo was roaming the empty space between the few houses left in the village. Sorey wasn’t sure if he saw concern or longing on the chief’s face, and it made him nervous. He had seen a similar covetous look on Cardinal Forton’s face when she had looked at Mikleo. He’d not been so blind that he’d missed that.

The chief sighed and turned to look back at Sorey, some of the longing turning into a smile. “You are blessed to have a seraph beside you.”

Sorey didn’t like the way that the chief’s gaze dropped to the sword that he wore. He would have gone to cover it, but he was still holding the reins of the two horses. Instead, he turned to move the sword out of the chief’s line of sight, not that it was much better. Sorey shifted nervously before shaking his head. “Mikleo is here of his own free will.”

That got the chief’s eyebrows to rise slightly. He gave Mikleo one last look before nodding slowly. “Then you are blessed indeed. And we have been blessed. It has been too long since anyone has seen an unbound seraph.” The chief turned to continue leading him on, giving a lazy wave back towards Sorey. “Don’t worry, your highness. We’ll make sure that no harm comes to your companion while you attend to your business here.”

Sorey wanted to protest that Mikleo could take care of himself, but he kept his mouth shut. He clucked to the horses, leading them on towards what looked like one of the better houses in the village. He scanned over the others, noting where repairs had been started and stopped. There were a few places that were marked out for what he assumed were future houses, especially since it seemed like Gododdin would be expanded in the near future. That would be something to keep track of, especially for when the soldiers were allowed to retire from the army. It wouldn’t be too bad to send some to the village to help out, especially when there were places for them to settle. Just what they would be doing Sorey didn’t know, but he doubted that Gododdin wouldn’t have anything to contribute to the empire.

He was surprised when the chief took the horses’ reins from his hands. The chief led them over to a spindly tree outside of the house, tying them there. He patted one of the horses’ necks, smiling fondly at the animals before turning to look at Sorey. “I’ll have the children take them to the barn towards the back of the village later. It will keep them out of trouble for a while, as long as you don’t mind.”

“Of course not.”

The chief nodded, glancing around. Sorey noticed that the man’s gaze lingered on something towards the back of the village.

Sorey stepped forward, staring down the dusty path towards where the walls of the ridge met to enclose the back of the village. He could see the dark opening of a cave mouth, tipping his head to the side. It was the same direction that Mikleo had been looking, which was interesting. Something about it had been special enough to catch and hold the seraph’s attention.

He took another step forward, stopping abruptly when the chief moved in front of him and bowed. “My apologies. It’s just habit to check the cave for children. They find the space fascinating, but it’s very dangerous. Mining has made the structure fragile.”

Sorey hummed, tipping his head to the side. “What were they mining?”

“Red vermillion. But the veins ran out years ago.” The chief hesitated for a moment before gesturing back towards the schoolhouse. “If you would follow me, I can show you were the soldiers stored the weapons that they delivered. Depending on how long it takes, I’ll have someone take you up to the border fort. But I wouldn’t leave too late.”

“Why not?”

“Because the road gets dangerous at night.” The chief looked out towards the wall, Sorey’s stomach twisting as he remembered the hellions that had been scattered along the trail. It had been easy climbing up with Mikleo because everything had ignored them, but he couldn’t imagine a human traveling up and down the trails.

He shook his head, giving the chief a smile. “Don’t worry about an escort. I’ll take Mikleo with me.”

The chief seemed surprised by his decision, but the man nodded slowly. “As you wish. The weapons are in the shed by the schoolhouse.”

Sorey motioned for the chief to lead the way, trailing after him and using the chance to look around the village more. They passed close to where Mikleo was standing by the front gates. The seraph looked back their way, Sorey surprised by the slight nod that he was given. He wasn’t sure if that was permission or acknowledgement, but he nodded back. He’d leave Mikleo to his own devices, at least until the seraph decided to join him. Sorey couldn’t imagine Mikleo just letting him handle the weapons on his own, especially after he had messed up so badly with them in the first time.

He turned his attention back to the chief as the man stopped in front of a shed built onto the schoolhouse. The chief fumbled with a pouch on his belt, extracting a set of keys and working them into the lock. It took him a few tries to get the keys to turn, Sorey wincing at the rusty screech that the lock made as it was pulled back.

If the chief noticed, he didn’t say anything. Instead he just pushed the shed doors open, revealing the seven crates that were stacked inside.

Sorey took a slow step forward, reaching out to run his hand along the edge of the crates. From what he could see, most of them were nailed shut, but one towards the front had been pried open. The villagers had probably done that, but they had been expecting to find food, not weapons. He peered into the crate, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the seraphic weapons piled inside. It wasn’t all of them, but it was a good number, far more than he expected. But that would make their job easier.

He took a step back, nodding at the chief. “I’ll just inspect them, not that I don’t trust you and the others.”

“Oh no. I wouldn’t blame you. The soldiers these days…they take liberties.” The chief gave him a significant look before turning and walking away to leave him on his own.

The show of trust surprised Sorey, but he didn’t comment on it. Being left alone might bring Mikleo back over. Then again, judging by the way that the seraph was wandering around the front of the village, Mikleo had more important things to do. Whatever that was.

Sorey sighed and turned his attention to the first crate, staring down at the weapons before shutting the top again. At least he could inspect all of the crates before meeting with the chief about what he could do to help the village. He gave the shed one last glance before choosing a crate and manhandling it out into the open.

* * *

Calling Gododdin a village might have been too generous. Mikleo paused with his hand on the railing of one of the houses. He stared up at the structure, sighing when he saw that the roof looked like it had been snapped off.

He knew what had caused it. The griffin was the only one of the hellions that could reach so high, although why it had stopped there he didn’t know. With so many people in the village it would have been tempting to land and snatch some of them up. The little hellions wouldn’t stop it and Mikleo doubted that there was a stronger hellion in the area. He certainly couldn’t feel it.

He pushed away from the house, walking down what he assumed was the main street. He could feel the stares of the people on him as he walked, most of them coming from inside the houses that were still standing. Mikleo assumed that most of them were children, because he could see the adults wandering around and doing chores, although those seemed to be taking longer than they should have. They were also staring intently at him, Mikleo trying not to shiver every time the stares lingered for too long.

He was aware that his presence was a strange and rare thing, but he had thought that the novelty of it would wear off. They certainly hadn’t given Sorey the same scrutiny, even when he’d been checking through the crates for the weapons.

Mikleo turned slightly to look back at the shed. Everything was closed and locked again, he had watched that much. He’d meant to watch more, but it was hard to concentrate, especially when something kept calling his attention.

He scanned the high ridges of stone that rose above the village, searching for that faint spark that had first attracted his attention. He almost expected it to be the griffin from the way it felt, but it wasn’t quite right. It felt something more like the weapons felt, but even that wasn’t the right description. Mikleo rolled his shoulders trying to work out how to work it out before giving up. There were a lot of things about Gododdin that didn’t match up.

Here was a village that seemed to be under siege by hellions and the buildings had the marks to prove it. And yet the village was still there, and with a good number of people in it too. It was far more than Mikleo had expected if they were fending off hellions by themselves. Mikleo was willing to bet that the soldiers hadn’t bothered to come down from their fort to help, because there were far too many hellions to defend against. In fact, he would have expected hellions to be coming from the village, but they weren’t. The people in Gododdin might have been beaten down, but they weren’t in danger of being overcome by malevolence.

Mikleo narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on just what was protecting the village, but it kept sliding away from him. All he could sense was a single dot of malevolence, and he knew that it was coming from him. Everything else was clean, was blessed.

He shook his head and continued to make his way towards the back of the village, highly aware that some of the humans were following him.

That was another strange thing. He could understand why the villagers would be on edge, but the amount of scrutiny was strange, especially when their chief had treated him with such reverence. Mikleo had expected them to be fawning at his feet instead of following him around. Sometimes they would get close to him, but they weren’t like the people from Pendrago. Those people would reach out for the edges of his cloak and retreat quickly, believing themselves blessed by the emperor’s seraph. The people of Gododdin seemed to just stand close to him until he shied away and altered his course. It was almost like he was being herded away from something and kept close to the schoolhouse and Sorey.

Mikleo stopped short at the thought, taking in the positions of the people next to him before looking back at the schoolhouse.

Sorey and their chief had disappeared into it an hour ago to discuss what Gododdin needed and how to loop the village into the system that he was designing. Mikleo was sure that the border fort would come up at one point, but it seemed like the sort of things that the villagers would want to know about. As far as he knew, Sorey had not closed the talks off, and it wouldn’t be much like Sorey if he did. Mikleo doubted that the people didn’t care, but it was more like they were more interested in something else.

Mikleo studied the schoolhouse for a moment, just listening as the people attempted to go about their tasks like without making it obvious that they were hovering close. They were starting to close ranks the closer he got to the back of the village. Mikleo was sure that they would start pushing him back towards the front where they had been keeping both him and Sorey. They hadn’t even let them get close to the barn where their horses were.

He glanced over his shoulder at the barn, using the move to try and look back at the people as he came to a decision. He wasn’t going to let himself be herded around, not with whatever was nagging at him and something of obvious importance towards the back of the village. His fingers twitched slightly, Mikleo considering his options before deciding on the less damaging one. Sorey would be disappointed if he hurt the villagers. Besides, they had done nothing more than be a nuisance, and that wasn’t a punishable offense.

Mikleo sighed and flexed his fingers, weaving his artes together into a bubble. It was easy enough to make the water reflect what was around him, creating an illusion of what the villagers expected to be seen. So long as he didn’t make much noise and moved slowly, no one would know where he was because no one would be able to see him there. He curled the illusion around him, securing it in place and going still as he waited to see if it held.

He’d taught himself the arte for the few times hellions had wandered up into Elysia. Not many had managed it because Gramps’ blessing had lingered for a bit. A few of the stronger had crossed it and Mikleo hadn’t been able to fight them, he’d been too young. The arte had saved his life far more times than he could count, but he hadn’t had to use it for a while. He’d taught himself more defensive artes and the hellions had stayed away once he had learned to construct his dragon out of ice. With the malevolence that he generated, not many hellions had risked a closer look at the construct.

Mikleo looked around to gauge the reaction of the humans, watching the panic cross their faces as they realized that he had disappeared. A few of them started to rush to the schoolhouse before others stopped them. Mikleo was sure that they would eventually go to tell their chief that he had vanished, but that wouldn’t be until they had exhausted all other options.

He smiled to himself and turned on his heel. He picked his way through the searching people, moving calmly and carefully toward the back of the villages. Most of the people that were searching for him were running towards the front of Gododdin, which meant that he was clear as soon as he made his way through the first rush. Mikleo checked back over his shoulder just in case, grinning to himself when he saw them scatter. Searching for him would keep them occupied long enough for him to get a good read on what exactly was going on in the village.

He turned his attention back to the road ahead of him, barely glancing at the half marked out spaces where houses would go later. From what he could see, the village would continue to expand towards the rock walls, but there was always space left away from the cave. With all the people living in the village and the expansion that it was undertaking, he thought that they would have used all the room they had. Between the wall out front and the ridges on either side, Gododdin didn’t have much space left to grow.

Mikleo stepped over one of the boundaries marked out, focusing on the cave. The feeling was back, Mikleo tipping his head to the side as he tried to sort out what it was. It was hauntingly familiar, but too weak for him to really identify.

He pressed a hand over his mouth to keep from making a sound. He didn’t want to be discovered, not now. Humans were hiding something from him, and he wasn’t just going to leave it be and trust them again. For all he knew, the people of Gododdin weren’t as trustworthy as he or Sorey thought. After all, they were desperate people living in tough conditions. It was a very human thing to struggle until the end, even if it turned them into monsters.

Mikleo contemplated the entrance to the cave, leaning forward slightly to stare at some of the supports that had been used to brace the walls. He thought he saw a glimmer of red dust on the walls, but that was easy enough to ignore, especially in the face of the strange feeling. It was stronger coming from the cave, meaning that the source was somewhere inside. Mikleo gave the supports for the cave one more glance before striding inside.

The difference between the temperatures outside and inside was distinct, Mikleo finding himself relaxing now that he was out of the sun. He hadn’t even realized how harsh it had been until he’d been out of it. He turned to look back at the village, looking out for anyone running towards the cave. He breathing out slowly, relieved that no one was coming after him. He couldn’t imagine why they would, especially when they probably had no knowledge of why he would bother to go into the cave.

Mikleo shook his head, about to drop his illusion when he felt the presence increase. He spun around to look into the cave, searching out what was living there. He got a momentary flash of something so achingly familiar before his illusion was ripped away from him.

He struggled to keep it close, surprise making him move far too slowly to salvage it. Mikleo pulled against the surge of power for a moment before just letting the illusion go. He called on his staff, readying himself for a fight even as he stepped further into the cave. It was better to go in prepared because he could have been wrong about what he had sensed. There was every chance that he could have stumbled into a hellion’s lair and that he had been fooling himself about everything else. He’d done it before in Elysia, back in the early days when he had been desperate for any other seraphim.

Mikleo called on his artes, forming spikes of ice even as he looked for the thing that had torn his illusion from him. He caught a glimmer of something out of the corner of his eye, Mikleo pivoting and sending the ice spikes out towards the thing that had moved. He got a glimpse of a face looking out at him through the darkness just before a pillar of earth rose up in front of them.

Mikleo snarled and took a step back, reaching to send out another attack when he felt something wet whip around his arm. He turned to face the thing that had caught him, pulling himself up short when he was hit by the presence again. He went still, staring into the darkness as he tried to work out who was in the cave with him.

The end of his struggles seemed to be enough of a signal to the others in the cave that some of them relaxed. He turned his head towards the sound of a long sigh, about to call out to the ones in the cave with him when he heard a tired voice speak.

“Let him go, Amenoch. He’s not a hellion.”

There was a snort from someone in front of him, definitely not Amenoch because the water was sliding from his wrists. Mikleo rubbed at his wrist, looking up again when the one in front of him spoke. “He feels like one, and he attacked us.”

“Can you blame him?” The voice came somewhere from his right, Mikleo shifting slightly to see them. All he could see was a vague shape, but the voice was kind if unsteady. “It’s a strange world out there right now. I don’t think any of them know whether they are coming or going.”

The voice in front of him sniffed. “That’s no excuse.”

“Eumacia!” The voice that had commanded him to be released spoke up again, some steel in it for a moment before it went back to being soft. “Musiphe, if you would.”

Mikleo threw an arm up over his face at the flare of light. He peeked out from underneath it, letting his eyes adjust for a moment before lowering his arm completely. He took the chance to look around the room, his attention briefly caught by the ornate doors that were towards the back of the cave before his gaze dropped to the five pitiful figures that were sitting together.

His breath caught in his throat, Mikleo feeling a strange twist of longing when he saw the five seraphim. He had waited years to see another seraph and he had come to terms with the fact that he’d never see another one outside of a weapon unless he did something about it. But here were five of them, weak but alive and it made everything make sense.

Gododdin hadn’t been overwhelmed by the hellions because the seraphim were watching over the village. They weren’t strong enough to repel them completely, but it was enough to keep the damage to the structures instead of the people. And the flickers of something like a seraph’s blessing made sense too, because they were too weak to extend it much beyond the village.

He made a choked sound, not sure if it was a laugh or a sob, but that didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. He wasn’t alone outside of the weapons, there had been others that had escaped the humans.

Mikleo took a step forward, stopping when one of the seraphim flinched away from him. He stared at all of them in horror, stumbling back a few steps.

None of them were tainted, not even a bit. Mikleo didn’t know how they managed to do it, but that wasn’t too important. It was no wonder that they were horrified by him. He looked away from them, wrapping an arm around his waist. Mikleo thought he heard one of them scoff, glancing up to look at the earth seraph as she settled herself back against the rocks of the wall.

She crossed her arms over her chest, looking him up and down before shaking her head. “He’ll eat us.”

“I won’t!”

“Oh but you will, or are you that blind to yourself.”

Mikleo snarled, only realizing what he was doing a moment later. He released his hold on his waist, feeling his fingers move sluggishly under their covering of scales. He swallowed and looked away, trying to push back the anger and the hunger that was growing in his stomach.

The hunger had been easier to ignore when the seraphim had been trapped in the weapons, it had taken standing in the room for a while for him to really start to smell them. But these were five seraphim out of the weapons, their scent sweet and intoxicating. He felt his mouth watering, disgusted by the reaction.

He reached up to wipe at his mouth, freezing when the earth seraph smiled at him. “I thought so.”

“Eumacia.”

Eumacia huffed and went silent, staring morosely at the ground. The seraph that had spoken nodded at her before settling back with a groan. Mikleo tried to ignore the small bit of instinct that told him to start with that seraph first. He was weak and wouldn’t fight as hard. It would be safer, and he would be able to get stronger before attacking the others.

Mikleo shook his head, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to push back the hunger, but it was harder than it had ever been before. He licked his lips, feeling fangs scrape across the top of his tongue. He prodded at them for a moment before ducking his head.

He heard one of the seraphim chuckle, the sound almost fond. He didn’t dare look up, not even when he spoke again. “You’re too hard on him, Eumacia. This isn’t an easy world for us anymore. We can’t blame him for what happened.”

From the way that some of the seraphim muttered, Mikleo was sure that they didn’t agree. He glanced up to see which ones weren’t agreeing with their leader, his stomach twisting when he realized all but one other were shaking his head. He took a step back, surprised when the leader held out his hand. “You don’t have to be afraid.”

“ _He_ doesn’t.” One of the seraphim spoke, Mikleo watching as he raised his red and black sleeve to cover his nose. “He reeks of malevolence and humans.”

“We could trust them once.” The seraph made a noncommittal sound, not lowering his sleeve from his face. The leader glared at him for a moment before shaking his head. “We can trust the people here. There’s every chance that he found his own trustworthy human.”

“Perhaps a little too late.”

The leader gave the seraph in various shades of green a sharp look before rolling his shoulders. “We don’t have much of a choice. There’s six of us free that I know of. We need to be a bit more understanding in these trying times.”

It took a moment, but the others were nodding slowly as well. Mikleo didn’t know if it was in his favor or if they were just agreeing with their leader. He eyed them all carefully, looking at their clothes.

For seraphim in hiding, they looked far too well dressed. And the few names he heard were strangely familiar. Mikleo frowned and stared at the floor, trying to piece together the names he had heard.

Gramps had told him plenty of stories back in Elysia. They were all a jumbled mess in his mind, pushed aside for the practical knowledge that he had hoarded. They had all be stories about past ages and fantastical beings hadn’t seemed important when he had been trying to survive on his own. He might have whispered the stories to himself on dark nights when he needed to feel less alone, but it had all been a tangled mess, all of it half remembered and unimportant when compared to the sound of his own voice.

Mikleo glanced back towards the seraphim, narrowing his eyes as he saw a familiar pattern on one of their sleeves. He might not have recognized the names, but he could remember the patterns. He remembered when Myrna had taken him into the ruins hanging off the side of Mount Mabinogio. She had said that they had belonged to Gramps long ago and showed him the huge statue that looked nothing like Gramps. But there had been other carvings in tinier shrines tucked into corners of the old temple, and the same symbols there. He remembered Myrna pointed them out and speaking the names of the five Great Lords that they represented.

The five Great Lords that watched over the seraphim.

Mikleo felt his anger spike, scales bristling to life over his skin the longer that he stared at them. He might not have been able to remember exactly who they were, but he could remember what they were supposed to do because he had muttered that to himself in the dead of night, trying to reassure himself that there was something else out there other than humans that wanted to use him and hellions that wanted to eat him. He’d _prayed_ to them to save him.

He curled his hands into fists, taking a slow step forward. He didn’t know what alerted the others first, the swell of malevolence or the sound of his breath hissing out. The fire and wind seraphim tensed, both of them looking ready to attack while the others just looked wary. Even their leader looked shocked.

Mikleo bared his teeth at him, not caring that he could feel his fingers lengthening into claws or the strain of wings against his shirt. He wouldn’t care if the wings unfurled and shredded the shirt to pieces.

He snarled, having to remember how to speak again and then how to get the words around his fangs and forked tongue. “You were supposed to watch us. You were supposed to _help_ us.”

The leader leaned back, looking offended by the implication. Mikleo glared at him, taking another step forward. “You _left us_.”

Some of the other seraphim cringed away, but the leader stood up. He wavered on his feet for a moment before taking a step forward so he was standing right in front of Mikleo. He stared up into tired green eyes, watching as the seraph sagged. He supposed that he should have felt pity, but there was none left. Maybe if one of the Great Lords had bothered to look after the seraphim, then he would have forgiven them. But there had been nothing for years.

Mikleo straightened his back, feeling the tearing sensation of the membrane of his wings pulling away from his skin. “If you cared, Maotelus, then you would have tried to stop the war.”

“What makes you think that we didn’t try?”

“Because you were never there.”

“We couldn’t be.” Mikleo snarled in anger, the seraph raising his voice to speak over the sound. “We were as trapped as the rest of you. The bindings hold _all_ seraphim.”

“Then why are you here?”

Maotelus glared at him before stepping aside. Mikleo followed the motion warily, looking down at the glitter of broken metal on the floor. There were too many shards to tell how many weapons had been broken, but it was obvious that someone had been snapping the weapons. He looked around for other evidence of weapons, quick to shy away when Maotelus reached out to touch him.

Maotelus gave him a hurt look before taking a step back. “We’re trying.”

“It’s not enough.”

“It’s all we can do. We went through half of one of those crates before you arrived, and most of them were wind seraphim in crossbows. None of them survived. Wouldn’t it be better to have a way to save them instead of destroying them all?”

Mikleo huffed and turned away, pacing towards the front of the cave. He felt the ground rumble slightly, not bothering to turn to look at Eumacia. There was a threat, and he was sure that he would respond faster than any of them would. They were all weak and he was strong. After all, it would only take one to make him stronger than the strongest one there.

He bared his teeth at them, watching as they flinched back. It wasn’t as satisfying as before, but at least it would keep them away from him. And, at least he knew where they stood. Mikleo turned to walk away, freezing when he heard one of the seraphim snort.

“And what have you done? Other than fall to malevolence?”

He spun around, looking at Musiphe. The fire seraph glared back at him, seeming to draw courage from the others around him. Mikleo stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.

“I’ve been trying to get them back and out.”

“Then you’ve just been killing them too.”

Mikleo froze at the accusation, remembering the shine of what had been Kyme as the ball of energy had hung in the storeroom. Kyme, who was always ready with a smile and a sweet for him. Kyme who was gone forever.

He crumpled at the memory, aware that he was shaking. But that didn’t matter compared to the anger and ever present sense of loss. “At least I’ve tried!”

Mikleo would have lunged at Musiphe if Maotelus hadn’t stepped between them. The Great Lord gave him a level look. “Do you have a human that could help you?”

“Why would I need a human?”

“If you don’t have one, you won’t be able to save them.”

Mikleo opened his mouth to protest, snapping it shut when he saw the serious look on Maotelus’ face. He considered the seraph for a moment before looking away, trying to relax as he did so. He doubted that Maotelus would lie to him, especially after everything that he had thrown into the seraphim’s faces. Mikleo didn’t think that it was regret exactly, but there was still some kind of pride there.

He tipped his chin up, seriously tempted to refuse. They didn’t need the humans, especially when they had consistently shown that they were untrustworthy. It was too much to ask and Mikleo didn’t want to trust Maotelus. Certainly not after he and the others had abandoned the seraphim for so long. But he also couldn’t see another way to get Maotelus to tell him how to help the seraphim. After all, the five Great Lords held that title for their reason. They were – had been – the most powerful seraphim.

Mikleo stared at Maotelus for a moment longer before relenting. “What if I do?”

“Then bring him here, and I’ll explain everything.” There was the start of the protest from one of the other seraphim, but Maotelus made an impatient gesture. He turned to look back at Mikleo. “If you still want to save them.”

Mikleo turned away, annoyed by the ultimatum. He didn’t want to be held to a promise like that, he had promised enough already. Even the fact that he was standing in front of the Great Lords didn’t help change his mind. As far as he was concerned, they had done nothing for the rest them. If they had wanted to help the seraphim, they should have made their stand ages ago, but they had remained silent. Still, the chance was too good to refuse, especially when they would know the best way to make sure that all of the seraphim didn’t become hellions or dissolve away. Mikleo was sure that some of the seraphim would be grateful to be free before they disappeared, but he couldn’t be sure.

He sighed, slumping slightly. The motion should have been enough, but the five seraphim were silent. Mikleo looked back at them, some part of him hating them for making him say it out loud. If they were looking out for the seraphim they would have told him, or done something. But instead they were sitting back and guarding their own lives. Still, Mikleo wasn’t too proud to admit that he needed their help.

“Fine.” He nearly spat the word out, watching as the water seraph flinched. He didn’t even care that the others looked shocked at the disrespect that he was showing them, Mikleo was beyond caring. He threw a quick glance over at Maotelus, before walking towards the front of the cave. Behind him, the seraphim fell into a quiet conversation, one that Mikleo was sure that he could ignore. Their private matters didn’t mean anything to him not after what they had done to the seraphim.

Mikleo walked out of the cave, taking a deep breath. Now that the air was clear of the scent of other seraphim he felt like he could think better. The urge to stretch his jaws wide and clamp down on the seraphim was slowly disappearing. His frustration with them didn’t help, but there was no reason to throw the chance away, not until he had tried to do what Maotelus said. He’d reserve judgement on what they had told him later. Until then, there was only one human that he could think of that wouldn’t mind being pulled into another tangle of pacts and promises.

He scanned the rough dirt road that led into Gododdin, not surprised to see two of the villagers rushing towards him. Mikleo was sure that they worry on their face wasn’t because of him, it was because they knew about the seraphim in the cave. From the way that they gave the entrance to the cave a worried glance, Mikleo was sure that he was right.

He lifted his chin imperiously, looking at the two people before glancing over at the schoolhouse. He couldn’t see Sorey out in the open, which meant that he was still closeted with the chief. At least that meant that he would be easy to find and that it wouldn’t take them too long to sort things out.

Mikleo glanced back at the villagers, watching as they struggled to come up with something to say. He huffed, not patient enough to let them work through what exactly to say. He made an impatient motion towards the schoolhouse. “Take me to the emperor. I need to speak to him.”

* * *

The chief leaned back, his eyebrows rising slightly. Sorey watched the man, waiting for his reaction.

He had expected something more than silence when he had outlined his plan for the villages, especially since he said that he would be replacing the garrison on the border. Considering the number of hellions that were wandering through Biroclef Ridge Sorey had expected the chief to refuse the idea. The garrison might not have helped much, but at least they were better than having nothing. Sorey would have let them stay, but he couldn’t trust troops loyal to General Alexsei. It would be better if they were closer so he could keep an eye on them. Besides, he’d rather have soldiers who would help Gododdin instead of letting it become like the other villages in Biroclef Ridge.

Sorey shifted in his seat as the man hummed, the chief rubbing his chin before shaking his head. “I don’t believe that there’s enough to support many more villages. Even if the hellions hadn’t come here, the others were struggling. Biroclef hasn’t been a productive area, not since the red vermillion stopped being in demand. If the war hadn’t happened, people just expected to drift away to somewhere else when things had become too hard.”

Sorey frowned, puzzling over the question. “What was the red vermillion used for?”

“Paint. Dye. Religious ceremonies.” The chief waved his hand to dismiss the subject. “There’s still a use for it. But we’d have to chance mine deeper to find any, and that’s if there’s any left. We don’t have the people to do it, not with the constant repairs. And I don’t think that your retired soldiers would want to come to some place where they’re put into mines. Still, I’m sure that any help that will be sent our way will be welcome.”

Sorey nodded, wishing that he’d thought to bring a map. Gododdin was out of the way of most of the other parts of the empire, which meant that it would take some special effort to make sure that it wasn’t lost in the movement of supplies and support. Considering how bad the village was, he’d have to make sure that it was attached to the supply chain of another town, perhaps to the fort itself.

He bit his lip as he thought it over, only looking up when he heard the door to the room open. He rose slightly from his chair, expecting someone to call for the chief. After all, Sorey had taken up much of his time, and there looked like there was plenty to do with the village’s fortifications. Sorey hoped that Mikleo’s presence would be able to keep the hellions away for the night, but he didn’t want to take up all the time that the villagers had and leave them vulnerable to the next attack.

The whole situation was enough for him to wish that the Shepherd that Cardinal Forton had chosen was more than just a Shepherd in name. The villages were sure to need help with the hellions that were roaming around after so many years of war.

That was another thing to consider when he got back to Pendrago, if the chosen Shepherd would even talk to him after what he had done to Cardinal Forton. Sorey could only hope that the man would understand.

Sorey froze in the middle of getting up his chair when he saw Mikleo standing in the doorway, two of the villagers standing behind him.

It was second nature to reach for his sword, Sorey ready for whatever news that Mikleo was going to tell him. He noted the way that the two villagers flinched, but filed the reaction away for the moment. Whatever Mikleo needed his attention for was more important.

He took a careful step towards the seraph, waiting for any more signs that he was free to approach. Mikleo didn’t give him any, the seraph’s gaze skimming over him to rest on the chief. Mikleo’s eyes narrowed, Sorey not quick enough to read the flash of emotion across Mikleo’s face before it was gone. “Sorey, there’s something you need to see.”

“What?”

“They’ve been hiding something from us in the old mine.”

The words were barely out of Mikleo’s mouth when one of the villagers rushed past him. Mikleo practically jumped away from the contact, not that the villager noticed. They were too busy dropping to their knees in front of the chief. “I swear it was an accident. The seraph just disappeared and we tried to look for him. We don’t know how he got past us.”

The chief sighed and rested a hand on the villager’s head. “No harm has been done, I hope?” The villager shook their head, the chief relaxing slightly. “Then it is forgiven. And I don’t think it would have harmed them.”

Sorey looked between the villager and the chief before turning to look at Mikleo, expecting more of an explanation. What he didn’t expect was for Mikleo to grab his wrist and start pulling him out of the room.

He thought he heard one of the people inside make a shocked sound at Mikleo’s presumption, but he didn’t care. He was more focused on the hard grip that Mikleo had around his wrist. If the touch alone wasn’t enough to worry him, then the urgency in Mikleo’s pace was. It wasn’t hard to keep up with him, but Sorey couldn’t think of many things that would make Mikleo move so quickly. He was almost tempted to reach out and touch the seraph to try and calm him, but Sorey doubted that it would work. Any touch would be more likely to startle Mikleo away then get him to talk. It was better to wait him out and see what was so important.

Sorey stumbled on the steps out of the schoolhouse, barely getting a chance to recover before Mikleo was hauling him down the street of Gododdin. He could see children peering out at him from broken houses, a face at every vantage point. The adults of the village were even less circumspect, they were standing out in the open and staring at the two of them in awe. Sorey saw a few of them start to bow, but he was whisked by too fast to see if they bothered to complete the motion. He was tempted to look back of his shoulder at them, but he didn’t dare in case he actually tripped. He kept his gaze focused straight ahead of him, on the cave that the chief had stared at earlier.

He managed to keep quiet until Mikleo pulled him up to the entrance. Sorey glanced at the old support structures before tugging backwards. Mikleo slowed for a second, just long enough to give him a look that managed to be a combination of irritated and pleading.

Sorey looked down at where Mikleo was holding his wrist, turning his wrist slightly in Mikleo’s grip. He saw Mikleo’s fingers curl, the motion put more pressure onto his skin, almost like Mikleo was afraid that he was going to pull back and run. Sorey shook his head, not sure if the reassurance worked. He licked his lips and looked up at Mikleo. “What do you need?”

“Your help.”

He was taken aback by the words, but he didn’t get a chance to ask for more before Mikleo tugged him into the old mine.

Sorey ducked slightly, staring up at the ceiling of the mine before straightening up slightly. The entrance looked man made, but it quickly widened out into something that looked more natural. He thought he caught sight of carvings along the top of the cave before a sharp tug brought him up short. Sorey glanced over at Mikleo, noticing the tension in the seraph’s shoulders before he looked at what Mikleo had brought him to see.

His mouth dropped open when he saw the five seraphim sitting together towards the back of the cave. The looked like every picture he had seen of seraphim from the books that he had read when he was young and the shrines that he had seen in the villages that he had passed through. They were ethereal beings in flowing, colorful robes. Sorey looked over the intricate designs on their clothing, swaying in place.

He felt like he should bow or do something to show his reverence. These were the beings that had been missing from the world for so long, the ones that had been lucky enough to escape being used for war. He leaned forward slightly, Mikleo’s tight hold on his arm preventing him from doing much more.

Sorey heard one of the seraphim chuckle, watching as the blond one struggled to his feet. The seraph swayed for a moment before making his way over.

“I see you have held up your end of the deal.”

“Yes.” Mikleo released his hold on Sorey’s wrist. “Now hold up yours.”

Sorey shifted slightly, trying to look both at the seraph and Mikleo. “What deal?”

Mikleo pressed his lips together, Sorey not sure if that meant that the seraph was thinking over his answer. And, when he looked back at the other seraph, he just shook his head. “All in good time.”

The seraph’s gaze moved to something just behind them, Sorey turning around as he heard the seraph laugh. “I should have known you were behind this Masedra.”

The village chief huffed from where he was standing in the entryway to the cave. The old man smiled and shook his head. “I can’t take the blame for this one. The Lord Seraph discovered you all by himself.”

Sorey gaped at the chief, trying to connect the familiar name to the face. If the chief noticed, he didn’t acknowledge it. The man just bowed to the five seraphim. “Great Lords, pardon the intrusion.”

One of the seraphim grumbled under her breath, but it was too low for him to catch any of the words. Sorey didn’t really think that it mattered, not with all the things that he was processing.

He’d never thought that there were other seraphim free. He’d never heard of any other aside from Mikleo. Then again, maybe they had been kept so well hidden that he hadn’t heard about them or they had just been freed. Sorey looked between the five, trying to feel anything other than awe. He pivoted to look at Mikleo, expecting to see the same kind of awe and wonder, but all he saw was annoyance.

Mikleo glared at the assembled seraphim before he turned to look at the chief. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, looking the old man up and down. The suspicious look made the hairs on the back of Sorey’s neck rise. The village chief had done nothing to show that he was dangerous, but Sorey’s gut instinct was to trust Mikleo.

He took a step closer to Mikleo, looking between the chief and the seraphim. Now that he wasn’t struck by the sight of so many seraphim he was suspicious. There was every chance that the villagers had bumbled their way into freeing a seraphim, but not five. Sorey glanced down at floor of the cave, catching a glimpse of pieces of shattered metal and wood. He nudged one of them closest to him with the toe of his boot, flipping it over. It was hard to see the words of the shard, but he could make out the tail end of what looked like an old style “J”.

Sorey knelt down to pick it up, turning the shard over in his hands. He glanced back up at the seraphim and the chief, narrowing his eyes when he realized what the blond seraph had said when the chief had appeared. “Masedra?”

The chief turned around, his eyes widening slightly in fear or surprise. Sorey didn’t know which, he didn’t know the man well enough to determine. He turned the shard over in his hand, just barely stopping himself from closing his fingers around it.

Sorey took a deep breath, using the time to give Masedra time to respond, but the chief didn’t. He looked away, taking a step closer to the seraphim like Sorey was a threat. His stomach fluttered a bit at that, Sorey pushing through the emotion to try and focus on the important problem. The lie was one thing, and something to be dealt with later. What was more important was figuring out all the danger that the lie put them in. He fingered the edge of the shard for a moment before letting it drop out of his hands.

“Pope Masedra?”

The chief tensed before dropping his chin in something like a nod. The old man sighed and closed his eyes. “I was wondering when someone would come. I expected someone from the church, not the emperor himself.”

Sorey shook his head, glancing over at the other seraphim as Mikleo shifted by his side. He saw them starting to shrink back in on themselves, the female seraph in brown, yellow and black drawing herself up. Sorey stuck out his arm in front of Mikleo, not sure if it was needed or not. He felt Mikleo’s chest bump up against his arm, turning it so his palm could press against Mikleo’s chest. He expected Mikleo to protest, not for the growl to rumble through Mikleo. Sorey made a sound that he hoped sounded comforting and chiding, not sure that it was the right thing to do. It must have been because Mikleo didn’t lunge forward.

He kept his arm raised just in case, but his attention went back to where Masedra was.

The old man was looking at him again, this time with a bit less fight and a bit more weariness. “I assume that I was part of the reason that you came here.”

Sorey shook his head. “Not at all. I didn’t know you were here. Everyone back in Pendrago just assumed that you are dead or that the Cardinal…got rid of you.”

“Forton?” Masedra shook his head. “She is a deeply devoted woman, but perhaps not enough to kill me. I’m sure she’s taken care of things admirably during my absence.”

Sorey stared at him, slack jawed in shock before quickly shaking his head. “She hasn’t. She’s been pushing for the seraphic weapons to remain in use.”

Masedra huffed, his eyebrows furrowing. “We’re just creating our own destruction that way. If we continue, the weapons will just produce more hellions, which will consume us all unless they are taken care of. And we need a Shepherd for that.”

“I’ve lost track of the last Shepherd.” The blond seraph sighed, Sorey shivering as his gaze slid over both him and Mikleo. The seraph shook his head. “And I don’t know if he will be able to come to us here. The empire would hate to have him in their territory…so it would be best to have a Shepherd that could go anywhere within the empire until things have been settled.”

Sorey made a half-hearted motion over his shoulder, back in the direction that he thought Pendrago was. “But the Cardinal already appointed a Shepherd.”

“Appointed.” The seraph laughed, the sound weak and reedy where it should have been strong. “No one can appoint a Shepherd. It’s a blessing given by me alone.”

Sorey stared at the seraph, his fingers twitching slightly. He knew most of the hodge-podge of stories that came from the Shepherd legends. All of them differed in place and time, but they all said that the Shepherd was usually given a gift by a seraph. The first to bear the title had been Artorius, but Maotelus had always been the one to confer the power unto the Shepherd. But Maotelus hadn’t been able to continue the blessing, not when he’d been stolen from his home and bound into a weapon just like the others.

He opened his mouth to speak, shutting it quickly when Maotelus looked over at him. The seraph looked him over before giving an approving nod. “Your choice is a good one. An emperor can go where he wills.”

“What?”

Maotelus turned away like Sorey hadn’t spoken, his attention on Masedra. “Have any of the emperors released seraphim before?”

“Not in my lifetime.” Masedra chuckled slightly. “Then again, I’ve been speaking about releasing the seraphim for all of my time in the church. Maybe it took effect.”

“What are you talking about?” He practically yelped out the last word as Mikleo grabbed his arm and tugged it sharply down. Sorey turned to look back at Mikleo, wincing when he felt the seraph dig his nails into his arm.

“They’re talking about a way to get my family back.”

One of the seraphim still leaning against the wall huffed, Sorey tempted to look over at them but he didn’t dare take his eyes from Mikleo. He swallowed, twisting his arm slightly. Mikleo’s hold loosened, but it didn’t let up. Mikleo’s frustrated look turned into something more pleading, Sorey surprised at the change.

Mikleo had always seemed happy enough to work on his own or he had always seemed to believe that humans were better kept at a distance. Sorey was almost tempted to ask what had changed Mikleo’s mind, but he had a feeling that he already knew. Kyme’s death had been an accident, but a preventable one. Mikleo had found Maotelus, and the seraph was talking about creating Shepherds, the very thing which could have saved Kyme and the others. And something in him wanted to jump at the chance, but he had responsibilities.

He shook his head, hating the way that Mikleo wilted slightly. But then the anger was back, and he knew how to handle Mikleo’s anger.

Sorey took a deep breath, reaching up to touch where Mikleo’s hand was resting on his arm. He stopped short, letting his hand hover just above Mikleo’s. “I _can’t_. I have to stay close to Pendrago. I can’t just go off around the continent like the other Shepherds.”

Mikleo stared at him for a moment before giving a harsh laugh. “I don’t care what the other Shepherds did. I’m not asking you to be one. Someone else can do that. I’m asking that you do this so all of the seraphim that are stuck in weapons don’t rot away into hellions while we wait for a Shepherd. As soon as Maotelus is able to travel, he can find someone else to do it.”

Sorey opened his mouth to protest, wanting to say that the power of the Shepherd wasn’t something to be taken on for their own personal gain. But it would be wrong to refuse what Mikleo was asking, because they did need to save the seraphim that they had managed to gather. It wasn’t right to hold onto them for so long, especially not when they could do something about it and not when there was a risk of the weapons being taken away again like they had before. And he had promised Mikleo that he would help any way he could, but he had done nothing to help keep his promise.

He shut his mouth and dropped his chin to his chest, taking a deep breath. In the face of everything, it was impossible for him to refuse.

He looked back up at Mikleo, offering the seraph a smile. “What do you need me to do?”

The admission was worth the shocked looked on the seraph’s face, especially since it softened into a smile. He thought he felt Mikleo’s fingers stroke along his arm, but the seraph pulled away too quickly for him to tell.

Mikleo turned to face Maotelus with a smirk on his face, although Sorey was sure that Maotelus looked the more satisfied out of the two. The Great Lord was smiling like he had gotten everything that he wanted.

Maotelus nodded slowly before taking a step forward. Sorey tried not to flinch away as the seraph rested a hand on the top of his head, surprised by how warm Maotelus felt. He was used to Mikleo’s cooler touch. He squirmed under Maotelus’ hand, going completely still when the hand on his head grew warmer.

He glanced up at the seraph, surprised to see Maotelus standing with his eyes closed and a frown on his face. For a moment, the seraph’s face twisted in concentration, his fingers curling into Sorey’s hair. Sorey winced at the pull, wanting to step away but the steady pressure kept him in place. He hissed at the burning skin that was pressed against his forehead.

Maotelus didn’t seem to notice his discomfort, the seraph muttering under his breath for a moment before his nails dug into Sorey’s scalp. Sorey jerked, trying to get away as the heat settled into his body. He gasped for breath, flailing out with one arm as he reached for someone. His fingers skimmed along Mikleo’s arm, but the seraph backed away, leaving him to twitch in agony until Maotelus moved his hand away.

Sorey curled in on himself, reaching up to touch his forehead. He was sure that there was a mark burned into his skin, but he couldn’t feel anything. Sorey lowered his hands to look down at his fingers before looking up at where Maotelus was swaying in place.

For a moment it looked like the seraphim was going to fall over, but Maotelus caught himself. Sorey took a cautious step forward anyway.

Masedra beat him to it, the old man reaching up to touch Maotelus’ shoulder. The seraph looked down at Masedra before shaking his head. “I’m alright. Besides, there’s one more thing left to do. A Shepherd needs a Prime Lord, and none of us are strong enough to lend our power.”

There was a hiss from one of the seraphim in the back, Sorey sure that it was meant to be in disapproval. He focused on them, really looking at them as something other than great legendary figures. When compared to Mikleo, they all looked flimsy, like the earth seraph that they had attempted to free.

He swallowed and looked back to where Maotelus was stumbling over towards Mikleo, automatically reaching out for the seraph. His fingers brushed over Mikleo’s arm, but Mikleo was already moving forward, glaring up at Maotelus. The older seraph chuckled, Sorey sure that Maotelus was one moment away from patting Mikleo on the head like a fond uncle.

Maotelus hesitated for a moment before resting his hand on top of Mikleo’s forehead. The two of them were still for a moment before there was a bright flash of light.

Sorey threw an arm up to cover his eyes, opening one when he heard Mikleo scream. He didn’t dare lower his arm against the bright glow, but he still stumbled forward, seeking out Mikleo even as he felt someone grab onto the back of his shirt. Sorey tried to pull against whoever was holding him back. He felt an arm wrap around his waist, Sorey turning to peek out from under his arm.

Masedra gave him a respectful nod, but he didn’t let up his hold. “I’m sorry, your highness, but you have to stay back.”

Sorey shook his head, reaching down to pull Masedra from him when the light dimmed and the screaming stopped. He dropped his arm from in front of his face, staring at the mass of blue flames on the floor. Sorey took a step forward before Masedra tugged him back. It didn’t take more than a sharp twist to break free from the old man’s hold.

He rushed over to Mikleo’s side, his hands hovering just above the seraph’s back. He wasn’t sure if he should touch Mikleo because of the fire. Surely it should have burned him and Sorey didn’t want to cause him more pain.

He bit his lip, glancing over at Maotelus. He fully intended to demand to know what happened, but Mikleo was already stirring. Sorey leaned back, careful to keep his hands away from Mikleo as he sat up.

As it was, Sorey didn’t think that Mikleo noticed. The seraph looked around the cave, his shoulders lifting slightly. Sorey wasn’t sure if it was because the pain had stopped or if it had been because what Maotelus had done. He stopped himself from hovering too close as Mikleo glanced back at him, some part of him relieved that Mikleo didn’t jump away from him. It meant that he could take the time to look Mikleo over for injuries, except that there were none. The only noticeable chance that he could see was that Mikleo’s eyes were clearer and brighter.

He swallowed and looked away before he stared for too long. It was a temptation that he’d rather avoid. Sorey stared at the ground a moment to collect himself before getting to his feet, offering his hand to Mikleo as an afterthought.

He was surprised when Mikleo accepted the hand, Sorey trying to fight back the shiver that ran down his spine at the touch. Sorey helped Mikleo to his feet, quickly letting go of the seraph’s hand. From the expression on Mikleo’s face, the seraph was glad of it.

Mikleo rubbed at his arms, his gaze darting over to the other seraphim before it dropped back to the ground. Sorey quashed the protective urge to hover behind Mikleo, but he couldn’t quite quash the need to look over at the other seraphim.

He doubted that the Great Lords would be a threat, not when some of them looked like they could barely stand. Maotelus looked the worst out of all of them. The seraph was kneeling on the ground, panting for breath.

Sorey shook his head, focusing back on Mikleo. It looked like the seraph was coming back to himself, Mikleo actively starting to move back towards the entrance to the cave. Sorey started to trail after him, both of them freezing when Maotelus coughed.

The seraph went to stand up, Masedra quick to slip under his arm and start to lift him to his feet. Maotelus swayed even with the help, but his gaze was serious. “Wait. There’s one more thing.” Maotelus grunted as he stumbled away from Masedra, but he remained upright on his own. The seraph regarded the two of them for a moment. “If you truly wish to use the power I’ve given you to its full extent, then you must give your true name to the Shepherd.”

Sorey tipped his head to the side in confusion. He knew Mikleo’s name, the seraph had given it to him when he made the pact. Sorey hummed and turned to look at Mikleo, shocked to see the look of horror on the seraph’s face.

Mikleo met his gaze before shaking his head, taking a step back from the two of them. “No.”

“It’s part of your duty.”

“I don’t care. I’m not giving him that.” Mikleo’s voice wavered, the seraph looking on the verge of hyperventilating. “You can’t expect me to-”

“Will we need it?” Sorey carefully didn’t look at Mikleo as he spoke. It was more important to watch the way that Maotelus reacted anyway.

The seraph gave him a long look, Sorey sure that he saw Maotelus’ eyes narrow. As quickly as it happened, the look was gone. The seraph leaned back slightly, Sorey sure that he was going to fall over, but Maotelus stayed upright. “If you’re going to be staying in Pendrago, then no. But you might want to think about it. The armatus might make your work go faster.”

Sorey gave Maotelus a thankful smile and a hesitant bow. It had been so long that there had been a seraph around that Sorey didn’t know the proper way to take his leave of them, especially when they were one of the Great Lords of legend. It seemed to be enough because neither Maotelus nor Masedra corrected him. He thought he heard something from one of the other seraphim in the back, but it didn’t sound like disagreement, more like a sound of amusement than anything else. Sorey waited until he was standing beside Mikleo to look back over his shoulder, spotting the seraphim in green and black raising their sleeve to hide their mouth. He wasn’t sure if it was a smile or laughter, but he was sure that it didn’t matter.

Once they were finished with the weapons and once Malfore had gotten the chance to receive his blessing from Maotelus, it would be best to send the five off to somewhere safer. The malevolence would probably get worse before it got better and the five of them didn’t look like they could handle much more. Besides, the seraphim would probably feel more comfortable with some of their own escorting them to wherever Mikleo had decided that they needed to go.

He lowered his arm so it was hovering by Mikleo’s waist, still not daring to actually wrap it around Mikleo. Its presence was more than enough to move Mikleo along. He breathed a sigh of relief when Mikleo listened to the subtle clue, trying to ignore the way that the others still in the cave were watching them.

Mikleo kept silent until they were outside of the cave, his gaze not straying over to Sorey either. Sorey was about to reassure him that it would be alright if he never shared his true name when Mikleo shuddered and leaned back on him.

It was easy enough to catch him, Sorey turning to look at Mikleo. The seraph avoided his gaze, but didn’t move away from him. Sorey thought he heard Mikleo mutter something under his breath, but it was too soft for him to really catch. He glanced around the village, almost tempted to call someone for help and try to talk Mikleo into laying down for a bit. Sorey hadn’t gone through the purification that Mikleo had, but he was already feeling a bit woozy himself.

Mikleo shook his head hard, staggering a few steps away from Sorey before turning to look back at him. “Come on.”

“But-”

“I’m fine.” He wobbled a bit as he spoke, but the expression on Mikleo’s face said that he wouldn’t be argued with about this. Mikleo made a vague motion with his hand. “Let’s get started, we have a lot of weapons to go through.”

There was nothing that he could do but nod. It was obvious that Mikleo wouldn’t stop no matter how the two of them felt. It would be better to go along with the plan and at least get something done. Maybe then Mikleo would be more amenable to resting for a while.

Then again, Sorey doubted that it would be for long, the two of them had too much to do to just spend what little time they had in Gododdin lying around. There were the weapons to deal with, the soldiers in the border fort and Gododdin itself, and that wasn’t counting what he’d have to do with Masedra. Sorey hadn’t taken the time to consider the former pope, but he would have to before they left. Until then, it would be best to focus solely on freeing the seraphim.

If they could get the seraphim out, then they would be safe. They wouldn’t have to go back to Pendrago and they would have their Great Lords to look after them. It was the least he could do for them after hundreds of years of being used by humans and his own failure.


	11. Chapter 9

“I have robbed their nostrils of the breath of life  
And made the dread of you fill their hearts.  
My serpent on your brow consumed them.”   
– _Poetical Stela of Tutmose III_ , translated by Miriam Lichtheim

* * *

 

Sorey held the blade up to the light, twisting and turning it to look at the runes. It was an old one, and the runes slightly worn away. Sorey sighed and glanced over at Mikleo, hoping for a clue, but there was nothing on the seraph’s face but concentration. Sorey groaned and looked back at the sword. Clear runes or not the sword was old, which meant that they would have to be careful. Even with the power of the Shepherd, the seraph inside would be weak and there was still so much malevolence in the world. If it was enough to make him sick then he had to wonder about what it would do to the seraph.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He had been feeling alternately sick and too warm since the day before. Sorey didn’t know what it was, but Mikleo seemed to be suffering the same as he was.

It had been hard enough to wake up that morning, even to the point of him having to shake Mikleo awake. He hadn’t even known that seraphim had to sleep, but that hadn’t stopped Mikleo from collapsing into the bed in their assigned room. Sorey had kept as close to Mikleo as he thought that he’d been allowed, not that he would have been able to do much. He’d fallen into an exhausted sleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow. Not that it had helped. If anything, his head felt more muddled after a full night of sleep.

“Sorey?” He started when Mikleo called his name. He turned to look at Mikleo, swaying slightly closer to the seraph.

He stopped himself before he could go too far. Sorey sighed and offered Mikleo the sword. “What can you tell?”

Mikleo rested his fingers on the blade. He closed his eyes for a moment before shaking his head. “They should be good, but weak.”

Sorey breathed a sigh of relief. They had worked through most of the crates the day before, but the act of purification still felt weird. It was a strange burning sensation, like what had happened when Maotelus had touched his forehead or how his lungs felt when he held his breath for too long. Sorey wasn’t sure if he liked it, but that was a small price to pay in the end. He was saving the seraphim like he had promised.

He sighed and rested his hand on the blade, breathing out the word of unbinding. The sword made a sharp _ping_ , Sorey dropping it before it snapped and shattered.

Sorey took a step back, lifting an arm to protect his face, but Mikleo had no such compunctions. He rushed forward to help the seraph up, even as fragments of sword still settled on the ground. Mikleo didn’t seem to notice, he was already talking to the seraph, probably on where the seraph could go to feel safe. The others that they had freed were with Maotelus and the other four lords, sticking close to what protection they could offer.

Sorey left the two of them alone, looking back into the crate. He sighed in relief when he saw that there was only one left. He leaned against the crate, only looking away when he heard the seraph walk past. He was careful not to meet their gaze, choosing to focus on Mikleo.

“Can you do one more?”

Sorey was sure that he didn’t imagine the way Mikleo flinched, like he was hurt by the purifications too. Sorey curled his hand into a fist, relaxing a moment later when Mikleo nodded.

The seraph moved past him, away from the shards of metal on the ground. Mikleo stared into the crate, sighing loudly. “Good. This will give me the time to figure out where they can go…and you time to finish up here.”

Sorey looked up at the sky, looking for the position of the sun. He frowned when he saw how late in the day it was. It felt far later, or maybe it was just the exhaustion that pulled at him that made him think so. Sorey shook his head and looked back to Mikleo. “That might take longer than an afternoon.”

Mikleo shrugged. “Then it takes two.”

Sorey was about to argue the time limit imposed on them by Sergei when he realized what Mikleo was offering. Even if it took longer, it was a chance for a break, one that they both needed. He wouldn’t say no to that, not when the thought of riding back to Pendrago exhausted him more.

He nodded wearily, reaching down to pull the last sword out. He flinched as soon as he touched it, shooting Mikleo a tired look. “This one is a hellion.”

From the frown on Mikleo’s face, he had realized the same thing. He reached out to touch the blade before jerking his hand back. Mikleo took a step back, groping with one hand towards where he had left his staff propped up against the storage shed. Mikleo stepped into a defensive position, tensing as he waited for Sorey. Sorey nodded before speaking the word of unbinding.

He tossed the sword away from him, drawing his own as the weapon shattered. Sorey tightened his grip on his sword as a huge, lizard-like creature emerged from the pieces of the sword. Sorey glanced at the creature’s stubby wings before looking over at Mikleo.

The hellion was more focused on the seraph than him. It was a good thing because it gave him more time to act. Sorey took a deep breath and lunged forward. His sword flashed briefly before flames surrounded it. The flames guttered for a moment before they sprang to life, bright and blue. Sorey squinted through the flames, looking at the hellion before lunging forward and stabbing the sword down into its flanks.

He felt the blade bite into scales and then flesh. The hellion roared and twisted to look at him. Sorey shifted around, trying to move out of the hellions reach while trying to keep the flames of purification in contact with it. With the way that the hellion was twisting and turning, it was hard, especially when he kept tripping over his own feet.

Sorey stumbled back, letting go of the sword. He didn’t think that it mattered with the way that the scales were shedding in clumps from it. He watched as the hellion turned to snap at the sword, the creature twisting and twining over itself as it tried to bring its mouth close enough to pull the sword free. The hellion roared, its mouth opening and shutting before it collapsed on the ground, panting for breath.

He swallowed and took a slow step closer, wrapping his fingers around the sword. He glanced back over at Mikleo, hesitating long enough to see Mikleo nod before pulling it out.

The hellion screamed, clawing at the ground. Sorey wasn’t sure that if it was trying to get away from him or closer to Mikleo. Sorey leaned towards Mikleo, ready to interfere if the hellion tried to snap him. But the hellion was too late to try and save itself, the blue flames climbing over its body. The hellion turned its attention away from Mikleo to snap at its sides. It bit down on some of the flames, screeching as the flames jumped into its mouth. The hellion reeled its head back, making a high pitched whimper before collapsing on the ground.

Sorey flinched as the flames continued to peel scales and talons from the hellion, swaying under the sharp burning that took over his body. He gritted his teeth, jamming his sword into the ground so he could lean against it. He tried to slow his breathing, feeling his legs shake.

Mikleo looked to be in the same state. He leaned on his staff for a moment before letting it disappear. Mikleo took a couple of steps forward, looking like he was going to fall over any minute. Sorey wanted to reach out to help him, but he didn’t think he could cross the distance between them without falling on his face. He settled for leaning against his sword as Mikleo rushed towards the seraph.

Mikleo lifted the seraph from the ground, not seeming to care about the flames that licked at his hands for a moment before they disappeared. Sorey watched the two of them long enough to see that the seraph was alright and for the tremble in his arms and legs to stop. It was only when he was sure that he could move on his own that he pulled his sword from the ground. He jammed it back into its scabbard before staggering away from the storehouse.

He walked around to the front of the schoolhouse, surprised to see Masedra there. He had thought that the former pope would be with the seraphim considering how close he’d seemed with the Great Lords.

Sorey nodded at him, tipping his head to the side at the concerned look on the pope’s face.

Masedra considered him for a moment longer before picking at a loose thread on his sleeve, focusing on it for a moment before looking at him. “Are you alright, your highness?”

“I’m fine.”

From the look that Masedra gave him, the chief didn’t quite believe him. The man sighed and shook his head. “I’ve been speaking to Lord Maotelus this morning. He’s said that the burden of the Shepherd has always been a heavy one, especially now that there is only one in this world. But there seem to be ways to alleviate some of the pressure. He’s pointed out the ruins that we have here as something that was used by the Shepherds before, if that could help you and Lord Mikleo.”

Sorey shook his head. “I’m fine, and it won’t be long. We’ve finished with the seraphim and the last of them should be with the others soon enough.”

“If that’s the case, then I have to ask for a few hours before we meet again. I need to look over some things.”

Sorey was too relieved for the break to argue with Masedra. A few hours might be enough for a nap, which sounded tempting. Maybe that’s all he needed to feel normal again, or at least able to function.

He nodded and went to walk away when Masedra abruptly looked away from him. Sorey turned to look at the gates of Gododdin, surprised to see a sizable group there. His gaze lingered on the soldiers before it jumped to the man in front of them. His mouth dropped open slightly when he recognized him.

Malfore glanced around the village, not bothering to hide his disgust until he spotted Sorey. Then the Shepherd was quick to bow. Sorey looked at the soldiers, watching as they shifted in place. He counted them, sighing in relief when he realized that they were the standard number that came with an escort, although none of them were the Platinum Knights, they were all part of the Royal Guard. Then again, it was only right considering the person that they had escorted and the low number was enough to make the tight coil of anticipation in his stomach disappear.

He took a step forward, surprised when Malfore strode over to greet him. It was strange considering that they had only met once and that he had recently locked the Cardinal away. Sorey wasn’t sure if Malfore knew or if Sergei had hidden the news from him. At a loss of what to do, he nodded at Malfore as the Shepherd came over.

Malfore looked around him before putting on a smile. “Your highness. I never expected you to still be here.”

“I had business.”

“Certainly not enough for two days.”

Sorey frowned. “It’s been complicated. There are villages that no longer exist because of the hellions.”

Malfore seemed confused for a moment, his smile wavering. Then, just as quickly, it was back. “Then my timing is perfect. If they’ve been visited by such destruction they need the relief that the Shepherd can bring.” Malfore glanced around before lowering his voice. “I had expected to be stuck in this backwater town on my own.”

Sorey flinched at the statement but Malfore didn’t seem to notice, his attention was on the village. “I have heard that you are the one to talk to about old ruins. Apparently, it’s the only thing that they could get you to study when you were younger.” He laughed and waved his hand to dismiss his comment. “So, who better to talk to about the wonders of the Igraine Shrine?”

Sorey shook his head, not sure if Malfore saw the motion. He wasn’t sure if he could actually remember anything about the shrine, even if he had spent most of his childhood reading the Celestial Record. Even with the mention he couldn’t remember anything about it. Sorey closed his eyes, trying to dig out any past information about the old shrine. There wasn’t anything but the fact that it was close to Gododdin but nothing more, just the pull of exhaustion. He reached up to rub the bridge of his nose, sure that Malfore wouldn’t notice.

The Shepherd was already walking away, looking over the village. Sorey was sure that he saw Malfore shake his head, but he wasn’t sure about what. He eyed the Shepherd, considering the odds of him getting the chance to sleep.

He didn’t think that Malfore would allow him that, the man seemed intent on not being left alone in what he classed as a useless town. Sorey could almost imagine what would happen if Malfore figured out that there were seraphim in Gododdin. The sight of a human rushing towards them might be too much. Then again, it was a chance to give Maotelus the Shepherd that he was owed. Sorey didn’t think that any of the seraphim would be able to accompany him, but it was better than nothing and there was a chance that he and Mikleo might be able to find a stronger seraph. If some of the malevolence was gone, it might make his and Mikleo’s job easier.

Sorey breathed out slowly, letting his eyes fall closed. It looked like he would have to give up on his nap. He’d settle things with Malfore and then focus on his talks with Masedra. If he was lucky, he could get both of them done in a timely manner and be able to go to bed early. Maybe he would be able to convince Mikleo to come with him so the seraph didn’t collapse from exhaustion as well. Although he had a feeling that Mikleo wouldn’t be so comfortable just leaving the seraphim without protection, which meant that he would probably be spending the night in the cave. Mikleo wouldn’t care that it was the Shepherd that had been appointed because of the treaty, he would probably see Malfore as just as much of a threat as the other humans.

He groaned at the thought of having to explain the whole situation to Mikleo, Sorey opening his eyes. He turned to try and find the seraph, trying to work out what to say to him. He saw the villagers starting to gather, all of them peering out at where Malfore was standing in the center of the main street. Sorey sighed, about to go over them to reassure them when Malfore made a grand motion.

Sorey tensed, not liking the way that Malfore rested his hand on his sword. He didn’t know if Malfore meant to make such a threatening move, or if he was just trying to command some respect. He didn’t need to, not with the people of Gododdin. They were scared enough with the hellions at their gates every night.

He frowned, not liking the way that the Shepherd smiled at him. Malfore gave him a nod, like the two of them had just finished discussing something. Sorey took a step forward, intending to reach for Malfore to stop him before he said anything.

His approach seemed to make Malfore nervous. The Shepherd took a step backwards, his gaze darting towards the gate before focusing to someone coming around from the schoolhouse. The look of relief on Malfore’s face was enough to make him turn around to look at who it was, Sorey tipping his head when he saw that one of Malfore’s escort was running from the side of the schoolhouse that the storehouse was. He tensed when he saw the look of panic on the man’s face.

“Lord Shepherd, they’re gone!”

Sorey turned just in time to catch the mournful glance that Malfore gave to the assembled people. Malfore shook his head, folding his hands into his sleeves. “It was as we were warned then, a shame. Then there’s only one thing left to do.”

Malfore shot him a quick glance before turning on his heel, Sorey surprised by the way that he was completely disregarded. With the respect that Malfore had shown him previously, he would have thought that the Shepherd be more deferential to him. And there was something else about it, the way that Malfore’s guards had gone straight for the weapons and the fact that they had apparently been warned about something. In fact, Sorey couldn’t think of any reason that Sergei would send Malfore out, even to come after him. He had given his word that he would come back as soon as possible. Three days wasn’t too long and Sergei knew that.

Sorey turned his head, looking for Mikleo and the seraph that they had purified. He hoped that they would be back in the caves and out of sight, but he caught a glimpse of blue among the houses. Sorey took a step towards the bright flash of color, freezing in his tracks when Malfore spread his arms, the motion and the flash of white catching the attention of everyone standing out in the open.

“People of Gododdin, I have been sent to you with the authority of the church as their representative and your Shepherd.”

Sorey was sure that he heard someone huff, but that was nothing compared to the looks that the others were giving Malfore. They looked a moment away from rebellion, and all of them were starting to shift towards him or where Mikleo was still standing with the seraph. But none of them were saying anything, probably put off by the way that Malfore’s escort was getting closer to them.

Sorey was sure that it was up to him to say something, but his mind felt fuzzy and slow. He swallowed, trying to gather the words together, but Masedra beat him to the punch.

The chief stepped out of one of the dilapidated buildings, a frown crossing his face. Masedra strode forward, pointedly moving between Malfore and a group of children. Sorey shifted to follow him, but he felt like he was moving too slowly.

He reached for his sword, his fingers catching on the belt instead of the hilt. Sorey frowned, trying to figure out the simple task of unhooking his fingers from the sword belt as Malfore recovered from his shock. The Shepherd shook his head, the murderous expression that had briefly crossed his face disappearing as quickly as it had come.

The Shepherd spread his arms like he was going to hug Masedra. “Your Excellency! This is a great surprise. First his highness and then you.” Malfore chuckled shaking his head. “You had us all worried. There were rumors that you had died or someone had gotten rid of you. Cardinal Forton will be overjoyed to know that you’ve been here…serving the people.”

Masedra didn’t look too impressed by the greeting. If anything, he shifted closer to the people, his hand going to rest on the top of one of the children’s head. Sorey glanced between the two of them before making his decision and inching towards Masedra. Out of the two of them he knew Masedra better, and something about Malfore was making him wary. The only problem was that it was taking him further away from Mikleo and the seraph.

He came to an abrupt stop, glancing between Masedra and Mikleo. He thought he saw the seraph nod, not sure if that was in response to something that the other seraph was saying or if it was in agreement with his choice. Sorey shook his head slightly, looking away as he saw Mikleo frown.

Malfore chuckled, dropping his hands back down to his side. “To be honest, I’m surprised that you would come here.”

“They needed my help.”

“That’s evident, but I can’t imagine what you could do. Everyone knows Biroclef Ridge is practically dead, but you’ve done well. You’ve managed to build a wall and a new schoolhouse for the people which couldn’t have been easy, not when they still have to be fed. But you have plenty of money for that.” Malfore reached into a pocket on his belt, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. Sorey was too far away to see anything, but it didn’t matter because Malfore held the paper in front of him, reading off of it. “One hundred gald worth of wood, no specifics on what kind. Fifty more gald for various building materials. Fifty gald again for iron in various states, but you didn’t skimp on that either. The list goes on and on.

 “What we’ve wondered is how this village can afford so much, especially considering the mines ran out twenty years ago. Unless these people reported this wrong to avoid taxes…or you found another way to get that gald.” Malfore folded the paper back up, quick to stow it away when Masedra took a step forward. He shook his head, a slow smile crossing the Malfore’s face. “There have been rumors about you and your involvement with other factions in the government and startling ones about your involvement with rebels from Hyland.” Malfore made a chiding sound. “I know you have radical ideas about the seraphim and their place in the world, but I thought your ties to Rolance would be stronger than that.”

Masedra huffed. “You have no proof of this.”

“Well, you’re out here, so close to Lohgrin. And there have been rumors, Masedra. Such rumors about our close and _peaceful_ neighbor that haven’t been heard since they surrenders hundreds of years ago. On the other hand, Gododdin looks prosperous for the first time in years and there’s a suspicious amount of money flowing into the town and a worrying lack of weapons, which were meant for the fort. Just what they’re doing here I don’t know, but it seems suspicious. And I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, at least until I saw this. I’m sorry, Your Excellency, but your former position won’t save you from everything that we have found in this village.”

Malfore breathed out slowly, Sorey jerking forward when he saw the Shepherd draw out his sword.

It wasn’t the sword that he had been gifted upon becoming the Shepherd. That one had been a dull sort of metal and filed down on the edges until it was blunt. The one in Malfore’s hand was a plain sword, not wrapped in fine leather and jewels set in the hilt. But more telling was the shine of the sun off the runes that ran down the blade. What made a shiver run his down his spine was how new they looked. Sorey didn’t know if it was an old weapon from the store back in the palace that had been polished up or if it was a new one, which meant that they had found a seraph somewhere. Sorey didn’t know which was worse, he just knew that Mikleo would be furious. And he knew that Sergei wouldn’t give a seraphic weapon to Malfore, not under any circumstances. Sergei knew better, Alisha knew better. Sorey was sure that not even the rest of the church could pressure them into giving up a weapon.

Sorey fumbled to draw his own sword, aware of the frightened glance that Malfore gave him, but it didn’t seem to cow the Shepherd. His gaze moved back towards the gates, Sorey following it.

More soldiers were marching into place, far more than should have come with Malfore as an escort. Sorey took a step forward, his gaze lingering on the badges that the soldiers were wearing. It was the crowned diamond and wings of Rolance, but Sorey could see the individual flag that denoted the general that they served under, the heavy headed catoblepas marking them as General Alexsei’s troops. Sorey stared at the flag for a moment before looking over Malfore, his stomach twisting.

If anything, the appearance of General Alexsei’s soldiers seemed to buoy Malfore’s confidence. He waved the sword with a flourish, pointing it at where Masedra was standing. “Pope Masedra, I hereby accuse you of harboring rebels, stealing weapons, selling them to the enemy, and endangering the people of Rolance. Because of your actions and the actions of every person in this village I will have to pass judgment.”

“Malfore!”

The Shepherd didn’t seem to notice Masedra calling his name. His face was turned up towards the heavens as he continued speaking. “By the power granted to me by the church under Cardinal Forton and the task given to me when the emperor proclaimed me Shepherd, I pass judgement on Pope Masedra and the people of Gododdin. There is only one punishment for treason, death. May Maotelus cleanse your souls of malevolence as you leave this world.”

The words seemed to be all the encouragement the soldiers needed to charge into the village with a roar. Sorey responded in kind, lunging forward to block at strike aimed at Masedra.

He grinned his teeth, straining against the soldier. It should have been easier, but Sorey still felt shaky. He took a step forward, shoving at the soldier until the man finally stumbled back. Sorey rocked on the balls of his feet, not daring to move away from where Masedra was. The villagers didn’t have anyone to defend them since the soldiers of the empire have been turned against them. Still, his presence wouldn’t be enough. He would need Mikleo to help, but Mikleo wouldn’t leave the seraphim, which meant that the safest place for the people of Gododdin would be with the seraphim as well. It wasn’t the best solution, but it was the only one that he could come up with. It would be infinitely easier to close off the mine than to hold the town. It would be easier to rebuild houses than it would people.

Sorey dropped back a step, reaching out to touch Masedra’s shoulder. He expected the man to react quickly, but not to have his hand thrown off completely, nor did he expect the angry look given to him.

Sorey shook his head. “I didn’t call him here.”

The look that Masedra gave him seemed to imply that the man didn’t quite believe him, but he didn’t waste any time with arguing. Masedra dropped an arm around one of the children and gave them a slight shove towards the back of the village. “Go to the mines.”

He didn’t have to say more, the people turning around and rushing towards the back of the village. Sorey heard some of them shouting for family members, but most of the villagers just sprinted for the back of the village.

Sorey watched them go, some of the unease in his stomach disappearing. The people would be in an easy defendable space there. The soldiers would have to come through a small entryway into the cave only to meet with the villagers and seraphim eager not to get caught up again. Sorey would have preferred not to fight, but he doubted that he would be able to control the soldiers, not after the way Malfore had acted.

He turned around to glare at the Shepherd, watching as the man turned to join in the rush of soldiers. Sorey reached out to grab onto the back of Malfore’s cloak, yanking him to a stop as the Shepherd tried to charge after them.

Malfore made a choked noise, Sorey having to jump back as the man turned and swung his sword. Sorey brought his up to parry. He only had a brief flash of victory before he was thrown back by a fierce gust of wind. Sorey turned his head away, as he protected his eyes. He squinted through the wind, belatedly reacting as Malfore made another swing at him. The Shepherd’s attempt was clumsy, Sorey having plenty of time to block it. He stared up at the Shepherd before shoving him away.

“You don’t have my permission to do this.”

“It’s not your permission that matters anymore.” Malfore flashed him a quick grin before reaching out to shove him back.

Sorey shook his head, about to charge in when he heard a scream from his left. He pivoted on his heel, staring through the running soldiers. It was hard to see through their rush, but it was easy to spot a flash of blue among the red. It didn’t take much more than that to get him running, leaving Malfore to shout after him.

Sorey didn’t hear what the Shepherd said, nor did he hear the shouts of the people and soldiers, he was too focused on the two seraphim that were being backed towards the wall of rock. Every once and a while he could see the flash of sun off the ice or a short spurt of fire as the other seraph tried to defend herself. From the brief glimpses he was getting, neither of them looked like they would have been able to hold out for long. There was a group of soldiers breaking off to deal with them. Sorey couldn’t see any empty vessels at the ready, but he couldn’t leave that to chance.

He needed Mikleo if Gododdin and the seraphim were to be saved. Without him, Sorey wouldn’t be able to purify them and the seraphim would fall out into malevolence. He would lose half of the beings that made up the empire and lose any chance of setting the world right. It wouldn’t be the same without the seraphim working with the humans, it would all still be out of balance.

Worse still, Sorey was sure that he would lose Mikleo.

He reached out to shove at some of the soldiers, bullying his way through them. He heard a few shout, but none of them came after him, they were probably too surprised but his sudden appearance. After all, Sorey was sure that none of them had thought that they would meet resistance. Gododdin was a lonely and small village, the perfect place to attack because no one else in the empire would care.

The thought made his blood boil, Sorey lashing out at the nearest soldier. He felt his arm catch as his sword bit into the soldier’s arm, but he was beyond caring. Sorey yanked his sword out, lunging through the gap that the falling soldier made.

It didn’t take him more than two steps to get into the open space that the soldiers were leaving between where Mikleo’s ice spikes had shoved up through the earth. But the gap wouldn’t stop the soldiers for long.

Sorey turned to glare at two of the men, both wearing the symbols of officers. One held a cracked sword and the other a broken bow. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but it was obvious from the way that they were motioning towards the seraphim that they were considering a rude attempt to fix the weapons. Sorey saw the runes that had been etched into both, part of him recoiling at the sight. It didn’t matter that any attempt to fix the weapons wouldn’t work, it was the fact that they were going to try it.

One of the officers seemed to come to a decision. The one with the sword stepped forward, starting to speak the words of binding.

Sorey lunged forward before he had the time to see which seraph the officer was aiming for. It didn’t matter, because he wasn’t going to allow it.

He swung his sword at the same time he heard the earth crackle. Sorey twisted slightly to avoid the growing ice spike, but that didn’t stop him from swinging his sword down.

The sword stopped when it ran into bone, Sorey yanking it out in time to avoid two more ice spikes as they rose out of the ground. One passed through the officer’s chest while the other shattered the sword the officer was holding.

The officer made a cut off gasp, the sword hilt dropping from his hands as he sunk forward. Sorey stepped around him, his attention caught by the smear of blood that was left on the ice.

He didn’t have long to stare at it before the shard retracted, giving him a clear view of the other officer as he stared in shock at his comrade. Sorey saw the man jerk like he was going to attack, but he froze when Mikleo moved. The threat of the seraph seemed enough to keep the rest of them at bay, which Sorey was more than grateful for.

Sorey turned to look at the rest of the soldiers, lifting his sword slightly. He doubted that the threat of him standing there would be enough to really stop them. He wasn’t the real threat; that was Mikleo.

None of the soldiers had been in Pendrago when Lyte had been defeated, but the news had to have spread. A dragon was enough to make anyone pause, especially these soldiers. The border fort wasn’t too far from Biroclef Ridge, so they were bound to have dealt with the big hellion in the area. Sorey might not have seen the large hellion up close, but he was sure that Mikleo was about the same size. Besides, the larger hellion seemed to be almost skittish of people or, if not that, then calculating. He didn’t think that it had ever landed anywhere near the humans in broad daylight. Mikleo would be in their faces and too close to deny.

Sorey turned back to shout to Mikleo, his eyes widening halfway through the motion when he saw the officer thrust out his broken bow. The man’s hand shook slightly, but that didn’t stop him from taking a step forward. Sorey mimicked the step, watching as the man took a look at Mikleo before he abruptly changed his mind. The hand holding the bow paused before it shifted closer to the other seraph, the officer starting to speak the words of the binding spell clumsily.

Both seraphim reacted immediately by shrinking back against the wall, although Mikleo shoved himself in front of the fire seraph with a snarl. Sorey was sure that Mikleo was going to transform into a drake, waiting for the flash of light off of Mikleo’s scales, but it never came.

The officer kept chanting, his voice cracking on some of the words, but it didn’t seem to matter. Both seraphim were starting to look shaky, and even Mikleo’s column of water guttered and fell short long before it reached the man.

Sorey took one last look at them before charging forward. He didn’t have a plan beyond stopping the man before he finished chanting the words of binding. Raising his sword into a striking position was almost an afterthought, Sorey adjusting his hold so it wouldn’t slip out of his hands just before he jammed it into the man.

He twisted the blade as it went in, not quite sure about where he’d managed to stab the officer, he just knew that he was able to push the blade in deep before he was forced to stop. Sorey didn’t dare look at the man’s face or where his sword was, not when the sounds that the officer was making were bad enough. He flinched away, trying to ignore the feeling of blood on his hands. It had been a choice between the officer and the seraphim, and he had chosen right, even if his stomach twisted horribly.

He yanked the blade free, stumbling back from the officer as the man collapsed to the ground. Sorey didn’t dare look at him, turning to look back at the seraphim.

Mikleo was on his knees, obviously panting for breath, but the other seraph wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Sorey took a shaky step back towards them, his gaze jerking down to the small tongues of flame that danced on the ground before disappearing completely.

Sorey stared at the empty ground, disbelief keeping him still. He had thought he had acted in time, he had thought that the seraph would be alright as long as the binding had been stopped. They shouldn’t have disappeared, unless he had been wrong about how strong they were or maybe they had just let go instead of being captured again.

He breathed out slowly as Mikleo looked up, hating the shock on the seraph’s face. “Mikleo, I-”

Sorey didn’t get a chance to finish as a roar of disapproval came from the soldiers who had gathered. Sorey turned to look back at them, taking one look at the expression on their leaders’ faces before making a decision.

He couldn’t rely on the soldiers listening to him. The soldiers were starting to pull their weapons free, Sorey spotting the nicks and cracks in them. He didn’t know if the weapons had degraded because of fighting over the border or because of the hellions that were held inside, but he supposed it didn’t matter. There was a seraph in front of them and they would eventually figure out that there were more.

Sorey gritted his teeth and stepped in front of Mikleo, ignoring the disgruntled sound that the seraph made. He didn’t care what Mikleo thought about the flimsy protection he could offer. He was tired and he was panicking. The villagers of Gododdin needed him, but he refused to leave Mikleo. Of all the seraphim that they had freed, he was the one that Sorey couldn’t allow to be put into a weapon.

The soldiers didn’t seem to be deterred by the fact that their emperor was standing in front of them, or that there was someone offering resistance. Sorey doubted that he would make any difference, there were too many for him to take on. From the looks of things, Sorey was sure that this wasn’t the entire border garrison. Considering what he knew about the council, they hadn’t ordered any of the border forts to decrease. It didn’t matter that the empire technically had a treaty with Lohgrin and that the former kingdom was ruined. None of his cousins would have dared to strip troops from the Lohgrin border, not with all of the rumors that the Hyland rebels were trying to encourage Lohgrin back into the war.

In the end, it didn’t matter because the number was still too large, but he wasn’t going to stand down. It was his fault that Mikleo was in danger in the first place.

If he’d paid more attention to his own council then he would have seen what they were doing. He should have acted instead of letting himself be distracted by the peace treaty, or by the scent of Mikleo’s heat. If he was going to rule the empire there would be plenty more distractions and plenty more of Mikleo’s heats. And he couldn’t blame his lack of training, because there had been plenty of times that his aunt had tried to get him to learn how to run the government, and he regretted that now.

Maybe if he had listened to her instead of spending so much time in the library reading about old ruins he would have been able to side step most of this. Maybe he would have had the sense not to listen to fairy tales and he would have left Mikleo on the mountain where he would have been safe.

Sorey rolled his shoulders, settling into the steadiest stance he could get. Hopefully they wouldn’t all rush him at once, because Sorey wasn’t sure that he’d be able to hold out for long, but he was going to try. At least he wouldn’t die in vain. Sergei would keep things under control and Alisha would legalize the treaty. The world would be at peace and he would have fulfilled his promise to Mikleo, but the villagers and the other seraphim would still be in danger.

He gritted his teeth as he came to his decision. He wasn’t going to die here, at least not until he was sure that the people of Gododdin and the seraphim that they had freed would be safe as well. He was sure that he could do that much at least.

The soldiers hesitated a moment more before a few of them shuffled forward. Sorey watching them carefully. It didn’t matter if the desperate ones were attacking, they would all follow soon enough. It was a matter of all of them calculating the best moment.

Sorey shook his head, focusing on the soldiers in the front. He watched them for the positions that they were taking, swaying in place as he decided how far he could stray from in front of Mikleo. He didn’t dare go too far, just in case one of the soldiers tried to sneak up on the seraph, but that would hardly matter when any of the soldiers started chanting. Sorey nodded to himself, he would have to stop the ones that were speaking first.

Two of the soldiers reached him, Sorey ducking under the first swing. He stabbed awkwardly at the second man as he moved, feeling his sword cut into the man, but it wasn’t deep. Sorey didn’t bother to look over, not when the more pressing matter was the first man who was attempting another swing. Sorey was too close to maneuver the sword around, but it was easy enough to slam his shoulder into the man and sent him stumbling back. He threw a glance over his shoulder at where the second man was clutching at his stomach on the ground before turning his attention forward.

The soldiers were getting braver now, the front runners grouping together to charge them while the rest of their comrades were starting to march forward. Sorey felt his stomach jerk with fear, but he ignored it. It was too late to run and his back was nearly against the rock wall. He could only stand his ground and hope that it would be enough time for Mikleo to recover.

He lunged forward to parry the next attack, the motion rushed and clumsy, but it worked. Sorey saw the soldier start to fumble, but he didn’t look to follow the motion. He jerked his arm back to knock the pommel of his sword into another soldier’s stomach before thrusting it forward to stab into the leg of another soldier. Then he was turning to make a false attempt of a stab at another soldier, lingering there long enough to see the man stumble back into his companions and foul them up.

Sorey took a deep breath, not lingering over the small victory for long. He had to keep moving, keep watching for anyone shouting the mangled words of the ancient tongue. So far he couldn’t hear anything but curses and shouted encouragement to keep pressing forward, but he doubted that it would last for long. The soldiers weren’t stupid, they would figure out that it would be easier to just take what they wanted without trying to press past him, unless they were purposefully lining up to attack him.

There was plenty of time for rumors to have been spread about what he was trying to do. If it was bad enough, any soldier would want to line up to take a swing at their emperor, General Heldalf’s son or not. Besides, Sorey was sure that most of the soldiers that had served under his father were dead, either from old age or the war.

He jerked his head back as one of the soldiers tried to stab his eye, stumbling back a step. The motion opened him up to another attack, Sorey rushing to bring his sword across his chest to block the hit. He managed to move it in time, but the blow sent him staggering backwards. Sorey threw out his arms for balance, fully expecting to fall over, but there was suddenly a steady pressure against his back.

Sorey risked a moment to look behind him, his eyes widening as he saw Mikleo braced up against his back. The seraph wouldn’t meet his gaze, but the steadying hand that Mikleo rested on his lower back said it all.

He caught his balance, steadying himself even as he felt Mikleo brush against his shoulder. The seraph fell in beside him, edging around until his right shoulder was pressed against Sorey’s left. For a moment, Sorey was tempted to lean into Mikleo. It was a movement familiar to him with the Platinum Knights to check the man standing next to them, but he didn’t think that the seraph would appreciate it.

Sorey focused on the soldiers, his attention snapping to a group where he heard something like the ancient tongue. He couldn’t tell who was speaking, but it was better to just cut off the spell before anyone got a chance to speak it fully.

He lunged after them, shoving a few soldiers aside before striking out at the soldier that was chanting the most coherently. He thrust his sword into the man’s chest, pulling it out quickly so he could spin and lash out at the man on his left. He caught the man across the side of his face and clipped the man behind him. Sorey stumbled back a few steps, readjusting his position.

For a moment, he could almost hear his instructor shouting at him for his stance, but it was drowned out by the need to keep moving quickly. If he stopped for too long than he was dead, even with Mikleo taking care of soldiers at his back. None of them were worried about the proper form, they were just worried about getting through him.

He reeled back as a man made a swipe at him, gasping as something impacted with his back. He rocked forward, trying to get himself to focus when something slammed into his stomach.

Sorey gasped for breath, trying to force air back into his lungs. He felt someone brush against him, jerking away. A hand rested between his shoulders, and then there was a rush of water around his feet.

Sorey fully expected to be swept off his feet, but the water just lapped around his boots before surging up at the soldiers. He looked up at the sounds of surprise, watching as the soldiers were swept off their feet and into the torrent of water. Sorey watched as they clawed towards the surface, unable to break through the water. Behind then, pillars of water gushed upwards, throwing soldiers into the air with them.

He turned in place, looking to see just how far Mikleo’s protection went. He tensed when he saw some waterlogged soldiers trudging towards Mikleo. Sorey splashed forward, surprised that the water flowed easily around him.

He didn’t spend too long marveling at it, the soldiers behind them looking like they were managing to plow through the water far easier than he had first thought. They were getting too close, and Mikleo was too distracted pushing the other bunch of soldiers back. Sorey gritted his teeth and rushed forward, not bothering to anticipate any of their attacks. It was easier just to plow into them and sent them back into the water.

The splash was enough to alert Mikleo, Sorey looking back over his shoulder in time to see Mikleo turn. The seraph’s eyes widened briefly before he flung his hand out, the water swirling around the soldiers before blasting upward in a spout. Sorey thought he heard some of them scream, but he only stayed long enough to see that they were gone before turning and grabbing for Mikleo.

He caught onto the seraph’s wrist, feeling Mikleo try to jerk away. He didn’t let up the pressure, tugging Mikleo along a few steps before daring to look back.

Mikleo shot him an annoyed look before glancing back over his shoulder, looking like he wanted to turn around and go after the soldiers again.

Sorey shook his head, increasing his pace. “We need to get the cave. The others can help hold off the soldiers.” Mikleo huffed, the sound grating on Sorey’s nerves for the first time that he could remember. He didn’t bother to slow his pace, but he did turn his head around to shout at the seraph. “They’re depending on us and I’m not going to leave them!”

He felt Mikleo jerk back, but he didn’t look back to tell if it was in surprise or shock. As long as Mikleo kept up with him, it didn’t matter. Between the two of them they could push through the soldiers and maybe help the stragglers get to the cave. What they would do afterward he didn’t know, but that was something to be decided when they took stock back at the cave.

It was almost enough for him to wish for Sergei or Boris, but it was no good wishing for either of the Platinum Knights now. They were too far away to help.

He stumbled around the corner of one of the fallen houses, glancing back quickly to make sure that the soldiers weren’t following him. He didn’t want the two of them to get trapped before they could get to the villagers.

Sorey sighed when he saw the water still roiling behind them, although it was starting to drain away. It would be enough, because it would take a while for the soldiers to recover and join with the rest of them. That would be enough time for him and Mikleo to join the villagers to make their stand.

He turned back around to look at the main street of the village, coming to an abrupt stop at what he saw there.

The soldiers were grouped near the end of the street, far too close to the cave for his liking, but they weren’t bothering to move forward. Most were starting to drift off into the remains of the houses to raid them, leaving the bodies of the villagers lying where they had been cut down in the middle of the street.

Sorey stared at the slaughter, dropping Mikleo’s arm in shock. Bodies were scattered in the street, some of them thrown against the sides and porches of the houses while others were sprawled over children, like they had died trying to protect them. The dirt around them was churned up, revealing the dark brown layer that rested under the lighter, sandy layer, but even that was slowly growing darker from the blood. Sorey winced as he saw new splatters appear, looking up at the soldiers who were laughing and cleaning their weapons.

For a moment, it was hard for him to understand what he was seeing, because the soldiers that were spread out closer to where the old mines were wearing the uniform of the Royal Guard from Pendrago. He swayed on his feet when he realized what that meant.

When he had shouted for the people to run, it had been in the face of the soldiers from the border fort. He had forgotten about the guard that Malfore had brought with him because they had already spread out through the village. They had been ready for a panic, the slaughter had all been part of a plan.

He stared at the bodies, the horror of what he was seeing hitting him again.

He had failed.

It was his job to protect the people, but he had failed again.

It had happened with the villages he had tried to help before and it had happened to the people of Gododdin for just the same reason. He had been the one that Lyte was after, he was the reason why his cousin had gone after the other villages.

He was the one who had allowed for Malfore to be chosen without any argument. Cardinal Forton would have never chosen anyone by one of her own lackeys. He knew how her mind worked, but he had ignored it.

Sorey took a step forward, looking around at the bodies. He thought he saw a few of them move, just small twitches that could have been the wind that always blew through Biroclef or the last spasms as the bodies settled. Sorey took a shaky breath, his mouth remaining open as he tried to grasp at something other than shock and horror.

He turned to look back at Mikleo, hoping that the seraph would have some better idea at what to do than he would, because Sorey couldn’t think beyond anything but screaming until his voice gave out.

From the shocked expression on Mikleo’s face, the seraph would be no help. In fact, Mikleo was backing away slowly, Sorey able see the tremble in his hands. Sorey wasn’t sure if he should reach out for him, but he didn’t trust himself to move, not when he felt like any movement would send him tumbling to the ground.

He took a deep breath, about to call to Mikleo when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to look, his heart pounding faster when he saw a small figure slipping through the ruins of the nearby house.

The child kept to the shadows, crouching under fallen beams and beside piles of supplies. She kept looking over her shoulder at where the soldiers were milling around, one hand wrapped around her arm. Sorey watched as she swayed in place, looking like she was deciding when to run. Sorey found himself leaning forward with her. Most of the soldiers were looking away, so it was the perfect time to move. Better yet, Malfore seemed to be trying to attract the attention of the soldiers, probably trying to issue more orders.

Sorey found himself gesturing to the girl, seeing the moment that she perked up. Her mouth dropped open as she saw him, the girl mouthing something. She stood up slightly, rocking in place for a moment before pushing away from the stack of supplies that she had been hiding behind. The girl didn’t bother to look over her shoulder at the soldiers as she dashed out into the open. Sorey sucked in a quick breath and rushed forward, wanting to reach her before any of the soldiers noticed her frantic flight towards him. It didn’t matter that Malfore had all of their attention, he was going to make sure that he could save one person from Gododdin.

The girl stumbled over the uneven ground, biting her lip to keep from shouting out. But, when she looked up, she reached out with one hand. “Your highness!”

Sorey didn’t bother to slow down at the shout, sprinting to cover the distance between them even as he heard some of the soldiers shouting. He didn’t know if they were coming from the group that Mikleo had soaked of or if they were the Royal Guard, but that didn’t matter. Mikleo would cover his back and keep them at bay for the short time that it would take Sorey to scoop up the girl and make a run for it.

He reached out for her, grabbing onto her outstretched hand only for her to jerk in his hold. Sorey stared at her chest in horror, his gaze never wavering from the iron tip of the arrow that had pierced through her. The girl coughed, her next breath rattling out of her before trailing off into nothing.

Sorey stared down at the body in his arms, only realizing that he was shaking violently when she partially slipped out of his hold. But even then Sorey didn’t think he could stop, even when the girl slid completely away from him. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her body, especially where the arrow had entered her back.

He knew that kind of arrow, he had seen it in use many times. He had fired a few of them in practice.

Sorey reached out to touch the fletching, jerking his hand back as soon as he dragged his fingers down the cut edge on the feather. He pulled his hand back, curling it into a fist, but that didn’t stop the shaking, if anything, it just made it worse.

The whole world seemed to be moving slowly, everything drowned out by a strange ringing in his ears and a compounding of the heaviness of the malevolence. It was so thick that Sorey felt like he was choking on it.

He pitched forward, his forehead almost pressed against the dirt as he tried to calm his breathing. It was too fast, too hard and he couldn’t focus with the way his head was spinning. He thought he heard someone call his name, but it was hard to hear anything over the rushing in his ears.

It wasn’t until he felt something knock against him that he looked up, Sorey surprised to see Mikleo standing between him and the gates of the village. Mikleo had been on the other side before, staring down at the soldiers. Now he had his staffed raised, something sparkling in front of them. Sorey jerked in shock at the sound of something knocking against them. It wasn’t until he got his eyes to focus that he realized that the soldiers from behind were shooting at them with arrows.

He curled forward over the girl’s body, protecting her even though Mikleo was covering them, but there were still soldiers on the other side. The soldiers that had shot her.

Sorey dropped his hand to the top of the girl’s head with a sob, ignoring Mikleo when the seraph bumped against him again. He ignored all other attempts to get his attention, staring down at the girl as his mind went back to its heavy fuzz. It wasn’t until Mikleo dug the end of his staff into his side that he looked up again.

The seraph was glaring down at him, obviously about to scold him for waiting for long, but Sorey was beyond caring. Some part of him was tempted to lash out at him, but he needed the anger and rage for the soldiers, because he wanted to rip them apart more. He pressed his nails into the palms of his hands until he could feel blood leaking out around his nails.

When Mikleo made the move to poke him again, Sorey reached out and grabbed the seraph’s staff. “They kill them! All of them! They hadn’t done anything! But they…And I couldn’t do anything!”

Mikleo stared at him for a moment, Sorey expecting the seraph to huff or respond callously as he usually would. Instead, Mikleo softened slightly. An expression that Sorey couldn’t quite make out crossed the Mikleo’s face before he turned away.

The shimmering barrier cracked and dropped, the ice shards glimmering in the light as they collapsed to the ground. Sorey stretched an arm out to protect the girl, staring at the ice on the ground. He looked up when Mikleo turned, watching as the seraph lifted a hand before jerking it back.

There was a loud gasp and a splash, Sorey watching an archer from the soldiers by the slaughtered villagers was lifted up by a column of water. He locked gazes with the man, watching him as the archer struggled for breath.

It didn’t take long for the man to go limp, bubbles escaping from his mouth. Mikleo let the corpse hang for a moment before dragging the column of water over.

The corpse was discarded with a flick of Mikleo’s hand, the water dissolving soon afterward. The bow that the archer had held clattered to the ground by Sorey’s side, Sorey leaning away from it.

He stared at the bow, skimming over the ancient tongue that was haphazardly carved into the curve of the bow. He twitched, reaching back for his sword. He fumbled on the hold, not caring that his palm caught on the blade, it was just more blood and the only thing it did was make his hold on the sword more awkward.

Sorey gritted his teeth and focused harder on dragging the tip of his sword through the runes. Sorey barked out the word, hissing when he felt the crackle and a short puff of air. He thought he saw a small green orb shimmer in the air for a moment before disappearing completely. Sorey reached out for it, just barely missing the orb. Sorey felt the wind brush over his bloodied fingers before it was gone, Sorey closing his fingers around nothing.

He turned back to look at Mikleo, the seraph’s name catching in his throat. Sorey wasn’t sure if he managed to get out any part of Mikleo’s name, but the seraph seemed to understand.

Mikleo threw one more glance at the soldiers before dropping down to kneel next to Sorey. He carefully guided Sorey’s hands away from the girl and to the bow, Sorey jerking as Mikleo curled them around the wood. Sorey looked up at Mikleo, surprised to see the same strange expression on the seraph’s face. Mikleo squeezed his hands around Sorey before nodding. “I understand.”

“Mikleo?”

Mikleo squeezed his hand, the move making Sorey hold onto the bow more tightly. “I’ll help.”

Sorey shook his head, still not understanding what Mikleo meant. They might be able to break their way through, but they wouldn’t be able to hold off the soldiers from the seraphim. There would be too many to hold back, especially since most of the seraphim would be too weak for a long, drawn out battle. They wouldn’t stand a chance if the soldiers started to use the binding spells and Sorey was only one person. He couldn’t possibly stop them all.

He looked down at his hand, realizing that he was clutching the bow so tightly that his knuckles were white. There was no way that they would be able to save them all, but there was no question of him trying.

He looked up at Mikleo, sure that he looked just as resolute as the seraph. He brushed his fingers over the girl’s head one last time before standing up, not relinquishing his hold on the bow. “How?”

Mikleo shifted in place for a moment, his gaze slipping away from Sorey’s for a moment before it returned with the same resolve. “You use my name.”

“Mikleo?”

“No. My true name.” He reached out to grab a hold of the bow again, his fingers closing around one of the bloodstains that Sorey left behind. Sorey felt a tingle run through his hand as Mikleo’s fingers brushed over the back of it. Sorey glanced at where Mikleo’s hand was shaking around the bow before looking back up at the seraph.

For all of his shaking, Mikleo still seemed resolute. “Say it and it should be enough to make them pay for what they’ve done.”

Sorey nodded slowly, partially tempted to lean back into Mikleo, but it wasn’t the time. He was staring at the soldiers who were still laughing and cheering as Malfore continued to urge them on. He must have made some sound because he heard Mikleo growl.

The seraph’s fingers tightened on the bow before muttering two words.

“Luzrov Rulay.”

Sorey tilted his head to the side, not quite sure if he’d heard them right, but there wasn’t the time to check. The soldiers would be moving, and there were others to rescue. Sorey narrowed his eyes, shifting his grip on the bow. “Luzrov Rulay.”

He felt Mikleo’s fingers drop down to touch his hand, but then the seraph was gone, Sorey’s own call for him gone in the rush of water. His first instinct was to raise his hand to block the water, but something in him rebelled at it. The water wasn’t frightening or dangerous, it was _his_. When everyone else was gone he’d only had the water and the few artes that he had managed to learn before Elysia was gone.

Sorey’s breath caught in his throat, tipping his head up to look at the top of the water spout. “Mikleo?”

There was an awkward feeling of reassurance, Sorey relaxing with a smile. It was familiar and Mikleo, closer than he’d ever had been to the seraph. It was a strange feeling of elation, and one that didn’t last long.

The water spout crashed to the ground, Sorey turning his head to watch as the water sunk back into the thirsty ground. He could feel it running through the soil, following its usual path down to the caverns underneath the ridge. It was almost mesmerizing to follow, but Mikleo was insistent, the seraph pulling his attention back to the soldiers.

The rage was quick to return, Sorey feeling it boil up inside of him. He curled his fingers around the bow, surprised when they closed around it with enough strength to crack the bow further. He jumped slightly, but his own surprise was quickly lost in the swirl of anger and rage.

These were the soldiers who had turned against their people.

These were like the soldiers that had marched up the mountain to take his family.

These were the soldiers who had slaughtered the people of Gododdin without a second thought.

These were like the soldiers who had killed his family.

And they were going to go after the seraphim next, which would kill them as well.

The bow cracked further under their hands, but they ignored it. They didn’t have the time to hesitate, they had to act.

They shifted their position, balancing carefully so they could pull the bow back. Shards of wood started to peel away, the fragments curling and twisting into new shapes as the bow was bent backwards. The darker grain bleached out, colors starting to sparkle over the wood in waves like water was moving over it.

They moved their head backward slightly as a spar formed out of broken wood near the top, ignoring the way that the bowstring fell away. The old string dangled uselessly from the bottom of the bow, slapping against their leg as another spar twisted it away from them. But the lack of string wasn’t a problem. They just reached up and ran their fingers over the new notch there, drawing out a length of shimmering blue that they stretched across the bow.

The bow curved further with the new string, their fingers stroking one of the spars of white wood before lifting the bow. It was lighter than any bow they had held and easy to pull back. There was only the slightest strain in their back from holding the bow at full draw. They shifted their fingers slightly on the string, calling an arrow up as easily as breathing. It shone bright and white on the string against the dark blue-brown of the grip.

They took a deep breath, tipping their aim slightly up before releasing the arrow.

It sped from the bow and right into the front line of the soldiers in front of them. They watched as seven soldiers collapsed as the arrow pierced through them before the arrow exploded into a spray of water. The water splattered on the soldiers, some of them screaming and pawing at their skin like the water burned, the sight bringing a smile to their face.

At a shout called their attention to the soldiers closing in behind them. They stared at the soldiers, taking in some of the shock on their faces before drawing the bow again.

This time one of them nudged their aim higher. It was hard to tell which one it was, they both sounded alike. It was easier just to fire the arrow into the air, watching as it disappeared into the sky before falling back down in a barrage of arrows.

Each one found their mark, soldiers stumbling and falling as the arrows picked them out. There were more arrows than soldiers, but that hardly mattered, their goal was accomplished.

They turned around, taking aim again with the same height. They pulled back the string again, freezing when one of them pulled them to a halt.

They cocked their head, taking a moment to recognize which part of them it was coming from. _“We need Malfore. We need an explanation.”_

_“But we don’t need the others.”_

There was a pause, Sorey finding himself breathing heavily as he suddenly became aware of the fact that there was two of them, but it didn’t last long. It was far too easy to slip back into the mixture of their rage, Sorey pulled back under until he was part of a whole again. _“No. We don’t.”_

They released the arrow, not bothering to watching it arc and fall back to the ground in the thousands of arrows that would follow. They were too busy walking over to where they could see Malfore cowering under what little cover one of the ruined houses could afford. Malfore wasn’t even looking their way, the man flinching back under his cover as the arrows began to hit the soldiers.

They walked through the rain of arrows, smiling the moment that Malfore looked their way. They watched as the man jerked back, obviously trying to run away, but they were quicker.

They grabbed Malfore by the arm, tugging him out of his cover and into the open as the last of the arrows stopped falling. Without the whistle and thud of the arrows, the entire town of Gododdin was silent save for the sound of the wind. The lonely howl was enough to start to tear them apart, but even then it was hard to remember the name of one of them.

They licked their lips, Sorey eventually finding the right name. “Mikleo.”

Their connection dropped immediately, Sorey stumbling a bit as he was suddenly alone. He took deep breaths, surprised that some of the grief and rage stayed with him. He could feel his hands shaking, but he didn’t dare let go of Malfore, not when they needed him. Sorey wasn’t quite sure why, the reason he wanted to keep the Shepherd alive was still hazy in his mind, but most things were hazy to him.

He swallowed, his throat feeling raw like he had swallowed glass. He shook his head, trying to ignore both of those and the sudden loss of the security of having Mikleo so close to him. Sorey took a deep breath, looking back over at the seraph.

Mikleo looked far more put together than he was, although his attention was on the shattered bow in his hands. It was no longer a wonder of white, gold and blue, it was a common longbow, broken beyond repair. Mikleo turned it over in his hands before callously tossing it away. The seraph turned to look at him, something in Sorey settling back into place.

Mikleo wasn’t gone, he was right there, which made it far easier to concentrate on what he needed to do.

Sorey swallowed again, trying to get his throat working again. Even then, his voice was raspy when he spoke. “Can you help me with the horses? We need to get back to Pendrago as quickly as possible.”

Mikleo nodded, but he didn’t move away from him. “Are you going to put him on trial?”

Sorey shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Mikleo hummed, Sorey not sure of exactly what the sound meant, but he supposed that it didn’t matter. They just had to head back to the capital, because something was obviously wrong, and he had to fix it.


	12. Chapter 10

“Uprose the king of men with speed,  
And saddled straight his coal-black steed;  
Down the yawning steep he rode,  
That leads to Hela’s drear abode.”  
- _Descent of Odin_ , Thomas Gray

* * *

 

Boris paced the confines of their cell, ignoring where his brother was standing towards the front of the cell. He knew what Sergei was doing, and that his older brother’s attention wasn’t on him.

Sergei was counting their number, although why he was still doing it after so long was beyond him. They had been in the cells for a while now, and they seemed to be locked in a holding pattern. No one had been taken for questioning or execution, which could only mean two things; that the council was still securing their power or they were purposefully waiting for something. Boris was more inclined to believe the latter considering everything. If that was the case, then it was just a matter of trying to figure out what they would be used for, although Boris doubted that Sergei’s fully attention was on that.

His brother kept glancing towards one of the cells, the one that held Princess Alisha, regularly and with interest. It was enough to make Boris pay attention, but he wasn’t going to call Sergei on it.

Princess Alisha was too important to lose. If they wanted peace with Hyland, she had to be gotten back to her country alive.

Besides, Boris couldn’t fault Sergei’s interest. The princess was an attractive girl and alpha, she was commanding with just the right amount of give. It was no wonder that Sergei’s focus kept slipping back to her. Boris’ only complaint was that he wished it had happened at a better time. Now they needed to be focusing on coming up with a strategy instead of staring longingly after pretty alphas.

Then again, Sergei had never been the one to contemplate the complex motives behind things, that had always been his job.

Sergei promoted to the Platinum Knights at a young age for acts of bravery and loyalty, and mostly because the Platinum Knight had practically been wiped out by Emperor Leon. Boris wasn’t sure if that had helped or hindered his brother, but he’d probably never know. He’d gone through the politics of the regular guard and the careful maneuvering that it had taken to get anywhere. Boris didn’t regret it, save for the fact that he hadn’t seen the council’s machinations coming.

They had always been in charge, even when there was an emperor on the throne. That was a kind of power that people were reluctant to let go of. Maybe he had been too optimistic that Sorey could play the army and the church off each other. It had always worked before and, as far as he had seen, there was no reason for the two of them to stand together like they had. Boris frowned, picking up his pace.

He heard Sergei make a noise, but he ignored his brother. There were more important things to work out. If Sergei wanted to escape, then he needed to work on the main problem. Rushing out wouldn’t work if they would be getting themselves into more trouble. Compared to the numbers that the council had, the Platinum Knights were practically nothing. All it would get them was killed, both them and Alisha. And then Sorey would be left with no one but Mikleo.

Boris shivered at the thought of the seraph. Mikleo was prickly, but he seemed to be dedicated enough. He had proven willing enough to defend Sorey and the dragon he could turn into was impressive.

Another shiver ran down his spine, Boris pausing to rub at his arms. Seeing the dragon that Mikleo could become twice hadn’t been enough to get him used to the sight. Boris wasn’t sure if it was because the dragon was so large or because all of the stories that he had grown up with. They had always ended with the dragons being slain, but Boris had always remembered how much destruction they had caused before their end. They weren’t called the harbingers of death for no reason, and yet Sorey had one standing by his side. A free seraph and a dragon, it was a dangerous combination and one that Boris didn’t think had existed before.

He froze at the thought, staring at the back wall of his cell.

That was something there, something interesting. As far as he knew, there had never been a seraph standing with the human for years, not since the last Shepherd. Any seraph now wasn’t there by choice, which made Mikleo all the more rare and desirable, which made the church’s actions make sense. With the exception of the old pope, they all claimed rights to the seraphim. Boris had thought that Cardinal Forton would follow her mentor’s lead, but maybe he had underestimated what the sight of Mikleo would do to her, or maybe Forton was just trying to keep her head above the water like the rest of them. Whichever it was didn’t matter at the moment, because it was easy enough to figure out what the generals and the cardinal had agreed on.

The council would get their power back, the generals would get their war and the church would get their seraph. And they would both get a dragon. And then all of Glenwood would tremble before the empire and their dragon.

Boris cursed and turned on his heel. He caught the look of surprise on Sergei’s face. He motioned for his brother to wait, peering out into the hallway.

The guards were in place like he expected. Boris hummed, looking around at the other cells. He could see most of the Platinum Knights, but not Alisha. He pushed away from the bars, spinning around to face Sergei. “Who is with Alisha?”

“Vanya.” The response was immediate, Boris raising an eyebrow at that. He had expected Sergei to know how they all were situated, but it was something in his brother’s tone of voice. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching as Sergei leaned against the bars.

Sergei didn’t seem to notice the scrutiny he was under, he was too busy looking over the block of cells they were in. “They’re towards the front, so it won’t take much.”

“Good.”

Sergei turned his head to smile at him, but he didn’t move from his position. “The guards should change soon, both inside and out. We’ll be able to send them both out. They should be able to get to Sorey then.”

“No.” Boris got a better grip on the bars. “Alisha needs to go back to Hyland. They won’t go after her immediately that way.”

Sergei stared at him, eventually shaking his head and laughing. “I can’t understand you sometimes, Boris.”

“But have I ever been wrong?”

Sergei made a vague motion, his attention drifting away briefly. Sergei sighed and shook his head. “Then what do we do?”

“The rest of us go to Sorey.” It wasn’t the right answer, but Boris was sure that it was the only one that Sergei would hear. Besides, most of the Platinum Knights owed Sorey and, by extension, Empress Nadia. That was a debt too large to be ignored. Boris wouldn’t disobey the order when Sergei gave it either, because there was no good course to take. He would be content with Alisha escaping because she could start the treaty while the rest of them tried to get to Sorey. Mikleo might be able to hold off whatever the generals could pull from around Gododdin, but even a dragon couldn’t hold out against the might of the empire, even if they were rusty in their dragon slaying. What happened after would be up to Sorey, although Boris had a suspicion of what Sorey would do.

He sighed and rested his forehead against the bars. Boris closed his eyes, running through every other conceivable plan before giving up. Their priority should be getting Alisha out and into a position to fight back. It was better to have allies, especially since Boris had no idea how they could win the country back. The dragon might have worked once, but Boris was sure that the surprise couldn’t work a second time. The armies would be prepared and their generals wouldn’t surrender so easily again.

Boris opened his eyes, staring out into the hallway. Sorey wouldn’t give up on the country, not when there were people still suffering, which meant that the rest of them would have to fight and probably die. That would hurt Sorey more than anything else. But they had no choice, because Sorey was right. The empire couldn’t hold out with the way it was. No matter what it took, it was better to fight and die than just to stand by and watch it all fall.

He pushed away from the bars to look at Sergei, giving his brother a nod. “We need to spread the word to watch for our chance. As many of us as we can need to get out and one with Alisha.”

From the way that Sergei huffed he wasn’t happy with the assumptions that could be made from the plan, but it was asking too much for all of them to escape, that only happened in the stories. But at least that didn’t refuse.

Sergei reached out the bars, waving to get the attention of the next cell over. The reply would take a while to come back, because the message would be passed along. All that meant was that they had to nail down the specifics quickly to use the time that they had.

He turned back towards the rear of the cell. Boris looked out the small window towards the courtyard. He watched the movement there, focusing on the guards, but he couldn’t help his gaze from drifting towards what he could see of the gates, like Sorey would come charging in at any moment. He shook his head because it was just like all the stories they had been told growing up.

It wouldn’t happen, but it couldn’t hurt to hope.

* * *

Rose raised a hand to shade her eyes, staring out into the open country. There wasn’t much to see in this area of the empire, it was just empty, rolling plains that eventually shoved up against the harsh rocks and canyons that made up the border between the empire and Lohgrin. The fact that there was no one in her line of sight didn’t make her relax, she couldn’t when she was so far into the empire.

She lowered her hand, glancing over at where Dezel was leaning into the wind that was constantly blowing over the rocks and ridges. She watched the wind seraph for a moment before turning away. He would warn them of anything that was coming their way. With all the strong winds in the area, it was impossible that he would miss anything.

Rose picked her way from the edge back to where Lailah and Edna were resting in the shade of one of the large rocks. Edna was poking rocks into some kind of order with the tip of her umbrella. Rose tipped her head, trying to work out the pattern before giving up with a shake of her head. She was sure that Edna wouldn’t mind if she asked, but she didn’t want the teasing conversation that was sure to follow, even if she was sure that it would lift all of their spirits.

None of them had expected to be able to get to Biroclef Ridge, and certainly none of them had expected to stay. Even with their careful circling around the area to keep away from hellions and enemy soldiers, she had expected to find more resistance. Then again, she had expected to get stopped somewhere towards the center of the empire. After all, with a change of emperor there were bound to be patrols to look for traitors and rebels. But there hadn’t been anything, just carts moving along the road. If there had been soldiers moving with them, Rose would have been suspicious but there had just been crates. It could be a sign that the peace treaty that the emperor had promised was starting, although exactly what would come out of it Rose didn’t know. She’d just have to wait for Alisha to get back to her.

She looked over her shoulder at where Dezel was standing, watching the seraph turn his head as he considered the winds. She knew better than to interrupt him while he was reading the wind. They were quite a distance from Pendrago, but that wouldn’t matter as long as the winds were coming in strong. The difficult part would be to pick out what they needed from everything that came from the busy capital. It was the only way they would be able know if Alisha needed their help, and Dezel had been at it for hours already. She didn’t want to interrupt him, not when that might mean missing something.

Rose tipped her head up, scanning the sky as she played with the glove on her hand. She easily found one of the holes in the old glove, sighing as she traced out the edge of the tear. When they settled down to camp for the night she would have to fix it, it would be something to do while she waited for dinner to cook. Of course, she could just tuck the glove away and let it sit in her bag, but that didn’t feel right for some reason.

She was the Shepherd now, something that she had seen coming for a long while. She’d been watching Michael since he had stumbled out of Ladylake clutching the sacred sword. He had looked exhausted then, and it had just gotten worse over the years. The mostly lively she had seen him was at the village that they had made their camp for the season.

Michael had always worn the glove and the cloak, and it had been obvious why. The people responded better to the Shepherd. Rose hadn’t tested it in the empire, but she didn’t want to push her luck, at least until she needed it. It was better to save that until she and Alisha were making a run for the Hyland border, if they needed to at all. So far, things had been quiet.

Rose frowned, tempted to glance back over at Dezel, but she kept her eyes on the sky. She didn’t want to be taken by surprise, not with all the hellions that were wandering around through the canyon. They had seen a larger hellion flying by every once and a while, but never close enough that they could reach. Rose was almost tempted to throw one of her knives at the creature to see if it would come down, but she didn’t want to risk it. The hellion was larger than most of the others that she had seen and attempted to quell. Still, it would have to be taken care of at some time, if only for Gododdin’s sake.

She sighed and turned away, about to ask Lailah what they could do about the large hellion when she saw Dezel tense out of the corner of her eye.

Her hands dropped to the knives behind her back, Rose watching Dezel. If it was something wrong with Alisha, he would tell her immediately because they needed the princess. She was the one who was in charge of the resistance. Alisha was the one who kept them all together. Everything would fall apart if she died.

She took a step towards Dezel, ready for him to deliver the news that they had to move quickly. She watched his shoulders move, counting down the moments only to have him turn on his heel and stare off into the canyon. Rose saw his eyes move, flicking from side to side like he could see the winds that were gusting around them even though they were glazed and scarred. She curled her hand around the hilt of her knife at the reminder, breathing deeply to keep herself calm.

There was nothing she could do about Dezel’s sight, and he was insulted every time that she commented on it. Dezel’s disastrous escape from the weapon had happened long before she had been adopted by the Windriders. All she knew was that he wasn’t in pain because of it, which was all that mattered.

Rose released her tight hold on her knives, stepping towards him as he continued to stare out towards the ridge. If he heard her approach, he didn’t acknowledge her, his head tilting to the side before he shuddered. “Something’s wrong.”

“What?”

Dezel shook his head and started forward, Rose staring after him just long enough to figure out where he was going before starting after him. She could hear Lailah and Edna scrambling to their feet, the sound of their footsteps abruptly cut off when they returned to her. She felt the two of them settle into place, Lailah bright and warm like a fire and Edna steady and sunbaked like the ground that they had been standing on. Rose didn’t pay them too much mind, the two of them would perk up when they were interested in something. Her full attention was on Dezel as the wind seraph started to pick his way down the ridge.

She kept quiet until they had gotten halfway down the path, rushing up to walk beside him when the trail widened out. “What is it? Is it Alisha?”

Dezel jerked like she had snuck up on him. He tipped his head in her direction before focusing towards the bottom of the path. “No, but it’s something we should look into. The wind smells like death.”

Rose tipped her head up, taking a deep breath. She couldn’t smell anything but she would take Dezel’s word for it. He wouldn’t have gotten distracted from their duty of looking out for Alisha so easily.

She felt Lailah shift, the seraph perking up at something that she couldn’t sense. _“Dezel is right, there’s something strange.”_

_“That’s putting it mildly. I haven’t felt like this since I can’t remember when.”_

“What do you feel?”

There was a pause for the other two, Rose sure that Lailah was ready to let the subject drop until Edna spoke up again. _“Seraphim. And a lot of them.”_

“Weapons or not?”

_“Not.”_

If Lailah’s awed whisper hadn’t been enough to encourage her to walk faster, the next breath of air did.

Rose coughed as she breathed out, raising an arm to cover her mouth and nose. She had grown up living with mercenaries.

She knew what dead bodies smelled like.

She broke into a run, ignoring when Dezel returned to her. It was more important to see what was going on in the village. It didn’t matter if the people were from the empire, they were people all the same. Besides it might be a thing for the Shepherd to take care of. After all, she hadn’t seen the massive hellion for a long time, and there had been plenty of chances for it to sneak around them.

Rose stumbled as she hit the bottom of the trail, leaning over to brace herself against the wall that the people of Gododdin had built around the front of their town. She held herself there for a moment before pushing herself away and sprinting for the entrance.

As she ran she glanced at the wall, looking for any marks that would come with a hellion attack. The wall was pocked with them, but none of them looked too new and some of them looked like repairs had been started. It was a small relief, especially when she was getting close to the source of the awful smell.

She practically flung herself through the gate, bringing herself up short before she could trip over the dead body sprawled just inside of it. Rose stared at the uniform that the man wore, taking a step back. She scanned over the other bodies that were sprawled out between the gate and the start of the ramshackle houses that ran down the main street.

They all wore the uniform of the empire’s soldiers, the ones that were out fighting instead of stuck in the capital. But the uniforms weren’t surprising, it was the fact that it looked like all of the soldiers had just fallen over dead that really shocked her. She could see places where they had bled through their uniform, but there was no sign of what had caused the wounds.

She was tempted to lean over and check the wounds, but Lailah dropped out of her. Rose looked up at the seraph, watching as Lailah pressed her hands over her mouth with a soft gasp. Rose frowned and followed her gaze, her blood running cold when she noticed the bodies further up the street. They weren’t just soldiers, there were villagers mixed in too.

Rose picked her way through the soldiers near the front, her gaze not moving from the next set of bodies. She looked over them, searching for any signs of life in the group, because she needed answers.

What she was seeing didn’t look like a hellion attack, it looked something like a massacre. But that left the question of who had done it, because it obviously wasn’t the soldiers themselves or the villagers, because she was sure that she was looking at the entire population of Gododdin.

She raised her sleeve to press it over her mouth, stopping short of where all the corpses were lying on the ground. Lailah had taken a few steps ahead of her, looking at all of the corpses. Her gaze strayed towards the cave at the back of the village, Rose considering it for a moment before shaking her head. If the survivors were anywhere, they would be there, but she wasn’t quite ready to head into the cave, not when there was still more to glean from the battlefield.

She scanned over the bodies, feeling Edna perk up at something close. The two seraphim still in her felt like they were going to start a conversation, but her attention was caught by movement partially under one of the buildings.

Rose jogged over to the pile of wood, reaching down to drag the soldier out. He groaned and gasped as she helped him out into the open, quick to reach out for the bleeding wound on his side. Rose tilted her head to look at it, wincing when she saw its placement. She could bind it up, but she doubted that it would help after he’d lost so much blood. And, with the way that his breath was rattling, there wasn’t much else she could do.

She dropped into a crouch in front of him, snapping her fingers in front of his face when the soldier didn’t focus on her. “Hey, what happened here?”

The soldier made a sound that could have been a laugh, but it was hard to tell. With his free hand, he gestured at the bodies.

Rose didn’t follow the motion, but she frowned because that told her nothing. “Who did this?”

It took the soldier a moment to answer her question, Rose watching him process it for a long time before the man shook his head. “He shouldn’t have done it. He was on our side. That damn cow messed with his mind.”

“Watch your mouth.” Rose leaned farther forward, hoping that the motion would make him focus on her.

Instead, his gaze flickered to the side as one of the seraphim came out. The man mouthed something, Rose not catching it in time. She scowled, waiting as he drew in a few labored breaths before the man managed to turn his head to the side and spit in the direction of the seraph.

Rose turned her head, watching as Edna carefully took a step back. She gave the man an annoyed glare, not that the man seemed to care. He just leaned back with a smirk on his face. “Damn seraph. Doesn’t belong out here.”

“How rude.” Edna tapped the umbrella against the ground, the sound making the man flinch.

He glared at her for a moment before shaking his head. “If the emperor had listened, he wouldn’t have done this.”

“The emperor did this?”

The soldier was nodding before she finished asking the question. His eyes glazed over even as he spoke, his hand sliding away from his wound. “He killed them all, shot ‘em all down…”

The word trailed off into a rattle, but it was all that Rose needed to hear. She stood up, taking a step back from the dead soldier as she looked around the village. She couldn’t imagine what would drive an emperor to slaughter an entire village and his own soldiers. In that case, he wasn’t the kind of emperor that would offer peace and mean it, which meant that Alisha was in danger.

Rose cursed under her breath and turned on her heel, ready to run out of the village when she heard Edna make a chiding sound. She looked over her shoulder at Edna, watching as the seraph made an impatient motion with her umbrella. “There’s more than just humans here.”

She stared at Edna for a moment before looking back at the cave, feeling a shiver run down her spine. In the face of the slaughter in the village the cave looked more threatening than before. Rose shot a look over at where Lailah was carefully making her way over to the entrance of the cave. From the way that she was holding her arm, she was touching the broach that she wore. Rose narrowed her eyes before taking a deep breath.

None of the seraphim would let her leave without looking at the cave, not that Rose would blame them. She wouldn’t have forgiven herself if she had walked out of the village without checking for survivors. Dead soldier aside, she still wanted to find out as much as she could about what had happened practically under her nose.

Rose lifted her sleeve to her nose and mouth, covering her face as she picked her way through the bodies. She kept it there until she was standing shoulder to shoulder with Lailah.

The seraph didn’t seem to notice that she was there, still staring into the cave. Rose was sure that she heard Lailah’s breath hitch. She frowned and peered into the mouth of the cave, fully prepared to see more bodies sprawled out in the mouth of it. After all, the guard had said that the emperor had killed all of them. The entrance to the cave was empty, but too dark to see too far in.

She reached out for Lailah’s arm, stopping herself short from grabbing onto the seraph. She wasn’t a little girl frightened by ghosts, she was the Shepherd. But it didn’t hurt to be cautious of anything that would come out of the cave.

Rose peered into the darkness, the only warning that she got was Lailah grabbing onto her arm and squeezing. Rose tensed, expecting some kind of dragon or hellion to come charging out. Instead, an exhausted looking seraph stumbled out.

She stared at the seraph as it wove its way into the open. The seraph blinked in the brought sunlight, raising a thin arm to block the light. It stood there for a moment before looking over at them. The seraph startled when it saw them, taking a step back towards the cave that nearly sent it toppling over. Rose fulling expected it to go running, and she wouldn’t blame it. She had only known of three seraphim that were free and they were all there with her.

The seraph blinked owlishly at them before taking a jerky step forward. “Lailah.”

“Lord Maotelus!” Lailah rushed from her side, running across the space to grab onto the seraph before he fell to the ground.

For a moment, it looked like the both of them would fall down, but Lailah braced herself in time. They swayed in place, Rose looking the two of them over before making her way over.

Maotelus was clutching at Lailah, his head turned back towards the village. Rose caught the moment that he noticed the slaughter, his whole body shuddering as he stared at it. His mouth worked for a moment, Rose watching him shake. Maotelus mouthed something that looked like the word sorry before he abruptly turned away.

She tensed as Maotelus looked her over, noticing the way that his gaze lingered on her glove. She tucked her hand behind her back, keeping it there as she came to a stop in front of him. Rose felt something curl inside of her just before Dezel appeared, her hair moving slightly in the wind that he brought with him.

Dezel’s appearance made Maotelus start, the seraph nearly falling out of Lailah’s steadying hold. Maotelus looked Dezel up and down before giving him a nod, not seeming to care that Dezel didn’t react. “A wind seraph, now that is rare. I thought they were all gone.” Dezel snorted, but Maotelus didn’t seem to hear it. “A wind seraph and a Shepherd, we are lucky.”

Dezel grumbled something under his breath, but Rose ignored it. They could talk about the appearance of the seraph later, she wanted to figure out what exactly had happened in Gododdin that had killed the people but left a seraph.

She played with the string on one of her knives, glancing up at the sky before shaking her head. There were too many mysteries and not enough time to sort them out. Hellions would be attracted by the smell of blood and seraphim, and she could already feel the crushing pressure of the malevolence starting to grow from the massacre.

Rose looked back down at Maotelus, shaking her head when he started to stumble away from Lailah and towards the villagers. “We can’t stay here long, the malevolence is growing and there’s no one to stop the other hellions.”

Maotelus narrowed his eyes at her, Rose not sure if he was studying her or if he disagreed. She huffed and adjusted her hold on her knife. “How fast can you travel?”

She expected him to stutter out some kind of rebuttal, especially with the way that he was staring at the bodies. Maotelus gave them one last look before shaking his head. “Not me. All of us.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to question what he said, but she felt something dig into her side. Rose glanced down at where Edna was standing, surprised that she shook her head. Usually Edna was the first to speak out, but her lips were pressed together in a thin line. If that wasn’t a warning, Rose didn’t know what was.

She sighed and trailed after the seraphim, slowing down when she entered the cave. She expected to have to ask Lailah to light the way for her, but the darkness didn’t last for too long. Now that she was inside the cave she could see a flicker of light towards the back, more than enough for her to see by. Rose hummed to herself and looked around at the passage that they were traveling down, taking in the structural supports before focusing on the way that the cave widened out.

Some part of her hoped to see more of the villagers waiting, but she was not prepared for the seraphim that she saw sitting around on the floor of the cave. Rose breathed out slowly, not even caring that some of the seraphim were staring back at her in equal awe. She’d expected to spend most of her life only seeing Dezel, Lailah and Edna. Maybe by the end of her life there would have been seraphim that had been freed wandering the world, but she hadn’t been prepared for the number in the cave.

Rose glanced around the cave, her sense of awe starting to lose out to the task that had been asked of them. Maotelus wanted to get them all out of Gododdin before the hellions started sniffing around. She was sure that the hellions would be in as soon as they could climb up the winding trails. The larger hellion would be in the village sooner, and it wouldn’t hesitate to chase after the seraphim or snap at the dead bodies.

She played with a loose piece of leather on the hilt of her knife, her eyes seeking out Edna. The earth seraph was easiest to find, Edna standing at the very edge of the group of seraphim. It was obvious that she was looking for someone and equally as obvious that she didn’t manage to find them. Her shoulders twitched for a moment before she swung her umbrella onto one. Rose caught a flash of something like disappointment and grief on the seraph’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

Edna glanced back at her, studying her for a moment before shaking her head. Rose gave her a nod, not sure if that helped any, but she couldn’t think of any words that would help and certainly nothing that wouldn’t have been said before. But the nod seemed enough for now. Besides, they needed to be the Shepherd and her seraphim, at least for a while longer.

She turned her gaze to Maotelus as he stumbled towards the center of the cave. One of the seraphim reached out for him, the two of them supporting each other for a moment before Maotelus turned to look back at them. For a moment, he reminded her of Brad, but the moment passed quickly and she was left looking at a seraph that looked on the verge of falling over.

Maotelus leaned wearily on the other seraph, giving her a serious look. “I wish I could offer you more help or support, but there’s not much more we can give. It took everything we had to protect the village from hellions and malevolence. And then there were seraphim to protect when…” Maotelus swallowed and shook his head. He patted the other seraph’s hand before his gaze moved over to Lailah. “You see why it is imperative that we leave before the hellions come. Not many of us are capable of defending ourselves, and even then not for long.”

Rose huffed, trying to keep the sound from coming out as a laugh. She shoved her knife back into his sheath, glancing around at the seraph to categorize them. Most of them didn’t look like they could get to their feet let alone defend anyone from hellions. The few that were up and moving looked like they would blow over with the breezes that were always moving around Dezel. She looked over her shoulder at the thought of the seraph, finding him lingering towards the entrance to the cave.

It took him a while to look her way, Dezel tipping his head to the side. The motion didn’t help, but she’d been around the seraph long enough to know exactly what he would do, which would be to huff and turn away, leaving the decision up to her. But his own opinion on the matter was abundantly clear. Dealing with the seraphim would be time consuming and annoying, but they would have to do it, even Dezel couldn’t deny that. For all Rose knew, these might be the last seraphim that were free, at least for a long while. Even then she didn’t know how the other seraphim stuck in weapons would fare.

She sighed and rubbed at the back of her neck. There was no question of what they would have to do, and it wasn’t something that she could rush.

Rose let her hand drop back to her side, glancing over at Edna and Lailah. Edna gave her usual shrug, leaving the decision up to her but Lailah was more expressive. The seraph had her hands clasped in front of her, like she was begging. Rose flinched at the idea, quickly turning her gaze back to Maotelus.

The seraph was frowning at her, probably because she was taking too long. She was very aware of the glances that he threw at her glove, Rose resisting the urge to tuck that hand behind her back. Instead, she planted it on her hip, using the other to gesture back at the entrance to the cave. “There’s no question of you leaving. The important question is where you’re planning to go. The empire is out of the question, as is Hyland.”

For a moment, she thought that Maotelus would argue with her, then his gaze darted to the entrance of the cave. From the expression that crossed his face, she was sure that he was thinking about the massacre that had happened outside of their cave.

The emperor had proven himself untrustworthy with that alone. No man bent on bringing peace to the world would then turn around and kill an entire village and his own soldiers. And, if the empire was going back on everything that they had promised, then the seraphim were sure to be next in his sights and Hyland was sure to follow. That didn’t leave much of Glenwood left to run to, not unless they wanted to cross the ocean, although Rose doubted that there would be anyone willing to ferry a contingent of seraphim away. After all, most of the ports were either in the empire or Hyland.

Rose sighed and raised one shoulder in a shrug. “Lohgrin seems like the only place to go.”

From the sharp breath that Rose heard Lailah take, it was probably the wrong answer. But it was the only answer as far as she was concerned. It was a long way to the nearest civilization in Lohgrin, but at least they were closer from their stating point in Gododdin.

She watched as Lailah worried with the end of her sleeve. She didn’t stay silent for long, her hand dropping away from her sleeve as she gave Rose a nod. “I think that would be best. They have always been willing to help seraphim there. I’m worried about the hellions…”

The pause was telling, Rose giving Lailah a pained look. It was her duty to take care of both seraphim and humans as the Shepherd, but she had already made a promise to Alisha. If there was any chance of putting the world back in balance, then it would come from settling things back with the empire. She shifted in place, trying to figure out the words to explain.

Lailah didn’t give her much of a chance, the seraph giving her a sharp nod before turning on her heel. She bowed to Maotelus, keeping the motion short. “Will you be able to make it?”

Maotelus regarded the two of them for a long moment before nodding slowly, a resolute look crossing his face. “We can. There are a few of us that can watch over the rest.”

Rose watched Maotelus carefully, not sure if he was being brave or boldly lying to her face. Either way, he didn’t let his expression waver, even if his gaze went back to the glove on her hand.

Rose let her hands drop, twisting her hand slightly to hid the mark on the back of it. She rubbed the glove absently against her side before turning on her heel. The seraphim wouldn’t be leaving immediately, that much was abundantly clear. But they were at least taken care of, which meant that she could focus on the other things that were vying for her attention.

She walked to where Dezel was standing, giving him a long look. He seemed to regard her with the same solemnity before his head titled slightly. Dezel stood like that for a moment before shrugging. “Hellions are coming.”

“I know.” Rose breathed out slowly, looking out towards the village and the mass of bodies. The hellions wouldn’t be the only things that would be coming. The bodies would attract other predators who might be affected by the malevolence. It would be better to take care of the bodies to try and streamline things. Besides, the people of Gododdin deserved a proper burial, it wasn’t their fault that they had been caught up in the machinations of the empire.

Rose sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. “Could you-”

“I’ve got the princess. Take care of that before we get ourselves into more trouble.” Dezel jerked his head towards the village, his attention moving away from her before she could thank him, but Rose was too used to him to get annoyed. Instead she only felt relief. At least one of them would be paying attention to Alisha.

“Right.” She turned her head, not surprised to see Lailah walking up to her. She smiled at the seraph as Lailah reached out to touch her shoulder, Lailah’s hand lingering there for a moment before she started out towards the village. Edna trailed after her, Rose watching the steady taps of her umbrella against her shoulder.

She made a mental note to talk to the seraphim in the cave, just in case there had been a few that had made it out before the massacre. Or, maybe they had heard of an earth seraph looking for his sister. Rose didn’t know if the seraphim were able to communicate to each other while they were in the weapons, but it was worth a shot, for Edna’s sake.

Rose took a deep breath as she exited the cave, making a face at the scent of dead bodies. She shook her head, glancing over at the houses on the side of the road. There was no way that she was going to be able to bury them all, especially since they would have to deal with the soldiers as well. The easiest thing to do would be to set up a pyre or two and work through the bodies like that. There was plenty of wood and she trusted that Lailah could start the fires. It would also leave them free to start pushing through the hellions that were bound to show up.

She jumped as she heard a howl from the canyon below the village. Rose shot the gate a quick look before stripping off her glove. She tucked it into once of the pouches on her belt, securing it carefully. It was a symbol of her office but, more importantly, it was a reminder of Michael and something that she didn’t want to get dirtied blood and ashes.

Rose patted the pouch once before walking out to make a start on taking care of the bodies, keeping an ear out for Dezel’s warning or the sound of approaching hellions.

* * *

Malfore sat still as he watched the seraph prowl along the edge of their camp. Mikleo had his hand raised in the air, running it along something that only he could see. He shifted slightly as Mikleo made the slow circle, shivering as he felt something in the air change.  He reached for his side, his hand seeking out his sword, only remembering that it wasn’t there when Mikleo looked sharply at him. Malfore froze with his hand hovering close to his belt, waiting for the seraph to strike him down for the motion.

Mikleo regarded him for a long moment before turning away to complete his circle of the camp, a thin circle of water rising to the surface of the ground after him. Malfore waited until Mikleo had moved back around to where Sorey was sitting by the fire before breathing out slowly.

He had always heard about what the seraphim could do. He’d never witnessed first-hand what the seraphic weapons could do simply because the battlefield was not the place for him, he had known that from the start. It was better to go into the church and interact with the seraphim that way. That hadn’t given him the chance to see much, but there had been plenty of stories that he read.

There’d been the great firestorm that had brought down Lohgrin early on in the war, the earthquake that had broken parts of Rayfalke Spiritcrest, the great wind that had bested the troops of Hyland. And then, of course, the great victory of General Heldalf against the people of Camlann with the Great Lord that they had stolen from the Pendrago shrinechurch. Malfore didn’t know as much about that because the general had never gotten a chance to write it down and none of the others had ever seemed interested in talking about it. Then again, he supposed that it didn’t matter considering that there were plenty of other examples. It just proved the point that seraphim were powerful and something to be wary about.

If that wasn’t enough, then the display back in Gododdin had been enough.

Malfore shivered, looking away from Mikleo and back at the ground. He didn’t think he would be able to forget that, especially since the bow had been aimed at him for a short while. He didn’t know how had survived, especially when the arrows had wiped out everything in their path, but it had spared him. He would have called it a miracle if there had been a seraph left to make it a miracle, instead there was just Mikleo. Malfore doubted that Mikleo would grant them any miracles, not with the way that he had been influencing Sorey.

He shifted in place, looking over at Sorey. The emperor was bent over the sword that the church had given him, his fingers moving along the flat of the blade. Malfore narrowed his eyes, watching the emperor for a long moment.

He’d been watching Sorey for a while, even before Cardinal Forton had chosen him to be the Shepherd. It was important to pay attention to the new emperor, especially since they changed so often.

Malfore had expected Sorey to be more like Empress Nadia, especially since Sorey had grown up with her. Then again, considering the amount of time that Sorey had spent away from the empire, it wasn’t a surprise that he’d come back with strange ideas or fumbled so much in dealing with the council. Still, Malfore was glad that Sorey had his head somewhat in the clouds, or else he never would have gotten the prestige that came from being the Shepherd.

He curled his fingers into his pants, glancing between the sword on Sorey’s lap and the sword on Sorey’s hip. He wasn’t sure if the tradeoff was worth it, especially since they had tipped their hand.

Cardinal Forton had assured him that things would go well. If they assisted the generals in this then the church would be left alone from their constant heckling. Better still, they would get Mikleo for their own. It had been a while since the church had been in possession of a seraph, and it was only right that they got such a powerful one; not only that but a symbol of the empire.

It had seemed so simple when Cardinal Forton had told him the plan. After all, the emperor had been foolish enough to ride out of the capital right after he had arrested the backbone of the empire. It was either a show of confidence or a show of how naïve Sorey really was. How could he expect that the council and their supporters would have let him get away with that? How could he have expected to win with only the Platinum Knights?

Malfore’s gaze darted back to Mikleo, the corner of his mouth twitching up. Maybe having the seraph encouraged him to be bold, but one seraph wouldn’t win against the entirety of the army. Certainly Sorey would have known that, especially after years of dodging Lyte and his army but maybe the success had gotten to his head. Success or something else.

He studied Mikleo carefully, searching for any sign of scales or talons. He hadn’t been there to watch the emperor’s dragon in action, but he’d heard the news and he’d seen the panic that had taken over the other priests.

There hadn’t been a dragon since before his grandfather’s time, but the stories of how hard they were to kill had been enough to make the entire church worry.

Lyte may have been the emperor who was the most sympathetic to the church’s ideas, but Sorey had been the one with the dragon, which had made him the greater danger. Malfore distinctly remembered sitting with some of the other priests and looking through the weapons they had, trying to figure out which ones had the most power left in them in the hopes that it would be enough if the new emperor decided to turn on them. Cardinal Forton had been the one to come and tell them to stop, although Malfore was sure that she regretted it now. If they had acted before then Sorey wouldn’t have posed and problem, and they would have gotten a new seraphic weapon. Malfore couldn’t remember the last time that had happened.

His gaze lingered on the sword that Sorey was wearing on his hip. It was a plain thing, something that he hadn’t expected from the emperor. Then again, he’d heard that the last attempt didn’t go too well. He didn’t know how General Alexsei had managed to mess up stealing Mikleo’s vessel so badly, but he supposed it didn’t matter.

He would have made the attempt himself, but he doubted that he would have gotten far. Mikleo looked tense enough to snap without reason and he wasn’t going to risk that. Cardinal Forton needed to know what had happened back in Gododdin because that kind of power had made Sorey even more dangerous.

Malfore shuddered, biting his lip to keep from making a sound. He didn’t want to give away too much to Mikleo or Sorey, especially when he was sure than his survival depended on staying in their good graces. After all, he would have to figure out a way to explain what he had been doing in Gododdin and the order that he had given. He hoped that he could come up with something good, anything to prevent the same monstrosity.

There had always been stories about the power of the Shepherds had how the seraphim were involved. As far as he knew a seraph’s power was best channeled through weapons. That’s why the church had started encouraging seraphim take weapons as their vessels when the malevolence had started rolling over the land. It had saved them the first time and it had been what had saved them when the three kingdoms had descended into war. After all of that, it made sense that the humans keep the seraphim to pay back the debt that the seraphim owed to them, but none of that had ever had to do with a seraphim and a human combining.

A shiver ran up his spine, Malfore jerking in place. He thought he heard Sorey make a sound, but he ignored it in favor of just staring at the ground.

There had been something in that combination that felt wrong. Maybe it had been the complete change from the emperor that he knew. Everything soft and forgiving, everything that he had come the think of as Sorey had disappeared. Malfore had been sure that it was the influence of the seraph, Mikleo had always seemed standoffish and wary, which was a worry. Everything depended on them being able to control the emperor, but it would all be for nothing if the seraph could just control him, not to mention dangerous because of the way that Mikleo always reacted to anyone that wasn’t the emperor.

He looked up at the two of them again, watching as Mikleo sat next to Sorey. The seraph reached out like he was going to touch the sword before he jerked his head back. Malfore was sure that he didn’t imagine the look of disgust on Mikleo’s face.

The seraph considered the sword for a moment more before shaking his head. “No.”

Sorey sighed, his fingers stroking up the blade one more time before he muttered a word under his breath.

Malfore recognized the language, but not the word. It sounded like the ancient tongue, but it was nothing like the few words that were scattered through the services that the shrinechurch held. It certainly wasn’t a part of the binding spells that he had learned in his youth, which made him wary. The ancient language was barely used and he didn’t think that anyone could understand it, but to hear it spoken made him suspicious.

He shifted in place, curiosity almost beating out the wariness clawing at his stomach. Malfore leaned forward, his mouth falling open when he saw the sword break.

The crack ran down the center of the sword before branching out, the metal falling to the ground and into Sorey’s lap. Malfore gasped and lunched forward, trying to grab onto one of the shards.

He just touched the shard, backpedaling a moment later when Mikleo took a step forward with a snarl. He looked up at the seraph, expecting to see the muzzle and scales of a dragon, but there was just Mikleo.

Malfore fell backward, watching the seraph as Mikleo circled back to Sorey’s side. He glanced over Sorey, hoping that the emperor would exert some control over his seraph.

Sorey wasn’t even looking at him, the emperor’s full attention was on the small sphere that was rising above the sword. Malfore twisted to follow his gaze, frowning when he saw the green ball that was floating above their heads. It was only there for a moment before it shattered and the pieces whipped away with a sudden gust of wind.

He reached up to push his hair out of his face, lowering his hand as he saw Mikleo move forward.

The seraph reached out, pushing his fingers into the green streaks of light that remained. Malfore thought he saw them pulse more brightly for a moment before they disappeared entirely.

Mikleo turned away too quickly for Malfore could see any expression on his face, but he wasn’t surprised that the seraph turned to Sorey. The two of them spoke in low voices, Malfore catching one word in two.

He frowned at them, looking for any sign about what they were thinking, but it was hard to tell. For a seraph that avoided people, Mikleo seemed very close to Sorey, or maybe that was another ploy. There had been specific instances where seraphim had shown themselves to be beguiling and eager to use humans. That’s why they had been carefully controlled during Artorius’ time, because the exorcists had known how dangerous the seraphim could be. Malfore didn’t know what Artorius had done to make them less focused on their own wants, but he knew was that the arte was lost to time. All he knew was that the seraphim had been eager to help the humans when the war had first started, nothing at all like the way Mikleo was now. Maybe Mikleo was a seraphim from before the time that humans and seraphim had come together. Maybe that informed his prejudices.

As far as he knew, none of the other people in the church had heard about him. If anything, Sorey must have heard about Mikleo through rumors. Or maybe the fact that he was more dragon that seraph could be blamed. It had been a long while since anyone had had to deal with a dragon. No one had ever bothered to write much about dragons, especially since the whole point of a dragon was to kill them as fast as possible. If they couldn’t be controlled, then there was no reason to have them around.

Malfore reached for his waist again, his fingers closing around his empty belt. It was a reflex more than a purposeful movement, but the way that Mikleo shifted told him that the seraph had seen it. Malfore waited for Mikleo to react, but the seraph didn’t do anything, which meant that he had seen the motion but had decided that Malfore wasn’t a threat. It was more of a relief that he had expected, Malfore breathing out slowly as he resettled himself on the ground.

Cardinal Forton was a fool for wanting Mikleo as her own. Malfore couldn’t imagine Mikleo allowing himself to be ordered around by anyone. It was probably only because Sorey was so soft that Mikleo could probably stand the human’s presence. If Forton got her hands on the weapon that Mikleo was bound to it would be a fight, and one that he couldn’t see her winning. It wasn’t worth the power and prestige that it would get them, nor would Mikleo be any replacement for Maotelus. If anything, he’d drown Pendrago long before he extended any kind of blessing to them. The hard part would be explaining that to her, because she had her mind set on taking the emperor’s seraph for her own.

He swallowed, watching the two of them for a moment more before getting to his feet. He didn’t quite know what he intended, but the motion was enough to catch their attention.

Sorey’s expression went from soft to serious, but he didn’t speak up. It was Mikleo that huffed and crossed his arms. Sorey considered the seraph briefly before standing up as well.

It was almost automatic to flinch back from Sorey, Malfore wanting to stumble back further, but that would mean stepping beyond the circle of water that Mikleo had drawn out. Malfore wasn’t sure what would happen if he crossed it, but he wasn’t too keen on finding out. He swallowed and stood his ground, trying to get his face to show something other than disgust and fear.

The emperor stopped in front of him, Sorey mirroring the stance that Mikleo had behind him. “Where do you think you are going?”

It was on the tip of his tongue to immediately reply nowhere, but he doubted that the lie would be appreciated. His gaze darted back towards Mikleo was moving, almost sure that he saw the glitter of ice around the seraph. He shivered at the sight, remembering the flash of light on the arrows that had rained down from the heavens and the way they had passed so easily through flesh and bone.

He took another step back, glancing between Sorey and the seraph. “B-back to Pendrago. I have my orders.”

It was the wrong thing to say, he could tell from the way that Sorey tensed.

“Your orders?” The words were spoken so softly that Malfore almost missed them. It didn’t matter if he missed the words, because Sorey’s face said it all.

It wasn’t the fury that he had seen at Gododdin, it was something different, something deeper that sent shivers up his spine and made him want to run. Compared to Sorey, Mikleo seemed the safer out of the two, which was enough to frighten him.

Sorey took a step forward to close the distance between them, his gaze never leaving Malfore. “The same orders that told you to kill the people of Gododdin? The orders that made you turn an army against innocent people?” Sorey took a deep breath like he was going to start shouting, but he paused halfway through the motion. He stared at Malfore for a moment before he lowered his voice again to the near whisper. “Who gave you that order?”

Malfore opened his mouth to speak, managing a high pitched squeak.

That didn’t seem to be enough for Sorey. He took a step forward, stopping when he was practically standing toe-to-toe with Malfore. “Who?!”

The question was too loud when they were so close. Malfore flinched back, feeling his heart start to pound.

For a brief moment, he considered keeping his mouth shut, but the moment was fleeting. He fell to his knees, raising his hands in supplication. “It was Cardinal Forton and the generals! They had heard rumors about Gododdin and what had been going on, so they wanted to stop any attempts to draw Lohgrin into the war and have a safe place for the weapons.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not. I swear I’m not.”

“How could they have given you orders? They’re being held until their trial.”

Malfore choked on his next words, ducking his head. It wasn’t an answer, but the silence was enough for Sorey. He saw the emperor shift, not daring to look back up at him.

He expected a barrage of questions or for Sorey to kill him on the spot, but he didn’t expect the soft intake of breath from Sorey. He winced at the sound, bracing himself for the question that followed after.

“Why?”

Malfore took a few deep breaths, using the time to ponder the answer to the question. There was a correct answer and an incorrect one, there always was. The problem was that he couldn’t tell which was which in this case. If he lied, he was sure that Mikleo would alert Sorey and he would be struck down. After all, seraphim could see into the hearts of humans. But telling the truth would be equally as painful.

He saw Sorey shift, panicking at the slight movement. Malfore blurted out the first thing that came to mind, regretting it even as he spoke. “The Royal Guard. They’re the ones that…and the church has no one else…and the people expect a certain-” He snapped his mouth shut before he could say anything else.

Apparently, what he said was enough because Sorey turned and walked away. Malfore watched his boots move out of his line of sight, not believing his luck until the ground in front of him was completely clear. It was only then that he dared to move, reaching up to clutch at his shirt above his heart. It was still pounding quickly, Malfore sure that it was about to beat out of his chest. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm it. But it was hard when he could hear Sorey and Mikleo talking in low voices.

He looked up, his mouth falling open at the glower that Sorey shot his way. Malfore shrunk back on himself, whimpering when he saw Mikleo step around Sorey and start towards him.

He expected Mikleo to turn away and go back to whatever he had been doing before. Instead the seraph come to stand in front of him, Mikleo reaching out for him only to stop short. Malfore watched in horror as Mikleo’s fingers flexed, sure that at any moment the seraph would kill him. He sucked in a deep breath, ready to close his eyes when he heard Sorey speak.

“Mikleo, we _can’t_.”

“Can’t we?” Mikleo turned slightly, Malfore relieved that he couldn’t see the seraph’s expression. “He’s practically admitted to helping them, and he did order the slaughter at Gododdin.”

“I _know_.” Sorey turned, looking like he was about to lash out at Mikleo, but he stopped the motion part of the way through. He held himself still for a moment, his hand dropping to his sword. It only stayed there for a moment before he lifted the hand to run it through his hand through his hair with a groan. “I know, but he knows who was behind letting the others out. He can help us.”

“Do you think that they’ll be as fair as you are?”

“No. But I have to be, or else I’ll be as bad as them.”

Mikleo swayed in place, Malfore sure that it was a sign that the seraph would just ignore Sorey. But Mikleo lowered his hand and stepped back. The seraph turned to look at him, Mikleo narrowing his eyes. “I wouldn’t try and run. There are plenty of hungry hellions out there.”

Malfore glanced behind him, not reassured by the fact that he couldn’t see anything. He shifted in place, looking out at the empty fields beyond their camp before shifting so he could see Mikleo and Sorey. He doubted that Mikleo would lie to him, especially with Sorey’s own safety on the line, but he wouldn’t put it past the seraph to intimidate him into keeping still. After all, Sorey had said that he was needed, so there was no need to worry about being dragged off into the night and devoured. That still wasn’t enough to ease his nervousness.

He swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady as he spoke. “They won’t get in right?”

The two of them didn’t answer right away, Malfore feeling his dread grow every minute that the two of them didn’t respond.

He shifted in place, resisting the urge to look back over his shoulder. Instead, he settled back into a sitting position, playing with the folds in his pants. Malfore looked between the two of them, searching for any sign that they were just ignoring him or that they hadn’t heard him. Instead, the two of them were looking directly at him.

Malfore laughed slightly, hating the way that his voice cracked over the sound. “You took my weapon away, so you’ll have to help me if that happens.” Neither of them reacted, Malfore looking between the two of them dread growing in the pit of his stomach. “You will help me right?!”

Mikleo huffed and turned away, but Sorey kept looking at him. Malfore stared back at him, sure that if any of the two would help him, it would be Sorey. Sorey had always been the more compassionate of the two. Even with the seraph poisoning his mind, Sorey was still himself, he had to be. It was the only way that he would survive the botched situation.

Malfore scooted forward slightly, giving Sorey a smile. “You’ll help me, right?”

Sorey held his gaze for a moment longer before shaking his head and turning away, leaving Malfore to stare after him in shock as the first hellions of the night began to howl.


	13. Chapter 11

“This is the way things are…the earth is not a good place. It is not a place of contentment.”  
-Aztec Saying

* * *

 

Pendrago’s gates had never looked inviting, open or not. Sorey stared at them, his gaze darting up to the guards that were patrolling the top of the walls. Most of them didn’t seem to be paying attention to the three of them, which was strange. Sorey would have thought that they would have been watching for him since he had made it clear that he would be coming back soon. Or maybe they weren’t looking out for him at all.

He tightened his hold on the reins, not letting up even when the horse tossed its head. It was a small thing in the sudden roiling in his stomach that only increased the longer the guards stood their ground on the walls. It wasn’t how things had been before when any of his cousins or his aunt had entered the city, there had always been cheers or people rushing to see them. His aunt was always relieved when that had happened. She had always told him that when the people stopped cheering the emperor had to worry. No one was cheering at the moment, but he was still outside of the gates, he still had time.

Sorey let the reins slide through his hands, twisting in the saddle. He sought out Mikleo where the seraph was riding at the back of their small group. What he wanted to do was call Mikleo up to the front with him, because he knew that the people loved it. Seeing the seraph was something that the people of Pendrago strove to do above all else, and maybe it would help apologize to them. Sorey didn’t know if they would ever forgive him for leaving them alone with the council in charge. For all he knew, what little he had managed to get into motion before he had left for Gododdin had been torn down.

He reached out, pausing in the middle of the motion when he glanced over at Malfore. The man was shifting nervously, his horse responding in kind. The two of them looked like they were ready to bolt and it would be a hard time to catch them in the open plains of Pearloats. As far as Sorey could see, the only thing keeping Malfore from galloping away was the fact that Mikleo was riding behind him, which meant that Mikleo would have to remain back there.

The thought shouldn’t have sent a shiver down his spine, but it did. Sorey couldn’t remember a time that he’d ridden into Pendrago on his own, there had always been someone riding beside him, even when he had come back from his escape from Leon’s forces. It had always been Sergei and the rest of the Platinum Knights or his Aunt Nadia.

Sorey took a deep breath and spurred his horse forward before he could spend too much time overthinking it. He couldn’t delay this any longer, not if he wanted to try and fix anything that had gone wrong. It wasn’t a calming thought, but it was the only thing that mattered and it was enough for Sorey to wish that he had brought his formal attire. He hadn’t wanted to be the emperor in Gododdin, but he had a feeling that he should be one in Pendrago, it might be the only thing that would save him.

He took a deep breath, breathing out slowly as his horse walked under the gate. He kept his gaze focused ahead of him, staring at the roofs instead of anything else. It seemed to be the safer option, the one that wouldn’t allow him to look around for changes in the city. He had already been looking for them on the way to the city, but it had been hard to tell from the fields. They were still early enough in their growing season that he couldn’t tell if the crops that had been planted had been ripped up, but that was something that he was going to have to find out later.

Sorey blinked rapidly as he passed out from underneath the gate and into the sun. He squinted in the bright light, orienting himself to the main road by the sound of the fountain burbling towards the end of the grand entryway. He didn’t dare look down until the glare was out of his eyes, but even then he didn’t really want to see what was going on in Pendrago.

He took a few deep breaths before he dared to look down, confused by the way that it looked like nothing had happened. The people were still going about their business, the guards were still patrolling the walls and the banners were still fluttering in the light breeze. There was nothing to show that anything had gone wrong, save for what Malfore had told him.

Sorey glanced around at the open space before looking back over his shoulder at Malfore. The man was still sitting nervously on his horse, but he didn’t seem surprised by the lack of changes. Sorey considering him for a moment more before turning his horse towards the palace.

If there was nothing obviously wrong in the city then he would go right to the source. Hopefully he would be in time to stop anything drastic from happening, like the council sending out the rest of the weapons to the army. Mikleo would certainly never forgive him if he managed to let the same mistake happen twice in a row.

He was tempted to kick his horse into a canter and cover the distance faster, but he resisted the temptation. There were other things to check and he needed the time to think about how exactly he would deal with the council.

Holding a trial for them wouldn’t work, he could see that now. If they had enough supporters to get them out of the dungeons and take over the government again then there would be no way for him to sway the trial in the right direction. The law wouldn’t work with them, which left him grasping at straws. It seemed like they were invincible, that he couldn’t touch them. If he tried, then he was sure that the entire army would revolt against him, and he didn’t have the time to quell that. He had the treaty with Hyland to take care of and had to make sure that the empire would survive the next winter with the least amount of deaths that he could manage. He barely had time for that, or anything else.

Sorey squeezed his eyes shut, trusting his horse to keep heading back to its stable. Shutting himself off from everything was the only way to get himself to concentrate. He had to just break things down to handle one thing at a time, focus on that until he could start sorting things into some kind of order again. It was the only way he knew how to work, taking the straightforward path until he managed to work things out.

He sighed, his shoulders relaxing as some of the tension leaked out of him. The council was his first problem, the most important thing to take apart. He’d have to ask if they’d step down, although he doubted that they would accept the offer. The problem came about what to do after, because Sorey wasn’t going to leave them in power. He might not have learned much about how to run the empire, but he had retained enough to know that he couldn’t have enemies like that at his back, not if he wanted to keep his place on the throne. Not if he wanted to keep his head.

No matter how tempting it was to give it all up, turn around and ride out of Pendrago, he couldn’t let the council take control again.

Sorey shook his head, drawing himself up when something slammed into his shoulder. He yelped in pain, opening his eyes. He reached up to touch his shoulder, pulling his fingers away to check for blood. He didn’t get more than a glance before his horse bucked under him.

He pitched forward, scrambling for a hold on its mane. The motion was probably the thing that saved him from the stone that flew through the space where his head had been.

Sorey turned as it smacked into the house on the other side of the road, turning quickly to look back at who had thrown it. His stomach dropped when he saw the crowd of people standing on that side of the street. From the expressions on their faces, they had closed ranks, so he would never be able to tell who had thrown the rock that had hit him or his horse.

He sat up again, looking on the other side of the street. People were gathering there too, all of them with the same serious look on their faces. Sorey scanned over them, looking from side to side as he tried to figure out what they were gathering for. He couldn’t think of anything he had done, not when they had cheered for him as he had ridden out. They had always cheered for him, because they knew that he was focused on helping them.

He swallowed, about to say something when another rock came sailing from the crowd. He turned his head, flinching when the rock smacked into his head just behind his ear. Sorey recoiled, just in time to have one hit his temple.

Sorey cursed and curled forward, pressing his hand to the impact point. He felt blood against his fingers and starting to trail down his face, but the cut didn’t feel too deep. It had just been a glancing blow. He sighed, about to take a moment to pull himself together when he heard a shout from the crowd.

He looked up, his mouth falling open as he saw a bubble of water rising from the crowd with a person trapped in it. He stared at the man in horror, watching as he clawed at his throat with one hand while he used the other to beat at the curve of the bubble. The people around him backed away, some of them screaming while others made shaky signs to ward off evil.

Sorey turned around, looking back where Malfore sat stunned on his horse to where Mikleo was riding. The seraph had one hand raised and a look of rage on his face.

Whatever Sorey had been going to say locked up in his throat, the weight of malevolence settling over him again. He thought he had gotten good at ignoring it, but it was back with a vengeance, nearly drowning anything else out. He swallowed and tried to speak, managing a croak instead of a proper sound. He tried again, not wanting to waste time when there was a man drowning. “Let him go.”

Mikleo looked back at him in shock, but the seraph didn’t hesitate to drop his hand. Sorey didn’t look back to see if the bubble had disappeared, he trusted Mikleo to have listened. His attention was on the other side of the street, watching as the people shifted and grumbled.

He shifted his hold on the reins before kicking his horse forward, urging it into a trot. He didn’t want to get caught out if they started to throw stones again. He didn’t want to risk the chance that they would hit Malfore, nor did he want them hitting Mikleo.

Sorey glanced back over his shoulder, nodding when he saw that Mikleo and Malfore were following him. Malfore was leaning close to his horse’s neck, probably keeping himself out of range. Mikleo sat up ramrod straight on his horse, the anger still apparent on his face, but he wasn’t making any more threatening motions towards the crowd which Sorey counted as a win. For the moment, the crowd didn’t seem inclined to try and throw stones at the seraph, but Sorey wanted to get them all away before they gathered up their courage. He didn’t think he would be able to stop Mikleo if the people took out their rage on him.

He looked ahead of him, staring at the gates to the royal quarter. They weren’t too far, but it seemed like miles, especially with the thick crowd that was starting to gather.

It looked like the whole of Pendrago had turned up to watch him ride past and to glower at him. It was enough to make Sorey want to shrink back, like it would help the distance between him and the people. That they weren’t throwing stones at him was only mildly better than before, but Sorey suspected that the silence was worse. He couldn’t tell what they were thinking when they were like that.

He readjusted his hold on the reins, taking a deep breath as he turned his attention to the gates ahead of them. The guards were standing at attention on the top of the wall, their focus just as off-putting as the attention from the crowd. Sorey’s gaze lingered on their weapons, not sure if he was looking for the tell-tale runes etched into the metal or if he was watching for any threatening moves.

He suddenly had the vivid memory of his aunt dragging him out of one of his explorations of the city and lecturing him on his duties as a prince. Sorey had forgotten most of it, but he had remembered her telling him that any ruler relied on the good will of the people and army. It was how his father and mother had lost their heads, and many rulers before them had be toppled for the same reasons. Sorey had never thought on it for too long, simply because he had never expected the crown to rest on his head after the disastrous end of his father’s reign. It was too late to take the crown back and now, with the weight of the stares of the people and guards, Sorey suddenly understood the danger.

Sorey shifted in the saddle, ready to urge his horse faster when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Sorey jerked his head back, hissing when he felt something smack against the side of his face and burst. Sorey recoiled squeezing his right eye shut as something stung it. He reached up to wipe it away, freezing partially through the motion when he heard someone shout through the crowd.

“Traitor!”

Sorey turned to try and identify the voice but they were just part of the angrily shifting crowd. From the way that the crowd was starting to move, Sorey doubted that it mattered. The stones had stopped, but that was no guarantee that they wouldn’t start up again. He had gotten lucky with the rotten fruit, but his luck wouldn’t last long. He wiped the side of his face off on his arm, closing his eyes as he heard the crowd start up again.

“Cow-lover!”

“How much did that Hyland princess pay you?”

“How many people are they going to kill?”

“How much of our land are they going to steal?”

“You promised us safety!”

“How are we going to eat?”

“You’re going to kill us all!”

“Traitor!”

“Murderer!”

Sorey gritted his teeth and ducked his head, listening as the crowd got louder and braver. He lowered his gaze to his horse’s neck, watching as it moved slightly up and down. It was better than looking at the people as they shouted every slur that he had ever used against Hyland at him. Sorey reached forward to comb his fingers through his horse’s mane, trying to drown out the sound. It didn’t quite work, but it didn’t matter because they were close enough to the gates that he wouldn’t have to pay attention much longer.

The clatter of the horses’ hooves on the cobbles wasn’t enough to drown out all of the noise, but it helped a bit. At least Sorey didn’t have to hear any of it, although he didn’t need to. It was clear what they were angry about, but he couldn’t understand why.

They’d been ready for the war to end, ready for a chance to get their lives back to normal without waving their sons and daughters off to war. He couldn’t understand what had caused the sudden turn around, because they’d known he was in talks to end the war. They’d known that he and Alisha were working together for their own good. They’d seen the two of them walking around the city asking how they could fix the things that had gone wrong. The people had seemed happy enough then, and Sorey couldn’t comprehend what had happened in the few days that he’d been gone to turn things around so quickly.

He sat back as they came through the gates, breathing out slowly. The royal quarter had never felt like home, it had always felt like a fence to slip through. But now, with the thick walls and the guards, it felt safer than the city had before. Sorey glanced around the courtyard, watching as activity slowed down, taking in the surprised faces.

His shoulders tensed as he watched three pages rush forward, taking in their expressions. No one had expected them back, either so soon or at all, and that made his stomach twist uncomfortably.

Sorey dismounted, passing the reins off to the page closest to him. He turned to watch the others do the same, not surprised by the almost scathing glance that Mikleo threw at them, like it was their fault that the people turned on them. Sorey reached up to touch the bleeding cut on the side of his face, pressing his fingers against the blood there before yanking his hand down. He didn’t know how to calm Mikleo down, not when the seraph reacted differently to everything that was tried. He might be able to rein Mikleo back, at least until they figured out what had happened while they had been gone.

He turned to look back at the pages, frowning when he saw the fawning look that the young children were giving Malfore. Sorey ignored it for the moment, focusing on the more pressing matter at hand.

Sorey cleared his throat, surprised by how much the simple sound made the pages jump. Sorey watched the awe on their face turn to fear. One physically flinched away from him, dragging the horse in front of her as protection. Sorey looked between the three of them before offering a smile, sure that the expression did more harm than good by the way they reacted, but it was too late to take it back. It was better to push forward and fix things while he could. “Where are the council?”

The pages jumped like they had been caught at something they shouldn’t have. Two of them looked down, but one raised a shaky hand towards the shrinechurch. She swallowed and made a vague motion with the same hand. “T-they’re in there. A m-meeting with the Cardinal. We were told not to disturb them.”

“You don’t have to. Just…go get Sergei and the Platinum Knights, I want to speak to them next.” Sorey turned on his heel and started walking towards the shrinechurch before he could see the expression on the page’s face. He didn’t bother to look behind him to see if Mikleo was following, Malfore’s yelp was enough for him.

He strode across the empty space, barely aware of the people rushing around him and dodging out of the way. He didn’t care, there was a bigger problem waiting for him, one that needed his attention immediately. The council came first, especially if what Malfore had told him was true. They wouldn’t allow themselves to be put away if they had supporters everywhere, which meant that he might need to compromise. It hurt to admit that, especially since he knew what they would push him for. He’d have to choose between the people and the seraphim, which would be a painful choice to make either way. And he knew exactly what Mikleo would do if he made the wrong choice.

He rubbed his fingers against each other, feeling the tackiness of his own blood between his them. He wouldn’t blame Mikleo for what he did, not after everything.

Sorey took a deep breath, trying to settle the twisting of his stomach. Overthinking things wouldn’t help, at least not until he had a better grasp on the situation.

He pulled his fingers apart, sighing at the effort that it took. Even that was a momentary distraction, but not one big enough to drown out the fear that he felt when he was staring at the doors of the shrinechurch.

Sorey tipped his head back, ignoring the fancy decorative carvings on the doors to stare at the building.

He’d never thought of it as looming before. It had always been an interesting place, one of history. It had been where the people had gathered until Konan had gotten paranoid and demanded that access to the populace be limited. Even then, the smaller section of the doors had always been left open, a long tradition that was supposed to go back to when the shrinechurch had been built. Supposedly Maotelus had demanded it because he was not closed off to anyone; he was there to protect the people at all hours of the day. Even when Konan had shut off the shrinechurch to the people he’d left the door open, but it was closed now.

Sorey stopped in front of the closed door, staring at the image of a seraph with his arms outstretched before reaching for the handle. He thought he heard Malfore make a noise of protest, but he ignored it. He tugged on the door, expecting it to be locked but it opened with a long creak. It was exactly what he would have expected from an old door, Sorey shoving his shoulder into it to move it faster.

The door rocked a little when it opened all the way, Sorey stepping through into the semi-darkness of the shrinechurch. He barely glanced around at the grand banners, stained glass or intricate carvings, his focus was towards the dais at the end of the nave.

The dais had been changed since Malfore had become the Shepherd, the old throne moved off to the side and the altar that the offerings to Maotelus were usually laid on moved slightly more forward. The altar was empty at the moment, the dais taken up by Cardinal Forton and two priests that looked like they were in the midst of cleaning up after a service. The three of them were frozen in place, Forton still standing with her arms outstretched like she was still making her point.

A creak drew his attention to where the rest of the council were sitting in the first row of pews. The generals had all turned to look at him, the looks on their faces giving everything away. They hadn’t expected him to be there, that much was clear. From the way that their gazes kept darting back over his shoulder, they’d only expected Malfore.

Sorey curled his fingers into a fist, feeling a heavy, burning sensation somewhere in his chest. There was every chance that he had been supposed to die when Malfore had ordered the deaths of the villages of Gododdin. Sorey took a few quick breaths before he pushed the anger and burning sensation away. It wasn’t the time to lash out, there were more important things to sort out first. It wasn’t only about him.

Sorey took a moment to center himself before walking forward. His footsteps echoed strangely in the silence of the shrinechurch. Sorey tried to ignore how solitary they sounded, more focused on watching the council for any changes in their expression.

They were more guarded now, all of them watching him with the same kind of expression. It was one that Sorey had seen on them multiple times, one that he’d ignored because he’d expected them to be wary of him after everything that he’d demanded of them; except now that they looked like they were plotting.

Sorey kept his gaze forward until he reached the steps of the dais. Only then did he turn to look at the council. “Generals.” Another shift of his weight turned him back towards the cardinal and the priests. “Cardinal Forton.”

She was the only one to return with a nod, Sorey watching her closely before shifting so he could see the full group. The motion also brought Mikleo and Malfore into his line of sight. The Shepherd was shifting in place, looking like he either wanted to run out of the shrinechurch or run towards Forton. Mikleo didn’t suffer the same indecision. He walked up to stand on the step below Sorey, giving the council a contemptuous look.

Sorey started when Mikleo touched his arm, the contact so brief that he might have imagined it. He glanced back at the seraph, but Mikleo was already glaring down the council, the sunlight glinting off the circlet he wore. Mikleo looked more like an emperor than he did in his travel stained clothes, but the emperor wasn’t the crown. Sorey took a deep breath and tried his best to mimic Mikleo’s distant look. He couldn’t tell how much it worked, but he supposed that it didn’t matter.

“I gave orders for you to be held until I came back.”

General Lucius snorted, the man ignoring Vortigern’s motion to be silent. The young man sat back, looking sternly at him. “What did you expect us to do? Wait quietly for our deaths? Or wait for you to start ruining the empire again?”

“You would have gotten a trial.”

“With Strelka in charge? I don’t think so.”

“It was an order from me. He’d listen to that.”

From the way the generals looked at each other they didn’t believe it. Sorey frowned at them, reaching out when Mikleo twitched in their direction. He didn’t want Mikleo going after them just yet, not until he knew more.

Sorey swallowed, trying to get the burning knot of anger in his chest under control again. It was hard, especially with the next most important question to ask. “Why did you order Gododdin to be wiped out?”

The generals looked slightly surprised at the question, all of them looking down towards Alexsei. The general at least had the tact to look like he knew what Sorey was talking about. Sorey expected as much, considering that he had been assigned to the area before being promoted. Aside from Alexsei, only Cardinal Forton looked like she knew what he was talking about. The woman was standing with her hands folded in front of her, staring at him.

Sorey took that as a cue to go on, looking between the generals and the priests as he spoke. “Who gave the order to kill the villagers at Gododdin?”

“Your highness-”

“Who?!”

The ball of anger unwound slightly, Sorey surprised by the force behind it. He curled his fingers into his palm, digging his nails into the skin to keep from shouting again.

He panted for breath, waiting for Malfore or the generals to answer the question. Instead, Cardinal Forton was the one to clear her throat. Sorey shifted to look at her, watching as she shrugged casually. “We deemed it necessary, although they didn’t know the location. But a leak of weapons and possible information was too dangerous to be left alone. Hyland is barely quelled, we can’t afford to have to fight Lohgrin at our backs. Even I can understand that.”

“There was no deal with Lohgrin.”

Cardinal Forton shrugged. “Then there was nothing lost.”

“Nothing lost!?! There were people there, and children. There was everything lost! They all died!”

“Then they’re just another failed village in Biroclef Ridge.” General Alexsei made a vague motion with his hand. “I was stationed there for a few years. There was nothing but the red vermillion, and that dried up years ago. There was nothing to be lost there. Besides, everything that the cardinal had on that town looked suspicious. How else was their chief supposed to fund everything he was building if he wasn’t selling secrets to the enemy?”

Sorey stared at him, barely comprehending what he was hearing. He swayed in place, trying to see their argument, but he couldn’t. Sorey shook his head. “There is no more war. I stopped that.”

“No.” General Vortigern was the one who spoke, the old man leaning back in his seat. “The war must go on, for the safety of the empire.”

“The empire is safe.”

“Is it?” The general quirked an eyebrow. “What about the rebels in Hyland? What about the rest of this world? Certainly you can’t believe that we are the only ones on this earth?”

Sorey stared at him, his mouth moving up and down as he tried to come with something to say, but his mind was blank. He watched as General Vortigern shrugged, a grin crossing the old man’s face. “You see? The empire isn’t safe until we say it is. And it won’t be, not while we have the welfare of the empire to look after.”

Mikleo huffed out something that might have been a laugh. “The empire isn’t safe until you’re done with the profits.”

General Vortigern tipped his head slightly in acknowledgement, his gaze flicking over to Sorey. “He’s gotten it, faster than any your cousins, or your father. Your aunt figured it out quickly too, but she knew how to pick her battles. You’ve just been blundering through them. The war _stays_ until we and the people of the empire feel secure. And they don’t feel secure, especially with that Hyland princess here. Executing her for her crimes would be a good start, but then we’ll have to go through Hyland again for them to feel safe. By then, they might have heard about Lohgrin’s attempts to rise back to their former power, which might mean another campaign and then…”

The man shrugged again, the smile ever leaving his face. Sorey felt his blood run cold at the expression on the man’s face.

Vortigern leaned forward slightly, his gaze moving from Sorey to Mikleo. He gave the seraph a quick nod, the smile never leaving his face. “If you really wanted to help your people like you always claim to, then you’d give them the seraph. A weapon like that would make them feel safe. It’s been a while since they’ve had a seraph to protect them, ever since that damn Shepherd lured him away. If you want to end the war…”

He made a motion towards Mikleo, Sorey turning slightly to look at the seraph. Mikleo recoiled, stepping back and looking over at Sorey. Sorey didn’t know what kind of expression he had on his face, but he was sure that it wasn’t the one that Mikleo was looking for.

The seraph shook his head, looking between Sorey and the generals before his gaze finally settled on Sorey. “No. We promised. You promised you’d help me!”

Sorey opened his mouth to protest, but he couldn’t find the words. They were all lost in his head, a jumbled mess with everything he’d heard and the horrible sinking sensation that he’d been the cause of all of it. If he’d learned more. If he’d done better. If he’d paid attention. Sorey felt his head spin, only then realizing that he was taking short, quick breaths. He tried to breathe normally, but it didn’t feel right, nothing did.

He looked away from Mikleo’s betrayed expression, searching for something that would center him. He only found the smirks on the generals’ faces and the look of relief on Malfore’s. Sorey turned away, seeking out some decoration or something, but he only saw the priests standing with their eyes downcast and Cardinal Forton moving towards them. At a loss of what to do, he watched her, tensing when he realized that she was carrying something.

The light from the windows glinted off something in her hand, Sorey staring at the ornate sword that she held. It looked like the one that they had given Malfore when he had been proclaimed Shepherd, but it was different now. There were runes carved into it around the inlays and spirals. It was a beautiful weapon, but not made for combat, not that it mattered. The sword would never be used for killing, they would have a seraph for that.

Sorey looked over at Mikleo, his heart leaping in his chest as everything fell into place.

He fumbled for his sword as he took a step forward. He could hear Cardinal Forton stumbling through the ancient spell that would bind Mikleo into the sword. That couldn’t happen.

He had promised.

Sorey yanked his sword free of the scabbard, taking a step forward, but it was still too slow. He wouldn’t be able to stop her before she finished.

But he could take Mikleo away.

“Luzrov Rulay!”

He got a brief glimpse of the look of horror on Mikleo’s face before the seraph was gone, a little ball of light flickering were Mikleo had been. The ball sped backwards, smacking into Sorey’s chest with more force than it had the first time.

He stumbled down a step, but kept his sword raised even as Cardinal Forton groped around in the space where Mikleo had been. She spun towards him, staring at him in shock. “What did you do?”

Sorey leveled his sword at her, ignoring the way that his arm shock. Mikleo was an icy weight in his chest, something that was struggling to burst out. Sorey lifted his free hand to press against his heart, trying to still the frantic pounding as Mikleo threatened to separate from him. He wavered as he stood on the step, the motion seeming to infuriate the cardinal more.

She waved the sword in a frantic slash through the air, bellowing out the final words of binding. She stared at the empty space where Mikleo had been before rounding on him again. “What did you do?!”

“Y-you can’t have him.” Forcing the words out was hard, especially with what felt like Mikleo trying to strangle him. Sorey swallowed, shaking as he felt his whole body turn to ice. Sorey tried to find his balance, feeling the whole world shift as he felt like he was being pulled in two directions. Sorey shook his head, ignoring the way that his vision spun. “You can’t have him. I made him a promise. He’s _mine_.”

The words didn’t have any effect on Cardinal Forton, she just pivoted to glare at him, raising the sword above her head. But the words had an effect on Mikleo.

The freezing sensation being replaced with the feeling of togetherness, of something bigger as Mikleo settled into him. Sorey took a deep breath, feeling the familiar touch of Mikleo’s being against his own, and all the great power that came with the seraph. All the rage.

Sorey sank into that too, feeling the knot that had been growing in his chest since Gododdin loosen and then release. And it was glorious.

They got a better hold of their sword, not paying attention to the scream of metal as the sword twisted and snapped. It didn’t matter, there was still a sharp edge and they had their artes. It would be enough, especially when the guards were still outside. The guards wouldn’t be able to move fast enough, like this they were quicker, they were stronger. But it never hurt to be prepared.

They turned, heels clicking on the stone step. They raised their hand, the pulling at the water and breathing their rage into it until it was a frozen block in front of the still open door. They grinned at their work, looking at the fall of the colored light on jagged wall of ice. It was beautiful in a different way that the shrinechurch was beautiful, but they couldn’t spend their time on it for too long.

Behind them, Cardinal Forton screamed, the words coming out strangely slurred in her rage. They turned to look at her, watching as she turned to look at them.

They watched her for a moment before huffing and pulling their long hair over their shoulder and out of their way. They focused on the cardinal, watching as she raised her sword to point at them. “What have you done?”

“Kept him safe.”

“How dare you assume that you can keep him? Seraphim belong to the church! They’re made to help and to serve us!”

“No!” They pushed the twisted and craggy sword through her stomach, stepping up so that they were level with her.

Cardinal Forton gasped, dropping the ornate sword to the ground. They paid no attention to it, their focus on leaning forward to match her gaze. She made a partially gasping sound, clawing at the sword before patting at their hands. They hissed and leaned forward, twisting the sword slightly. “We aren’t yours to use.”

They pulled the sword out, stepping away from the cardinal as she fell. They glanced over at the priests that were still staring at them in horror before they held out a hand towards the sword on the floor.

It was easy enough to force water into the groves of the runes and decorations and then freeze it. The quick freeze made the metal squeal and snap, their gaze remaining on the sword until all the runes were broken to pieces. But even that wasn’t enough. They huffed and gathered the shards up with a wave of their hand, water forming around them and lifting them from the ground. They stared at the pieces before looking back at the banners emblazoned with the symbol of the Shepherd that hung down the sides of the shrinechurch. They gestured towards the nave, the water coiling itself up before it shot forward.

The water and sword shards cut through the banners, slashing them down from where they hung and into smaller pieces. Their gaze drifted to where Malfore was crouched by the front pews, the Shepherd cringing and looking like he was a moment away from sliding under the wood to protect himself.

They took a step forward before they came to a stop, a nudge from one of them turning their attention away, because he wasn’t a threat. The others needed their attention first.

They looked between the two priests that were rushing forward to try and rouse their dying cardinal and the generals who were in various states of scrambling for their weapons. They growled, flipping one hand carelessly to wash the two priests away. They heard the men scream, but the sound was abruptly cut off when they hit one of the walls with a sickening crunch. They didn’t look back to investigate. They were already walking down the steps towards where the generals were shouting at them.

What the men were saying they didn’t catch, it was all lost in the rush of blood through their ears.

These were the men who were ruining the empire. These are the men who had shrugged off the idea of peace for their own personal gain. These were the people who had planned to kill Alisha and Sergei. These were the men who had ordered the slaughter in Gododdin and for the seraphim to be kept in the weapons. These were the men who had killed their family, dragging the seraphim from their hope at the top of the mountain and ordering their mother hanged.

They deserved everything that was coming to them.

They flicked their sword out, watching as more metal twisted and flaked away. Water ran down the length of the blade, freezing and melting at random intervals. They smiled at the play of light on the water and ice, looking over the four generals, before stepping towards Alexsei. He had tried to bind them once, and he hadn’t learned his lesson from it.

Alexsei was still fumbling for his weapon, the one that he didn’t have hanging from his waist. Only two of the generals had weapons, only two of them had expected any resistance. It was too easy to step forward and slash at him.

The tip of their blade cut his throat, the general reaching up to stop the spray. Alexsei choked and fell back onto the pew, writhing against the wood even as the three others stumbled away from him. Viktor made a sharp, surprised sound and practically fell over the back of the pew. They ignored him in favor of where the others were trying to attack them.

Vortigern was struggling to draw his weapon fully while Lucius was making a run for the door. The general tripped over where Malfore was cowering on the floor, not seeming to notice the Shepherd. He just scrambled on the floor, trying to run on all fours just to get distance between them.

They frowned at the general before looking back at where General Vortigern was moving to defend himself. The old general’s sword shook, but he held himself far steadier than they expected. But it had to have been years since the general had fought in a battle, one of them knew that if not the exact number. It wouldn’t be enough to best them, they were sure of that. They were sure of their strength and the rage that fueled them. They were drowning in it, and this was the only way to make it better. This was revenge for a hundred small wrongs, and it felt glorious.

Vortigern made a clumsy thrust in their direction, one that was blocked easily by a rush of water and a step to the side. The water splashed down to the ground, pooling around their heels. It leapt up like it was trying to reach up to them but they ignored the playful lap of the water. It was more important to watch Vortigern as the old general stumbled around in the water on the floor. Vortigern glanced down at water before the shocked expression on his face settled into something more serious.

They adjusted their hold on the sword, barely paying attention as more of it flaked away. It was nothing like the bow from before, it wasn’t twisting and reforming, it was just becoming more jagged; a sharp, twisted piece of metal in their hand.

They took a slow step forward, watching as Vortigern shifted to the side. The old general made a feint towards them, drawing back from it awkwardly. It didn’t expose any good places to aim, but they were impatient. They had waited too long for this kind of revenge and they were aching for it.

They lashed out with the sword, Vortigern’s blade sliding against theirs for a moment before more of the metal sheared off. The piece spun out to the side, their eyes flicking to follow it before they focused on pressing forward.

The metal screeched as the swords slid against each other, Vortigern recoiling from the sound. They kept pushing forward until Vortigern was leaning back against the pew.

The old man panted for breath as he tried to push back against them. He grunted with the effort, removing one hand from the grip of the sword to try and reach out to push them away.

Something in them reacted violently to the threat of a touch. They recoiled slightly before shoving forward one last time. The blade tumbled out of Vortigern’s hand as he was pushed firmly into the pew, the general only getting a moment to stare up at him. Vortigern’s mouth moved, starting to form what looked like a curse, but they didn’t want to hear anymore. They’d heard enough from him.

They ran him through with the sword, snarling when they felt the jagged end of the blade stick in the wood of the pew. They tried to yank it free, bracing themselves to pull it free only to have it snap off part of the way down the blade. They looked at the broken off blade looking at the frost that was working its way through the cracks in the metal. They glared at it giving the sword a shake before turning away from where Vortigern was patting at the segment of the sword still embedded in his chest, the motion getting weaker the more blood he lost.

Viktor peeked out behind the pew, looking down at the two bodies sprawled against it. The general stared at them for a moment before screaming and making a break for the other side of the shrinechurch. They turned to follow them, perking up when one of them pointed out the doors towards the end of the dais. It was a simple matter of shared memories, of impressions of halls with carefully painted images that showed seraphim and humans together and, somewhere in the labyrinth, a way out.

They turned to follow the general as the man made a break for the door, lifting a hand with a contemptuous glance. They pulled the water that was lapping at their heels from the ground, twisting it in columns up in front of them. It didn’t take too much of an effort to freeze the water when it reached the apex of the column, and even less to breaks spears off. They flicked their fingers lazily, sending the spears of ice speeding towards Viktor.

They didn’t bother to see if the spears hit, the sharp gasp that came from the man was more than enough. The general wouldn’t be a threat anymore, not like Lucius who was running for the ice that covered the door. Not like Malfore who was still tucked part of the way under one of the pews. They glanced at Malfore, stepping forward to deal with him when the alert came from one of them.

It was tiny and barely heard over the roil of rage that made up everything that they were. It was almost too easy to ignore, but whichever one of them was trying to call attention to something was insistent.

They turned their attention back to the iced over door, the reminder suddenly blooming loud and clear in their mind.

They had called for Sergei to be released. With the council in the shrinechurch there was no one to refuse his order. And the guards would release them so as not to get caught up in anything that would get them in trouble with the council or the emperor, either wouldn’t be worth their time. But the guards didn’t matter as much as Sergei and the others. Sergei and the others coming in. Sergei and the others trying to _stop_ them.

They grimaced and strode forward. The time for drawing their revenge out was gone. It wouldn’t hurt them to speed up The small sense of enjoyment that they got from finally working out everything that they had held in check wouldn’t diminish at all. In the end it wasn’t about the enjoyment, it was about taking care of the humans who had ruined their world.

The click of their heels must have alerted Lucius to their movements because the general stopped his frantic pounding and shouting to look over his shoulder. Lucius turned around to face him, pressing his back against the ice as he watched them advance up the aisle. They noticed how his gaze jumped down to the broken sword they still held in their hands, his own hand dropping down to where a sword would be before he seemed to remember himself. Lucius’s hand dropped back against the ice, looking like he was about to surrender save for the way that he tipped his chin up slightly. The show of resistance didn’t slow them down, nor did the defiant words that he hurled at them.

“You’re going to run this empire into the ground. The people will turn on you and tear you from the throne if the army doesn’t. Then you’ll end up just like your parents.”

They twitched a little at the words, one of them trying to break away, but it was all too easy for the cry of despair to be swallowed by their joining and lost in the rest of the roll of their emotions.

Lucius took a few ragged breaths, leaning further back against the ice as he raised his voice to a shout. “You’re not even human. You’re a monster.”

There was real pain that followed that statement. They didn’t know which of them broke first or started the ragged cry that was torn from their throat, but it didn’t matter. They were charging forward even as the ice melted from the door. The water responded to their desperate call, wrapping itself around Lucius to hold the general in place.

Lucius screamed and tried to break away, but the water wouldn’t let him move, _they_ wouldn’t let him move.

It was cathartic to stab the sword into Lucius’s chest, to lean in close and watch as he struggled. It was even better to do it a second time, and a third, and again until the numbers slipped away from them. They twisted the sword in him, tempted to pull it out and ram in back in again. It wouldn’t help, but it would silence with words that were drifting through their head, tangling up in the waves of rage and sorrow until it matched with the beating of their heart.

Monster. _Monster_. **_Monster_**.

They screamed and ripped themselves away from the general’s dead body, leaving the sword in Lucius’s chest. They turned, the water that had held the general moving with them and flooding down the aisle in a rush.

From his place half under one of the pews, Malfore yelped and scrambled to his feet. The Shepherd glanced around at the dead bodies before stumbling back towards the steps towards the dais. They watched as Malfore made a grabbing motion towards where General Vortigern’s sword had fallen but didn’t snatch it up. But the motion was enough.

They stormed down the aisle, the water rising and falling in miniature waves. It was enough to send the squealing Shepherd back up the steps, but that wasn’t enough. They weren’t done, not while Malfore still breathed. He’d been given the order to kill an entire village, to take away the seraphim that they had worked to free. He could have ignored the order, but he’d done it with the full knowledge of what would happen, and it made them furious.

Malfore stumbled back onto the dais, almost tripping over the body of one of the priests. The Shepherd flailed his arms, looking like he was going to fall over until he fetched up against the altar for offerings to the seraphim. Malfore gripped at the altar, shrinking back against it.

They watched his mouth open and shut as they stepped up to the dais. The water came with them, flowing easily up the steps to pool at their feet and part every time they moved forward. The soft susurration of the water against the stone was a counterpoint to the loud click of their heels on the stone and harsh panting of Malfore’s breath. The latter annoyed them more than they could ever imagine.

They growled, covering the distance between them in a few quick strides. They reached out to grab Malfore’s neck, feeling the Shepherd jerk under their grip as he tried to get away. They just tightened their grip, holding tight as Malfore tried to struggle.

He didn’t struggle long, Malfore slumping back against the altar with a whimper. His chest heaved as he tried to speak, but only high pitched noises came out.

They sneered down at him, gathering the water up that was lapping eagerly at their ankles. They coiled it snake-like upwards, lifting it until it was hovering at their shoulder and the floor was dry around their heels. They water twitched under their control, their concentration flickering between the water rising from the ground at where Malfore was reaching up to try and grab at their hand. They let him do it, watching as he pulled at their fingers to try and get them to release him. They contemplated just letting him try, giving him the illusion of escape that he had given the villagers of Gododdin, but the worry that tugged at the back of their mind moved them forward. They relaxed their shoulder, the small movement enough to send the water forward.

Malfore’s eyes widened, the hand on theirs clawing frantically as the first stream came close. He opened his mouth, probably to beg them for mercy, but they didn’t want to hear it. He deserved no mercy for what he had done. They had made him Shepherd to protect the people and seraphim, and he had turned his back on that duty. He had turned his back on _everything_.

The water plunged into his open mouth, Malfore coughing and trying to spit it out. He reached up with his free hand to trying and grab a hold of the water, his fingers sinking through it with ease. Malfore pushed at it uselessly for a moment before he lowered his hand to shove at their chest. The force behind the first shove was enough to rock them, but they didn’t move. They wanted to watch every moment in the hopes that it would crush some of the rage that was still swirling around in them. None of the other deaths had helped, and that had just enraged them more, but maybe this one would work. It _had_ to work.

Malfore’s desperate shoving at their chest slowed down and stopped. His hand clenched in their blood splattered white jacket, his fingers twitching for a moment before his eyes rolled back slightly. His head lolled with the force of the water being forced down his throat, his whole body jerking as they shoved the last of the water down his throat.

They stared at the dead Shepherd, looking him up and down before throwing him back against the altar. The body knocked hard into the small table, sending it tumbling to the floor along with the unlit candles that had been sitting on it. They looked down on it in disgust, staring at the trickle of water that escaped from Malfore’s mouth. They contemplated the dead man before turning around to look out into the shrinechurch.

It was silent now, the quiet of it suddenly too much too bear. What they had done was supposed to have helped, it was supposed to stop the yawning emptiness that had filled them for years. And that was perhaps more painful than hearing that what they had suspected was true.

They wrapped their arms around their stomach, looking around at the bodies that were strewn carelessly over the nave. They shuddered, drawing in heavy breaths as the rage and sorrow rushed through them again. They curled their hands into the silk of their jacket, not even realizing that they were crying until they saw spots appear on the dry floor of the dais.

They stared down at them, almost not comprehending what they meant because nothing was making sense for them. The only things that did were the names that they were mouthing, and the horrible knowledge that were far too many. Their shoulders jerked as they cried soundlessly, their arms wrapping more tightly around them like it would hold them together.

They didn’t know how long they remained like that, swaying on their feet as the litany of the dead ran through their head. They could feel their fingers digging hard into their sides, the pressure the only thing keeping them grounded.

Their tears were just starting to slow when they heard a sharp gasp from the front of the nave. They looked up, one hand dropping back to call on the water that they had forced into Malfore. The motion came to an abrupt stop when they saw who was standing in their door, their eyes widening as they watched Sergei take in the destruction before looking up at them. They saw him jerk back, the sword that he was holding dropping slightly as he stared at them.

“Sorey?”

* * *

Sergei didn’t wait long after the guards had released them from the cells to break out in a run. He only paused long enough to order Andrei and Vanya to escort Alisha back to her room and guard her. Sorey had come back and, by some miracle, the palace was listening to his orders, so Sergei didn’t want to waste a moment. If the guards decided to swing their loyalty back to the council, he wanted to have as many things in motion as possible, but first he needed to get to Sorey.

He pounded across the courtyard at full speed, hearing the heavy panting of Boris, Fyodor and Nestor as the three of them tried to keep up with him. The others were spreading themselves out through the palace, getting ready for whatever would come out of the confrontation with the council. They weren’t going to be surprised again, not when Sorey was there and in danger.

He tightened his grip on the sword that he had grabbed, his gaze focused on the looming façade of the shrinechurch in front of them.

The distance between the palace and the shrinechurch wasn’t a long one, but it seemed to go on forever. It was just more time wasted, more time that the council could turn on Sorey and kill him. Sergei fully believed that Mikleo would be able to protect Sorey, but the seraph couldn’t be trusted, not when they still had a way to bind the seraph to them. There would be no guarantee of Sorey’s safety then.

Sergei took the stairs up to the door of the shrinechurch two at a time. His gaze was fixed on the smaller door, trying to see what had happened to Sorey.

He couldn’t immediately see anything more than someone standing on the dais at the other end of the nave. He didn’t linger over them too long, looking for Sorey or Mikleo, but it was hard to see anyone through the small door.

He slowed down before he could trip over the little bit of wood between the ground and the door. Sergei braced himself momentarily against the door, sucking in deep breaths as he tried to get his breath back enough to fight if he had to. He took the moment to look down at the floor, ready to step through the door when he saw the body sprawled on the other side of it.

Sergei dropped one arm, barely feeling the way that Boris shoved up beside him. He twisted slightly to get a better view of the man, his stomach twisting when he saw that it was General Lucius. Sergei was tempted to lean over and check the man’s pulse, but he stopped himself because it wouldn’t matter.

A sword was stabbed through the man’s heart and left there, Sergei shuddering at the blood that had pooled on the man’s chest. It had stopped pumping, which meant that Lucius was dead, but he hadn’t been dead long.

He cursed under his breath, feeling one of the other knights push against his back but he didn’t move. He would let them through as soon as he figured out what he was seeing, because it wasn’t making sense.

He stepped through the door, careful to avoid stepping on Lucius’s body. He looked around the shrinechurch, tensing when he saw the bodies that were further up the church.

General Viktor was pinned up against one of the side doors with spikes of ice, his expression frozen in shock. Close by was Cardinal Forton sprawled across the floor of the dais, her face pressed down against the stone. Behind her were two priests, their bodies fetched up against the wall. Sergei felt bile rise in his throat at the side of their necks bent unnaturally.

He looked away, his stomach rolling when he saw the backs of two heads in the front pew. Both of them were lolled back at uncomfortable angles and Sorey could see the blank, staring expression on one of the generals’ faces. Both were dead.

Sergei heard one of the knights make a harsh, cut off noise. He turned in time to see Fyodor duck out of the door to throw up. He winced at the sound, but he didn’t move. Fyodor would recover, and there were still three of them to act, just as soon as he found Sorey.

He swallowed and turned to renew his search, trying to ignore the dead bodies and the coppery smell of blood. Finding the emperor was more important.

Sergei stepped a little further into the shrinechurch, his gaze falling on the lone standing figure in the center of the dais. It was a wonder that Sergei hadn’t noticed him immediately, but the dead bodies had drawn his attention first. But, now that he had noticed, it was hard to look away from the figure in white, splattered with blood.

His heart stuck in his throat, Sergei watching as the person shook. He couldn’t remember seeing them ever before, which was worrying. If anything, they looked more like a seraph than a human, which didn’t make sense. Mikleo was the only seraph that he knew of, unless one had managed to escape from a weapon. That would make the slaughter make sense, Sergei couldn’t blame the seraph for wanting to lash out at the people who had imprisoned it, but there was every chance that Sorey had been caught up in it.

He was considering the best way to approach the seraph when he heard a sharp gasp behind him, probably from Nestor as the man got a good look at what had happened inside the shrinechurch. The sound was enough to attract the seraph’s attention.

The seraph moved, reaching back behind them for something. It was an automatic reaction to get a better hold on his sword even though he knew he had no chance of fighting against seraphic artes. He leaned forward slightly, ready to give the orders for the others to back out of the way to safety. They could look for Sorey outside until the seraph was done raging. He sucked in a quick breath as he bent his knees, readying to dodge to the side when he recognized something in the seraph’s face. It was strangely familiar, something that was enough to get him to react before he could really think about what he was doing.

“Sorey?”

He didn’t expect the seraph to respond because it was a strange idea. Sorey wasn’t a seraph, he was probably somewhere safe and far away. Even if Sergei was wary of the seraph, Mikleo wouldn’t let any harm come to Sorey because of whatever agreement they had.

Sergei jerked back as the seraph twitched, the seraph leaning forward and clutching at their stomach like they were in pain. It was almost enough to get him to walk forward, but he was still wary of what the seraph would do.

The seraph shook, their heavy breathing the only sound in the shrinechurch. It went on long enough for Sergei to be worried before the seraph fell to their knees with a hair raising wail. Light bloomed in the seraph, their form wavering before it just dissolved into two separate blobs of light. It took another moment for the two blobs to turn into anything, but Sergei was sure that he felt his heart stop when he saw Sorey kneeling on the dais with Mikleo sprawled on the floor beside him.

Sergei stared at them for a moment, his sword dropping from his fingers. He didn’t bother to try and snatch it up, there were more important things to focus on. He rushed forward, hearing Boris shout for him but he ignored the sound. He made a vague motion behind him, not quite sure if he was telling them to spread out to secure the area or stay behind him, but it didn’t matter. He knew where Sorey was and he could make sure that he was safe. Everything else after that would fall into place. The empire would remain standing as long as the emperor was alive.

“Sorey!”

The sound of his name got Sorey to look up, but it took far too long for him to respond. Sergei saw recognition flash across Sorey’s eyes, but then he was looking away, Sergei confused by the motion. There were too many things that he didn’t understand.

He sucked in a quick breath, ready to call for Sorey again when Mikleo spasmed. The seraph kicked out before rolling to his hands and knees. Mikleo swung his head towards him, the seraph staring at him for a moment before he shuddered. His face contorted in pain before he screamed.

Sergei jerked forward at the sound, watching as Mikleo twitched violently. He clawed at the stone, Sergei wincing at the high whine of talons against it. He wanted to take a step back, but Sorey was starting to come around to reach for Mikleo. He couldn’t hear what Sorey said, but the motion of his mouth was enough to figure out what he was saying. It would have usually worked, but there was something about the expression on Mikleo’s face that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Mikleo didn’t look like he was in control, he looked more like an animal.

He stepped forward, reaching out to wave Sorey away. He froze part of the way through the motion when Mikleo jerked his head in his direction. The seraph bared his teeth, rumbling out a low growl that rapidly turned into a roar.

Sergei stumbled backwards, watching in horror as Mikleo’s body twisted with a horrible cracking sound. Sergei felt bile rise in his throat as the seraph contorted into a new shape, wings ripping from the seraph’s back. He stared at them, his horror as the distortion of Mikleo’s body quickly replaced with fear as scales erupted along Mikleo’s skin. He watched as Mikleo slewed his head back and forth, Sorey still reaching out for him. And then Mikleo was gone.

The dragon roared as it stretched its wings, the very tips of them just falling short of the high roof of the shrinechurch. The dragon dropped its wings, half folding them as it turned its head.

Its breath drifted in cold clouds from its nostrils, the dragon turning its whole body to snarl at him. Sergei shivered at the anger in the dragon’s eyes, taking a step back even as the dragon started to step down from the dais. It went to take another step, hissing when it had to step awkwardly to fit in the aisle between the pews. It turned its head and breathed ice over one of the offending wooden benches, the motion enough of a distraction that Sergei felt safe moving.

He backed up a few more steps, motioning frantically at the three other knights to leave. They would have to circle around to get Sorey, but he was sure that the shrinechurch would be enough to hold the dragon until they could get the emperor out and maybe long enough for them to figure out how to take care of the dragon.

The dragon roared, Sergei reaching up to press his hands over his ears as the sound echoed around the shrinechurch. He risked a glance over his shoulder, his eyes widening as he saw that the dragon was starting to stalk towards him.

He looked down at where he had dropped his sword. There were all kinds of stories about knights killing dragons with swords, but he didn’t know if they were true. Then again, he didn’t have much of a choice if the dragon kept coming after him.

Sergei braced himself to lunge for the sword, his eyes widening as he saw Sorey stumbling down from the dais.

The emperor caught himself on the dragon’s tail, holding onto it tightly. Sorey slapped a hand against the dragon, Sergei wincing when the dragon turned to hiss at Sorey.

Sorey didn’t seem to care, the emperor not letting go of the dragon’s tail as he glared up at it. “Mikleo, no!”

The dragon growled, looking like it intended to ignore Sorey completely. But Sorey was not so easily shaken off.

He edged further up the dragon’s side, grabbing at its wing like it would keep them still. “Not them! Please!”

The dragon made a sound like a sigh, considering Sorey for a moment before giving a shake. Scales fell off of the dragon, sounding like rain as they pattered against the stone floor. The dragon gave a larger shake, its form dissolving into bright light. When the light dissipated, Mikleo was left naked on the floor, the seraph shaking violently.

Sergei looked between the two of them, watching as Sorey shakily made his way towards Mikleo, still amazed by what had happened. He’d expected more of a struggle or the hard task of having to explain to the emperor why his seraph had been killed. Sergei bit his lip, glancing back at where Mikleo was sitting on the floor like he hadn’t been ready to eat them.

He sighed and reached up to take his cloak from where it was hung around his shoulders, weighing it in his hands before taking a step forward. It didn’t take him more than two strides for him to get to Mikleo, Sergei pausing at the choked off sound that Sorey made. He was sure that it was a warming to stop, but he ignored it in favor of dropping his cloak on Mikleo.

The seraph jerked, Mikleo scrambling at the cloak almost like he was going to throw it off of him, but he stopped. Mikleo huddled under the cloak for a moment before resettling it around himself, holding it close as he shivered. Sergei watched him for a moment before stepping back, leaving room for Sorey to rush over and drop to a crouch beside Mikleo.

He watched as Sorey reached out for Mikleo, his hands fluttering around the seraph without ever making contact. Sorey eventually rocked back on his heels, looking almost mournfully at Mikleo. Sergei didn’t know how to take in that look, especially when Mikleo didn’t bother to look up at Sorey. If anything, the seraph shook his head and shifted.

It took him a moment to get to his feet, Mikleo swaying in place. Sorey was quick to follow, his arm hovering protectively behind Mikleo’s back. If the seraph noticed it, he didn’t comment on it. Mikleo just tugged the cloak more securely around him, his attention going to the three knights at the door. Sorey swayed close to him like he was going to say something, but he paused halfway through the motion.

Sorey frowned, his attention finally moving away from Mikleo to Sergei. He stared at Sergei for a moment, like he couldn’t quite understand what he was seeing. Sorey shook his head a moment later, taking a deep breath. “Could you...”

With the flick of Sorey’s head towards where Lucius’s body was sprawled in front of the door it wasn’t hard to figure out what he was asking. Sergei glance around the shrinechurch before nodding. There was no other answer that he could give. The bodies couldn’t be left out, not with all the support the council had, but they couldn’t just be tucked away. A statement had to be made, but Sergei doubted that Sorey was in any condition to make it. He would make sure to take care of that, at least until Sorey was ready to speak up.

He nodded, tipping forward slightly to bow only to stop as Sorey spoke up again.

“Alisha?”

“Safe and under guard.”

“Where?”

“Her rooms.”

He expected a nod or some other sign of acknowledgement, but Sorey just turned away and started escorting Mikleo out. Sergei pulled up from his bow, stepping into the center of the aisle as he watched the emperor and the seraph step over the corpse at the door and out into the courtyard.

He frowned, glancing over at the other knights. He wasn’t surprised to find that they had similar expressions of worry, but it wasn’t something that he could take care of. They would have to wait for Sorey to explain. Until then, they had other arrangements to worry about.

Sergei turned to look over his shoulder, sighing at the sight of the bodies towards the front of the nave. A shiver ran up his spine at the sight of them and the memory of the being in bloodstained white that had somehow become Sorey and Mikleo. That was another thing the emperor would have to explain. In the meantime, they had to clean up the shrinechurch.

He glanced back at the others, giving them a slow nod before walking over, already trying to come up to a solution to the mess that the two of them had been left.

* * *

Alisha scanned her room, looking over everything that had been left behind. After spending four days being held in the cells she had expected a little more destruction, but all of her things had remained untouched. Things had obviously been moved and shifted into piles for easy later disposal, but it was all there, even the outfit of state that she had hastily shoved in her saddlebags.

She bent down to pick up the dress, rubbing the velvet between her fingers as she continued to look around the room. The only obvious things that were missing was the pile of papers that she had brought into her room to start looking into the council, but she wasn’t surprised that it was gone. That would have been the first thing they had gotten rid of, including any other copy of the treaty.

Alisha sighed and sank back down onto the bed, clutching at the dress. She could feel tears of frustration pricking at the corner of her eyes. All of their hard work, and it was gone. There had been such a great chance for both the empire and Hyland to recover and get back to something more sustainable, and she had seen it burned in front of her eyes. She huffed and reached up to scrub at her eyes, looking out the window and into the courtyard.

It wasn’t the end and it was fixable. The page that had come to release them from the prison had said that Sorey was back, which meant that the two of them could sort out the council’s trial. It might be harder now that they burned the evidence, but they could still do it. After all, Lailah had once told her that seraphim could see into the hearts of humans and they had Mikleo. It might not work out perfectly, but she doubted that the people of Pendrago would disbelieve the word of a seraph, especially when they considered him theirs.

She stroked her fingers over the velvet of the dress one more time before starting to fold it. The first thing she would have to do was organize her things, it would help settle her back into the right mindset. There were two Platinum Knights outside the door and Sorey was busy, which meant that she had some time to settle her thoughts. If the council wouldn’t be weighing in on this treaty then there were some things that she wanted to change slightly and she wanted to have her thoughts in order.

Alisha pressed the folded dress against her chest, looking at the pile of her belongings as she tried to figure out where to start. She sighed and set the dress on the desk before crouching down by the pile.

She had just started to dig through it when she heard the knights shift in the hallway. She turned her head towards the partially open door, her hand reaching into the pile for something that she could use as a weapon. She had been taken by surprise once, but she wasn’t going to go so easily again. Her fingers closed around the edge of a piece of armor just as they heard the knights laugh before one of them spoke. “It’s good to see you again, your majesty.”

Sorey didn’t respond, Alisha frowning at that. She didn’t have much time to think on it because the door was swinging open. She stood up quickly, offering him a smile as he stepped into the room. Sorey didn’t give her a smile in return; he barely held her gaze before he looked around.

Alisha took the moment to look him over, not surprised to see that he was still in his travel clothes. He had probably come straight from dealing with the council, which explained why he looked so exhausted. He had come in from riding most of the morning to have to deal with what the council had done. If anything, he looked ready to fall asleep on his feet, which probably meant that they would be doing the bare minimum of work, which she didn’t mind. The council had to be dealt with, but everything else wouldn’t be hurt by waiting a full day.

She took a step back, leaning back against the desk as he waited for Sorey to do anything. The longer he stood silent, the more worried she got.

She threw a quick glance at the door, frowning when she realized that Mikleo wasn’t trailing after him. The seraph was usually following Sorey around, unless he was standing guard over the council. But that didn’t feel right either, because she was sure that the Platinum Knights would have immediately jumped on the chance. She knew her own knights wouldn’t allow anyone else the honor and the slight chance for revenge.

Alisha tipped her head to the side, giving him a long once over before clearing her throat. “Sorey?”

He jumped when she spoke, his eyes widening before he turned to face her properly.

Her gaze moved to the sluggishly bleeding cut to the side of his face, Alisha’s fingers twitching in an aborted motion to reach for her spear. She had purposefully left it behind, but she regretted it. The familiar weight would have been grounding in a way that the piece of armor she was clutching was not.

Alisha shook her head and dropped the armor back into the pile. She made a motion towards the cut. “Is it that bad?”

Sorey reached up to touch the cut, starting like he had forgotten that it was there. He stared at his fingers, shuddering at the blood before wiping his fingers on his pants. His fingers curled in the fabric, Sorey taking a bit too long to respond to her.

“I…I think…It’s just…” Sorey swallowed, obviously trying to pull himself back together. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, all traces of the smiling young man she had come to know had vanished. “You need to leave.”

“What?!” She slapped a hand over her mouth at the shout. Alisha glanced over to the door, waiting for one of the knights to peek in and ask if they were alright. When no one looked in, she lowered her hand from her mouth, looking at Sorey. “I’m fine. I can help.”

“It’s not that. It’s everything else, the lies the council told while I was gone. The people won’t listen to peace if it’s with Hyland and the council has the whole army. It’s going to take a lot to get through this and I don’t want Hyland thinking that you’re being held against your will.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It will if the people get a hold of you.” Sorey’s hand twitched again, her attention drawn up to the cut on his face.

Alisha’s stomach twisted the longer that she stared at it. The council might have fought back, but she doubted that it would have ended with a cut to Sorey’s face, there would have been more evidence. But he had ridden through the city and she didn’t doubt that the council had lied to get what they wanted.

Sorey had been the darling of the people of Pendrago, she had seen it herself. They loved him for the chance of peace that he was offering and a promise that they would be looked after instead of being passed over. They loved him because he walked out among them. And they loved him for Mikleo, because it had been a long time since the people of any kingdom had believed that any seraph cared about them. It was almost unbelievable that they would turn on Sorey, but she was staring at the evidence.

She ignored the spike of fear that ran through her, because there would be time for panic. Maltran had always told her that it was more important to think first, because panicking would get her killed.

Alisha nodded. “What should we do?”

“There’s a way out of Pendrago where you won’t have to leave the royal quarter. You should be able to ride around the city without anyone seeing you. I don’t think the council had time to send for the rest of the army because they probably never thought that I would be coming back or that they would have much of a fight.”

Alisha shook his head, confused by the plans that Sorey was talking about. “But the treaty-”

“I won’t forget. I’ll call you back when things are under control.”

“I can help with that.”

“No! No one else is dying because of me!”

Alisha started at his shout, staring at Sorey in shock. She watched the horror spread across his face, Sorey swaying in place before he closed his eyes. She wanted to walk over and comfort him, but she doubted that he would let her. His shoulders were still tense and she could see them shake every once and a while.

She took a step forward, freezing when Sorey finally opened his eyes. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask what had happened in Gododdin or with the council, but she doubted that Sorey would answer her, he had shut himself off.

Alisha dropped her hand to her side, flexing her fingers slightly. She didn’t want to leave, but she doubted that any argument that she had would make Sorey budge. And, if things were as dangerous as he believed, then maybe it was for the best that she left. If the people were wary of Hyland, than her presence wouldn’t help anything. It would be better to retreat, which would give her the chance to talk with the others about more things to add to the treaty. It would also give them a break to start putting Hyland back together. Sorey wouldn’t be attacking them, he would be more focused on putting his country back together. It made all the sense in the world, but it still didn’t sit right with her.

She opened her mouth to try and protest again when Sorey shook his head. “Please.”

Alisha wavered for a moment before giving him a sharp nod. He was right, it was better to retreat for now, especially when he was spooked enough to beg.

She turned around to kneel by her stuff, sorting through the pile until she found her saddle bags. Alisha pulled them free, starting to pack away her things. She hadn’t brought much so it was just a matter of slotting things back into place, but she couldn’t help but be very aware of Sorey’s presence in the room. He wasn’t looking at her, Alisha sure that he was looking out into the courtyard. It was enough to make her want to strike up a conversation with him, but she doubted that he would answer.

Sorey was distracted and worried, and she’d never seen anything affect him like this. If anything, he would have immediately jumped into action like he had when he had discovered what the council was doing, but Sorey was uncharacteristically still.

Alisha fiddled with the clasp of one of the saddlebags before shaking her head and shutting it. She tried not to stare at him as she slung the saddlebags over her shoulder. The motion had to have alerted Sorey because she felt his attention switch back to her. He glanced at the saddlebags before turning on his heel and walking out of the door. Alisha stared after him before following.

The two knights on guard duty nodded at her as she passed, Alisha watching as one of them swayed forward like he was going to follow before thinking better of it. She was tempted to wave goodbye to the two of them, but she doubted that they would respond. They probably had other things to do now that they were freed from watching her. And, now that Sorey had talked to her, she knew why. She swallowed and hitched her saddlebags further up her shoulder.

Sorey was completely silent as he led her through the halls of the palace, always away from the courtyard. Alisha caught some of the strange looks that the pages shot her, but none of them seemed to be aggressive. Most of them looked more like they were ready to run. Some of them grabbed onto the person they were walking with and pulling them into a corner to whisper. Alisha fully expected to be about her, and some of the frightened looks were directed her way, but most of them were directed towards Sorey, which just made her wonder what had happened.

Sorey had never told her how he had sorted the council, and he wouldn’t have come to talk to her if he hadn’t gotten at least some of the problem sorted. But the reaction was making her wonder.

She curled her fingers into the leather of her saddlebag, turning her gaze forward. It was easier to just watch Sorey’s back as he led her through the palace.

They stepped out into a smaller courtyard in the back, Alisha surprised to see a nervous looking groom holding her horse. The groom held out the reins as far away from him as possible, Alisha stepping around Sorey to take the reins.

She slung the saddlebags into place, securing them quickly. Alisha pulled on the bags and the girth to check that everything was ready to go, shaking her head as she swept her hand over the blanket to check if anything had been tampered with. Her horse snorted, but the sound was an impatient one instead of one of pain. Alisha smiled and patted her horse’s shoulder before turning to look at Sorey.

Some part of her hoped that he would change his mind, but he was already gesturing towards the small gate in the wall. “There’s a short tunnel that will take out right outside the walls. No one will be watching you go. The Royal Guards have been called to the courtyard to be removed from duty.”

He didn’t need to say that she would be safe, but Alisha was sure that he was thinking it. She just nodded and swung up into the saddle. Alisha settled into place, looking up at the creak of the door. She stayed still just long enough for the door to swing open before kicking the horse forward.

It snorted and trotted out, Alisha leaning forward as they entered the tunnel. It was wide enough for her to sit up, but the walls were close, Alisha looking around.

There were no waypoints in the tunnel, but it didn’t run long enough to require them. Alisha was just sure that it ran the width of the wall and that it was just as it appeared, an escape route for when the emperor was in danger. She couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine at the thought.

She’d heard plenty of stories about the flight from Ladylake, about how people had waded through the old aqueducts until they had found some of the old entrances. Some had let out directly into the lake so people had had to swim up while some had managed to find the ones that led out into the old hills. The unlucky ones had find the old shrine where the Shepherds had been chosen.

They hadn’t gotten out.

Alisha kicked her horse forward, leaning close to its neck as it cantered towards the arc of light that marked the end of the tunnel. She pressed herself closer to its neck as the horse sped under the raised portcullis, only daring to turn around to look at it when they were completely out. She would have been alright, because the portcullis looked like it was rusted in place, but the spikes still looked dangerous.

She swallowed and pulled her horse up, glancing around as she tried to orient herself. The border with Hyland was quite far from Pendrago, but it wouldn’t be a bad journey. She was sure that she could find the camp quickly enough, but Rose had said that she would be waiting in Gododdin. Alisha tightened her grip on the reins, looking towards the high ridges that marked the start of Biroclef Ridge. Rose would be expecting her, and she couldn’t let Rose down. Besides, it would be too good of a chance to pass up. Something that obviously happened in Gododdin to shake Sorey, and she wanted to know what.

She nudged her horse around, trying to find the rise in hills that marked the entrance to Biroclef Ridge. Her horse snorted and jigged in place, turning slowly enough that she had the chance to look back at the walls.

Alisha jerked her horse to a stop, staring up at where Sorey was standing up on the wall. They looked bare after so many days of seeing the bright red uniforms of the Royal Guard, and it made Sorey look especially lonely in his blue. Alisha bit her lip, raising her hand in a wave.

It took Sorey a moment to respond, giving her a short wave before his hand dropped back to his side.

Alisha stared at him a moment more before kicking her horse forward, leaving the walled city of Pendrago and the lonely figure of its emperor behind her.


	14. Chapter 12

“They would not find me changed from him they knew -  
Only more sure of all I thought was true.”  
– _Into My Own_ , Robert Frost

* * *

 

Red had always been the color of Rolance, even when the kingdom had expanded into an empire. It was everywhere, in the uniforms, on the banners, on the rulers, everything had been red.

Sorey had never liked the color, because it had always meant the war and the empire. There was nothing else it represented in his mind. It was why he had purposefully never worn it, it was why he had stuck with blue when he had become emperor. He wasn’t going to be his father, his mother, his aunt or his cousins. He was going to be a different emperor, one that would put his people first.

He slung his coat over him, staring at his reflection on the mirror. His fingers twitched where they were still holding onto the front of the coat.

He almost couldn’t recognize the man in red and black in front of the mirror.

Sorey’s hands fell from the coat, trying to take deep breaths as his stomach plunged. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to center himself. When things stopped feeling so shaky, he opened his eyes again.

The disconnect wasn’t as bad, Sorey able to meet and hold his gaze in the mirror. He took a deep breath, looking himself over. The uncomfortable twist to his stomach wasn’t gone, but Sorey that doubted that it would ever be gone. He had never wanted to ever see himself in red, but he hadn’t thought that he’d had another choice after everything that had happened.

The people of Pendrago didn’t want peace, the wanted the war that the council had offered them. They wanted the security that complete superiority offered them, because then there would be no more fear of invasion, no more fear that they wouldn’t have enough to eat during the winter. There was a security in war that they were afraid to let go of, something that he’d never thought about.

He reached up to touch the cut on the side of his face. It didn’t take much prodding to get the scab to break, Sorey jerking his hand away. It kept happening, because he kept touching it. But it was just one more reminder about how the people had changed their views. The problem was that he wasn’t sure if he could change their minds again.

The council had done their job well. They had spread enough lies to have the people wary, even more so after what he had done to the council. They had said that they were protecting the people from him, and he had just proved them right by killing them. Now it would take a bit for the people to trust him, and he didn’t have the time for that. He had to take care of the army, which had never been in support of him, and the Royal Guard wouldn’t stand for being stripped of their rank a second time. The fastest way to take care of them would be to call for a culling of all of them.

Sorey clapped a hand over his mouth, breathing heavily as he tried to banish the image of the dead bodies in Gododdin or in the shrinechurch. It didn’t work, Sorey jerking at the memory.

He stumbled back from the mirror, rushing over to where the ewer of water and basin were sitting on a side table. He grabbed onto the sides of the table, leaning over the basin as he vomited.

Not a lot came up, he hadn’t been able to eat the night before between trying to think of something to do about the Royal Guard and trying to figure out what the council had left for him. By the time he had stumbled into his room it was late and he was too tired to try. He was still tired, his whole body shaking as he threw up more of the bile. Sorey remained bent over the basin, coughing out the last dregs of it.

He rocked back, groping blindly for the cup that was usually beside the ewer of water. His fingers knocked against it, Sorey dragging it back towards him. He took a drink, swishing the water around in his mouth before leaning over to spit it out. He repeated the process two more times before setting the glass down on the table.

Sorey sucked in a few deep breaths as he sunk to his knees, leaning his head forward until he could press it against the metal plating on the front of the table. The metal felt cool against his head, Sorey ignoring the slight rises and bumps of the embossing from the decoration on the stand. It felt too good to move his head, Sorey’s eyes fluttering shut.

He didn’t mean to, but it was hard when he had spent most of the night startling awake because of a dream of corpses reaching out for him or because he felt like he was drowning in something dark and hot, something that knotted in his chest and throbbed to the beat of his heart.

Sorey swallowed, clutching at the sides of the table. He could feel it now, but he didn’t dare reach for his heart like he had spent hours doing the night before. He hadn’t been able to calm it then and he was sure that he wouldn’t be able to calm it now. If he ignored it long enough then it would fade away into the undercurrent of malevolence. It was something just on the edge of his awareness, something that had been slipping in and out since Maotelus had given him and Mikleo a portion of his power.

He shivered, squeezing his eyes shut tighter as the pounding got worse. He swayed in place, starting when he heard the creak of his door.

Sorey jerked away from the bedside table, looking at the door. He fully expected to see Sergei coming in to remind him of his duties, Sorey bracing himself for the hovering that would follow.

Instead of the knight, Mikleo was standing in the doorway. The seraph looked him up and down before huffing and stepping into the room. He let the door swing shut behind him, Sorey breathing a sigh of relief that he was sure that Mikleo didn’t hear.

He closed his eyes and tipped his head forward to rest against the metal, listening to the seraph putter around the room. That in itself was strange enough that he should have paid attention to it, but Sorey didn’t think that he had the strength to move his head from the deliciously cool metal. He was more than happy to let Mikleo do as he wanted, just as long as he was left alone to come back to himself. There was too much for him to do and the Platinum Knights would be keeping close. They knew too much about him to let how he looked slide.

Sorey sighed and pushed away from the metal. He had gotten lucky when Mikleo had been the one to come into the room, but Sergei would be along eventually, and with questions that he didn’t want to answer.

He levered himself from the floor, swaying when he got to his feet. For a moment, he thought his stomach would rebel against the movement, but it stayed steady. Sorey swallowed, reaching up to try and straighten his clothes out. He would have to look every inch the emperor that the people expected for the next few days, no matter what he felt about it. Sorey sighed and glanced around the room, only partially searching for Mikleo.

He found the seraph near the bookshelf on the other side of the room. It was on the tip of his tongue to say that Mikleo could help himself when he actually took in what Mikleo was wearing.

The seraph had ditched his usual cape and collar, as well as his usual colors, leaving him in black and red.

Sorey watched him as Mikleo walked down the bookshelf. The seraph’s attention seemed to be firmly on the bookshelf, which was the only reason he was allowed to stare for so long.

It shouldn’t have been so jarring considering that Mikleo was perfectly capable of changing his clothes, but Sorey had thought that Mikleo would be content with what he had. It had been the colors that he had seen the seraph in on the mountain. That and he couldn’t imagine where Mikleo had gotten anything in black and red since everything he had chosen had come from Sorey, unless someone had gifted him the clothes.

The thought made Sorey’s stomach turn threateningly. Someone had thought that Mikleo needed to wear the colors of the empire. Someone had thought that Mikleo was something to be owned or something that Sorey had claimed on his own. It didn’t matter that Sorey was sure that most people thought Mikleo was bound to a weapon, which was easy enough to forget when they saw him walking around. It was when they thought that Mikleo was a thing to be _owned_ that he felt disgusted because it wasn’t like that. It wasn’t right for anyone to own a seraph.

Worse still was the implications of the red and black. They had always been the colors of the empire, and they were on Mikleo. After everything that they had done and fought against, the empire had managed to get a hold of Mikleo.

“What?”

Sorey jerked at the question, surprised that Mikleo had asked it. He stared at the seraph for a moment before shaking his head. He didn’t know what part of his thoughts he had said out loud, which just left him trying to work through the sight of the empire’s red and black on Mikleo.

Some part of him just wanted to rip it off of the seraph, but most of him was lost in the spiral of despair, the tight knot in his chest getting tighter.

He took a shaky step forward, catching on to one of the bedposts to hold himself upright. He leaned against it, taking a deep breath as he tried to come up with some kind of words. What he managed wasn’t satisfying, but it was a start. “Why?”

Mikleo blinked at him, his hand still hovering over the cover of one of the books before it dropped to his side. The seraph stared at him for a moment before running a hand over his shirt and corset. Usually, Sorey would have followed the motion, but he didn’t want to look at the clothes, not when Mikleo’s face was safer.

The seraph fidgeted in place for a moment before he shrugged. “It seemed like the right thing to do.”

“But why?”

“Why are you?”

Sorey flinched at the question, looking down at his clothes. What he wanted to do was just throw off the coat and the black and gold jacket underneath, but that wouldn’t get rid it. Everything was black and red through the jackets to the undershirt that he wore, all careful layers of the empire’s colors on him. He swallowed, reaching up to press a hand on the gold embroidered dragon at the front of his jacket. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before just giving up. Sorey shook his head, just letting the words tumble out without any real thought to them.

“They don’t want peace anymore, they’re too scared and they believe the council. I haven’t been around long enough for them to trust me. No matter what I do they’ll rebel or the army will turn against me. I could just deal with the situation like the council would have but I can’t…” Sorey took a few quick breaths, giving up his hold on the post. He sunk down onto the end of the bed, staring at the floor. “I can’t have more people die because of me. There’s been too many.”

He thought he heard Mikleo make a sound, but he didn’t dare look up. He scuffed the toe of his boot across the carpet, trying to come up with a more concrete reason for his switch when he heard Mikleo walking over to him. Sorey tensed, ready to move when Mikleo stopped in front of him.

The seraph stood in place, his obvious patience enough to get Sorey to look up. He expected some sign of Mikleo’s displeasure, but the seraph was just staring at him with an unreadable expression.

Mikleo remained still for a moment before sighing, his shoulders slumping. Sorey watched as the seraph reached up to rub at his chest in a mirror to the motion that Sorey had found himself doing more often.

He reached out without thinking, jerking his hand to a stop when he realized what he was doing. Sorey glanced at the distance that Mikleo had kept between them. “I shouldn’t have.” Sorey shifted in place, trying his best not to hold Mikleo’s gaze for long. “That’s because of me, isn’t it?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because Maotelus did something to you, when we made the pact. And I felt it when we were,” Sorey made a vague motion, not sure how to describe the time that they had spent as one being, “there wasn’t any malevolence. But there is now and that’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten angry like that.”

Mikleo jerked forward like he was going to grab onto him, but the seraph stopped abruptly. His hands opened and closed by his sides before Mikleo shook his head. “If you hadn’t gotten angry, then I would have never forgiven you. Besides, I’m the one that gave you my true name. Half the blame lies with me.”

Sorey nodded slowly, turning the syllables of the name over in his mind. He was half tempted to call the name, to merge together and have that strength again. When they were like that, then Sorey felt like they could take on the world, felt a little less lost. There was some relief to having a purpose instead of drifting like he was doing. The power would certainly solve all of his problems, because then he could just kill all of his enemies outright.

He shivered at the thought, something in him revolting at the thought even as he celebrated it. He didn’t want to rule through fear, he wanted to be the kind of ruler that the people of the empire hadn’t had for a long time. But he didn’t know what other choice he had. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the familiar despair as his mind ran around in the same circles

Sorey started when he felt cold fingers against his cheek. He opened his eyes, staring up at Mikleo as the seraph leaned over him. The touch to his cheek didn’t waver, it remained steady, holding him in place.

Mikleo leaned forward, stopping short of allowing their foreheads to touch. “You told me you were willing to let the world burn if your idea didn’t work.”

Sorey blushed a little, clearing his throat. “I might have been over exaggerating.”

Mikleo huffed, but he didn’t let go of Sorey’s face. He just moved his hand up to just below the cut on the side of Sorey’s face. Mikleo’s fingers stroked along his hairline, avoiding the cut entirely. “I know. You probably wouldn’t let me if I tried. But why would I want to? It would mean leaving the seraphim in malevolence. Besides,” Mikleo swiped his fingers across the cut, Sorey shivering as his skin tingled, “you promised me my family back and I don’t intend to leave until I’ve gotten them.”

Sorey sighed. “They could be anywhere.”

“Then we bring them back in.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask how, but he was sure that Mikleo wouldn’t respond. That was the sort of thing that rested on him, which presented a whole new problem.

He wanted to drop his head into his hands, but the steady pressure of Mikleo’s hold on his face wouldn’t allow him that. Sorey froze at the slight pressure on the side of his head, finding himself meeting Mikleo’s gaze directly as he talked. “I’d have to call the army in. Hyland might allow it, but they also might see it as an action of war. I wouldn’t be able to avoid war after that. They’d go after the border, and I have people there that need to be protected.”

“I don’t think Alisha would allow it.”

“Alisha isn’t the only one in charge.” Sorey gave Mikleo a rueful glance, nodding slightly when he saw understanding cross Mikleo’s face. He wanted to reach up to hold Mikleo’s hand, but he didn’t allow himself that. He curled his fingers into his pants, taking a few deep breaths. “Even if they are curbed, the harvest will be stripped down to feed the army. If they aren’t…people will die.”

He expected Mikleo to dismiss the worry, but the seraph just dipped his chin in something that could be a nod. Mikleo’s hand lingered on the side of his face for a moment before he lifted it away.

Sorey leaned after it, stopping himself just before he propped himself up against the bedpost. He looked up at Mikleo, watching as the seraph took a step back. It looked like Mikleo needed a moment to get himself together, the seraph taking a few deep breaths. Sorey tipped his head up, about to try and catch Mikleo’s scent when the seraph took another step back.

Mikleo played with the end of one of his sleeves, settling it more carefully around his wrist. “We’ll just have to control it the best that we can, to make sure as few people die as possible.”

Sorey swallowed, but he knew better than to argue. What they were talking about was war, there was no way to prevent people from dying, he had grown up knowing that fact. If it was the two of them it was a little better than the council or any of the generals who had a real reason to want to grind Hyland back into the dust. Between the two of them, they could at least work out a way to keep everyone moving, just enough to grind down the army and the people until they were ready to accept any terms that he could get from them. It would be hard on everyone, but Sorey was sure that Alisha would understand. He had been willing to give any terms that would help both kingdoms, and that wouldn’t change.

He pushed himself off the bed, swaying on his feet. He grabbed for the post, taking a few deep breaths before looking back up at Mikleo. He was almost jealous of the way that the seraph could seem cool and collected after what had happened. Then again, Sorey was sure that seraphim didn’t need to sleep. Mikleo probably hadn’t been haunted by nightmares like he had.

He watched as Mikleo passed by the mirror, unable to ignore the horrible yawning feeling in his gut at the sight of Mikleo in red and black.

Whatever had caught the seraph’s attention didn’t hold it for long. Mikleo shook his head and went to open the door, Sorey jerking forward a step before he stopped himself from making a fool of himself. “Wait!”

He spoke a little too loud for the situation, but it got Mikleo to stop by the door. The seraph turned back to look at him, Sorey aware that he didn’t quite know what to say. He swallowed harshly as he took a step forward, stopping just in front of Mikleo. He wanted to reach out for the seraph, but he held himself back, just staring at the red shirt.

He wanted to ask Mikleo why he had changed, because the seraph had never answered his question, but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead, he just let his hand hover awkwardly in the air between the two of them. His mind lingered on what Mikleo had said, how the two of them would be working together. It’s what they had been doing from the start, but it had never sat as badly with him as it did at that moment.

He had always hoped that they would be able to do it his way, the peaceful way. But their new tack felt too much like something that some of his cousins would have done, or something that his father would have done. It was the way of the empire to play these games, to manipulate the people into getting whatever it wanted and needed. He had wanted to be something different, but the empire had defeated him and drawn him in. And he had been the one to bring Mikleo in and put him at risk too.

He should have known better, the empire had a way of corrupting everything that it touched.

Sorey swallowed, letting his hand drop back to his side. “Just…don’t let the empire have you. Promise me that, please.”

Mikleo looked shocked for a moment, Sorey trying to find more words. The promise must not have made sense, especially considering what they had been talking about.

Sorey dropped his gaze, about to give up and step back when Mikleo reached out to catch the sleeve of his coat. Mikleo peered at him closely for a moment before letting go of him and walking away.

Sorey watched in confusion as Mikleo walked over to the closet. He stared as Mikleo leaned in and sorted through the things there. Sorey tried to ignore the shift of the few red and black things that he had owned to the front, some part of him glad when Mikleo ignored them and dove right for the back where he had shoved his other clothes. It was on the tip of his tongue to offer them to Mikleo when the seraph threw an old blue shirt over his shoulder, diving back in for a darker blue robe. The seraph dragged his fingers over the fabric before diving back into the closet, Sorey wincing at a clatter towards the back. He couldn’t imagine what Mikleo was digging for, especially so far back.

He didn’t get too much time to wonder about it because Mikleo stepped out of the closest, dropping the clothes in a pile on the floor before reaching back around.

The seraph fumbled with the back of his corset before giving up with a huff. Mikleo’s fingers played with the strings there even as he turned to look at Sorey. He raised an eyebrow before holding out his fingers still tangled in some of the strings.

The invitation was clear, but Sorey was slow to take him up on it. He inched forward, carefully watching Mikleo for any sign that it wouldn’t be welcome. Mikleo was getting better at allowing touches, but he had never invited it before. Sorey swallowed, waiting for Mikleo to change his mind, but the seraph continued to stand calmly.

Sorey reached out, careful not to let his hands rest too heavily or too long on the strings. It was simple to tug the knot free, Sorey hesitating before reaching out to tug the strings looser. He wanted desperately to rest his hand against the small of Mikleo’s back, but he held himself back. He hadn’t gotten permission to go that far. He flexed his fingers and stepped back, almost hating himself for the way he glanced back at the mirror.

For a moment, he thought he saw disappointment flash across Mikleo’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Mikleo shrugged and peeled off the corset, Sorey blushing red when he saw Mikleo reach for his shirt.

He turned on his heel, staring at the other side of the room. He tensed as he heard Mikleo wiggle out of the shirt, Sorey twitching slightly. He caught himself turning his head, Sorey taking a sharp breath in. He curled his fingers into his coat, trying to take deep breaths. He squeezed his eyes shut, but that just made his focus on the sound more. Sorey shook his head, about to leave the room and give Mikleo his privacy when he heard the seraph clear his throat.

Sorey turned around, sure that he looked too eager, but it didn’t look like Mikleo cared. The seraph was smoothing his hands over the shirt. Mikleo twisted around, looking at himself in the mirror. Mikleo turned, huffing when his hair fell into his face. He reached up to pull it back from his eyes, tucking it back behind his ear.

Mikleo’s hair had grown, the ends of it brushing against his shoulders. Some of it was kept back by the circlet that Mikleo wore, the circlet still carefully kept visible. That didn’t stop Sorey from wanting to push the rest of it further back, away from Mikleo’s face.

Mikleo played with the lock of hair as he stared at his reflection. Whatever he was looking for he seemed to find because Mikleo nodded and reached for the box that he had set aside. He tucked it under his arm, coming back to stand in front of Sorey. Mikleo looked him up and down before offering the box.

Sorey stared at it, not sure why he was being offered it. He recognized the box as a place where he had stored some loose odds and ends. He didn’t even remember what he had hidden in there or if it would be of any use.

Mikleo must have gotten impatient because the seraph opened the box and fished something out. The box he snapped shut and tossed back on the bed.

Sorey turned to watch it go, his attention snapping back to Mikleo at a slight jingle. He stared at the piece of leather that the seraph was holding up, trying to place it. It took him far too long to recognize it as one of the leather pieces that he had worn between his armor and his skin. But it had been a long time since he had worn armor, not since his aunt had given up on teaching him to the proper way to be a prince. It was no wonder he’d shoved it in a box and forgotten about it.

He stared at it, tempted to reach up to touch the worn leather, but that would have meant intruding too close into Mikleo’s space. Sorey flexed his fingers, thinking over his next move. But he couldn’t quite concentrate, not with Mikleo still waiting expectantly for something that he didn’t quite understand.

He took a deep breath, dragging his gaze away from the collar. “Why?”

Mikleo shrugged, holding the collar out further. “You don’t want me bound to the empire, fine. But you’re going to need something more if you want to call the army back and win their loyalty. You don’t need a seraph. You need a dragon.”

“Mikleo-” Sorey cut himself off as Mikleo tossed the collar at him.

He fumbled the catch, frantically grabbing at the collar until he had a good hold on it. Sorey looked back up at Mikleo, staring at the back of his neck as the seraph pulled his hair away. It was strange to see it bare after having gotten used to the sight of the thinner collar.

He must have stared too long because Mikleo turned his head slightly to look back over his shoulder at him. “That’s why you came to find me in the first place, right? You weren’t looking for a seraph, you were looking for a dragon.”

“No. Not entirely. But-”

“Sorey.” Mikleo’s tone of voice booked no argument. Sorey snapped his mouth shut, holding Mikleo’s gaze. The stern gaze only lasted for a moment before Mikleo gave him a nod. “Everyone will react better to a collared dragon. This way, they’ll know who controls it.”

There were so many things that Sorey wanted to argue, but he didn’t think that Mikleo had the patience for them. He looked down at the collar, turning it over in his hands until he found the buckle in the back. He worked it open with shaky fingers, stepping forward as soon as it fell free.

He saw Mikleo tense as he stepped into his space, but the seraph didn’t shy away like he had all the other times. The most Mikleo did was shift to see him better, but he didn’t protest. But that more than anything encouraged him to go on. Sorey swallowed and looped the collar around Mikleo’s neck.

It was going to be too big, Sorey could tell that already. It had been made to go over the padding that went under armor, and even then Mikleo was slimmer than him. The only good thing was that it meant that he wouldn’t have to touch Mikleo’s skin, his hands were shaking enough as it was. The temptation was strong, especially was Mikleo was so close and smelled so good. It wasn’t the smell of heat, but Mikleo had always been tempting even without the intensification of his scent that came with heat. The seraph smelled like wet earth and rain.

Sorey swallowed, buckling the collar in place before taking a step back. He made the mistake of taking a deep breath, Sorey practically choking on the thick scent that was wafting his way. He must have made some sort of sound because Mikleo shot him an amused look and tipped his head to the side.

It was permission. Sorey felt his heart speed up at the realization. It was an open invitation to get closer, to breathe Mikleo in. It was more that he had ever gotten from the seraph before, but he wasn’t going to take it. It was too much, because he craved the closeness of what they had done before. They had been one being before and something in him wanted to call Mikleo’s name again and go back to that. There hadn’t been room for worry or indecision when they were like that. But, no matter what he wanted, the permission had not been for that.

He shook his head slightly, seeing surprise flash across Mikleo’s face. The expression was gone as quickly as it appeared. Mikleo rolled his shoulders in something like a shrug before reaching up to touch the collar. He played with the way it sat on his neck for a moment before letting it sit loose. From the look on his face, it wasn’t exactly the way that he wanted it, but Sorey was sure that it would work.

A collar for the emperor’s dragon, and emperor dressed in the empire’s colors. It was everything that the people wanted. And it was sure to be their worst nightmare sooner, if not later.

Sorey sighed and glanced at himself in the mirror, his attention taken away from his own appearance by the sight of Mikleo standing just in front of him.

From the safety of the mirror, it was easy to let his gaze rest on Mikleo, taking in the seraph looked. There was something right about seeing the seraph in blue and white, even if the clothes were far too big for him. Sorey purposefully ignored the small, possessive voice that crowed that Mikleo was his, wearing his clothes and drenched in his scent, because it wasn’t true. Mikleo was still his own even in this, even when he was pretending to be a creature of the empire.

Sorey’s gaze slid back to himself, resigning himself to the sight of the emperor in red and black that stared back at him.

* * *

Sergei strode down the halls of the palace, trying to juggle the armful of reports. Vanya and Andrei had been busy digging into the records of the generals from the council, the Royal Guards and the rest of the army. None of their reports were final, but they were the start of something that they could use to start pulling the country back together. As soon as they figured out what needed to be done, he could deploy his forces better.

Usually there would be whole groups of people working on problems like this, but Sergei wasn’t about to trust them. There were other Platinum Knights running background checks on them, but they would move slowly. The Platinum Knights were stretched thin enough as it was between working on administrative tasks and taking over the duties that were left behind with the Royal Guard in prison. It wasn’t a tenable position, but it would work until they got things sorted out. Without the council looming over them and fouling up their every step they could move faster. Once it was done, they could get back to the business of running the empire.

He shuffled through the papers in his arms, breathing out a sigh of relief when Boris reached out to take some of the reports off of his hands. Boris immediately started sorting through them, Sergei rolling his eyes as his brother nodded along with whatever he was reading. There was a report from Boris in the mess too, a hodge-podge of rumors and things that his brother heard around the palace. It was something that would have been amusing from its sources alone, except that most of what Boris found was useful in some way or another.

Sergei looked down at his armload, scanning for Boris’ report before giving up. He would sort through it all and get it organized eventually, but the summons from Sorey was slightly more important. The Platinum Knights were running efficiently enough that he didn’t have to hover, although he would have to go back and check how Melor was dealing with the books. Besides, most of what he was carrying would be directly involved with what he and Sorey had to discuss. It wasn’t everything, but it was a good enough start.

He shot his brother a quick glance when he heard Boris huff, watching as he flipped through some of the reports. Sergei didn’t have to ask what had caught Boris’ attention, Boris waving the offending paper for a moment before returning it to the stack. “The Blue Storm Knights are starting to kick up a fuss.”

Sergei rolled his eyes. “I’m surprised they would care considering Lucius left them at the first chance of promotion.”

Boris made a sound like he was agreeing with him, but he didn’t look away from the report. He tapped his finger against a part of it, his frown deepening. “I would have been surprised too, but I’ve heard that Bishop Gasparo is supporting them.”

“Where?”

“Merchants coming in from Lastonbell.”

Sergei sighed and shook his head. The Blue Storm Knights following whatever Gasparo Reno told them made more sense. Technically the Blue Storm Knights were supposed to serve as the guards of the shrinechurches and their seraphim, but the latter part of their duty hadn’t been needed for years and the smaller cities and villages never had the money to pay them. It was no wonder that they had all migrated to Lastonbell, and then under the church’s complete control.

Lastonbell had always been a merchant city, so it had always had money. And a percentage always went to the church which meant that, no matter how much got sent back to the center in Pendrago, the shrinechurch in Lastonbell would always have enough to pay their knights. It made sense that the knights would be more loyal to the thing that was giving them money than to their generals. Besides Sergei was sure that General Lucius had never been well liked in the first place. If anything, Lucius was just an excuse.

Then again, if they knew about Lucius, then they knew about Cardinal Forton, which would be what Bishop Gasparo would care about. With the pope missing and cardinal dead, the bishops would be jostling among themselves to see who got raised up to the position, which was just another thing to alert Sorey to watch.

Sergei sighed, glancing down at the stack of reports. Whatever the church got up to would mean a whole new stack of reports to go through, and Sergei doubted that there was enough time in the day for that. He have to start delegating tasks, which usually wouldn’t have bothered him, except that he was running out of knights to delegate to. It was getting to the point where he was seriously considering asking Sorey if he’d speak to Mikleo about helping them out. Any army approaching would at least think twice if they saw a dragon crouched in front of the gates of Pendrago. And it certainly wouldn’t make the moral of the populace any lower, they were still practically rioting because Alisha had escaped. That was another thing on a long list to discuss with Sorey.

Boris hummed, flipping through the last of the reports before dropping them back into his pile. His brother glanced around the hallway before giving him a nod. “I’ll look into the bishop and what the rest of the church is doing. The army can wait a bit longer.”

“The news is spreading fast.”

Boris shrugged. “Bad news always does. But we’ll have things under control by then.”

He walked off before Sergei could correct him. Sergei watched his brother until Boris disappeared around the corner, only then shaking his head. Boris was never one for optimism, but it almost sounded like he was being too upbeat about the situation. Sergei doubted that they would have anything under control by the time anyone reacted to what had happened. They could barely contain the Royal Guards and the people of Pendrago. As soon as the majority of the army marched in that would be it. Sergei had lived through enough changes in emperor that he knew how they went, and he didn’t want to have to relive the experience of riding away with Sorey to safety.

Sergei sighed, giving himself a moment to close his eyes and just breathe for a moment. It wouldn’t do him any good to work himself into a panic, at least not until he was sure what they would be doing.

He shifted the papers in his arms, trying to get them into some kind of order. He doubted that they would all sit nicely after Boris had shuffled through him and his rush through the palace, but it was good enough. Sergei opened his eyes and nodded to himself, he couldn’t just wait around any longer. They needed to figure out how to fix what had happened and how to move on from there. They had to keep the empire running, if only for just a little bit longer. If they wanted to dismantle it, then it had to be controlled, or everything would go badly.

Sergei waited for a group of pages to pass before he stepped out into the middle of the hallway again. It wasn’t far to the council room and it wouldn’t do to leave the emperor waiting, especially when Sorey was probably floundering for what to do. It wasn’t Sorey’s fault and Sergei was sure that he didn’t know how to tackle their problems any better, but he was confident that the two of them would be able to come up with something.

He turned a corner, walking faster as he approached the council room. He could already see that the door was partially open, Sergei leaning to the side to try and look through the gap in the door. He couldn’t see anyone, but he couldn’t imagine who would be in the room with Sorey unless the emperor had invited them himself. Even then it was hard to imagine who Sorey would invite, unless he was trying to make an effort with the people. Sergei frowned and walked a little faster, twisting slightly to catch the door against his shoulder and shove it open wider.

The door creaked as it swung open, Sergei already staring at the huge table to see who would react to his sound. To his surprise, there was no one sitting in the chairs. The table, however, was not empty. Maps, boxes and stacks of reports littered the table down towards the other end where Sorey leaned over one of the larger maps of the empire. The emperor’s attention was on a report that was tucked off to the side, Sergei sure that it was sitting somewhere on the border between the empire and Hyland. The rest of the map was scattered with a variety of small markers, some of them Sergei recognizing as the ones that could be used to plan out battles, although none of them were in any battle positions at the moment. They were all spaced out evenly around the border and scattered through the empire. As he watched, Sorey frowned at something in the report and reaching out to grope towards one of the boxes off to one side.

His hand felt short, but Mikleo nudged a box closer without looking up from where he was reading through a report. The seraph waited for Sorey to finish rummaging in the box before lifting out a marker of his own. Mikleo turned in over in his fingers before leaning back a bit to place it on the map. He hesitated for a moment before nudging it closer to another grouping, quickly going back to the report.

Sergei bristled slightly at the sight of the seraph being allowed to read the reports, but he calmed himself down. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Mikleo, the seraph had never done anything that shown that he was anything but loyal to Sorey. Still, it was hard to chase the memory of the bloodstained figure falling apart in the shrinechurch.

He shuddered, quickly gathering himself together. It wasn’t quite the time for that, at least not while Mikleo was in the room.

Sergei settled for clearing his throat, watching as Sorey jumped at the sound. Sorey looked up at him, giving him a wide smile before pushing away from the table. “Sergei.”

“Your majesty.” Sergei settled for a tiny nod of his head, sure that Sorey would have ordered him up from a full bow. Besides, it gave him the time to gauge Mikleo’s reaction to his presence.

The seraph didn’t bother to look his way, too busy looking between the report in his hand and the map on the table. Sergei watched as he traced out a pattern on the map before starting to shift markers around. Sorey barely glanced at him as Mikleo worked, the emperor already coming around the table. Sergei gave one last glance at Mikleo before focusing on Sorey.

He tipped his head at the golden dragon embroidered on black and red coat that Sorey was wearing, confused by the sudden change. He frowned, about to question Sorey’s choice when the emperor nodded at the reports in his arms. “Is that all of them?”

Sergei glanced down at the reports, put off by the sudden change in subject. He managed to nod, holding them out to Sorey. “The most pertinent ones at least.”

He was sure that he didn’t imagine the wince that passed over Sorey’s face and he didn’t blame him. Considering the pile of reports that Sorey had already found he would have a long day ahead of him, one that would probably be interrupted as more things came to his attention. It was almost enough for Sergei to consider asking Sorey to get a staff like all of his predecessors had had, but he doubted that Sorey would go for it. They didn’t know who they could trust after all, and that was a problem.

Sergei bit his lip, but handed the reports over. Sorey took the stack of reports, his attention already on the first one. Sergei left him to it, stepping around Sorey to look over what the two of them had been doing. He glanced at some of the reports, raising an eyebrow when he saw that they were all military reports from the last few months. He thought about reaching out to look at them, but he stopped himself with a glance towards Mikleo. The seraph looked caught up in his own world, perched on the table and moving around the markers at random. He didn’t look like he was paying attention, but Sergei was sure that Mikleo wouldn’t hesitate to slap his hand away.

He settled for leaning against the table, looking between the reports and the map. From what little he could see, Mikleo and Sorey were plotting out the arrangement of the troops as they currently stood. Sergei frowned at the careful layout, scanning over the border troops. He knew why they were still there, but it still didn’t sit well. The council had sworn an oath to the emperor when they were raised to their position, although Sergei could see how they could wiggle out of the promise. It wasn’t the same emperor and they were the only stable influence for the empire. Still, they had promised to do what Sorey had said and then ignored him completely.

Sergei traced the circle of border forts, frowning when he saw an obvious gap. He leaned over, careful not to touch the map or the markers. “There’s a border garrison at Gododdin.”

“Not anymore.”

Sergei looked up at Mikleo just in time to see the smirk cross the seraph’s face. He felt a chill run down his spine, especially when Sorey didn’t immediately correct the seraph. He found himself staring at the gap in the border and the small dot that marked Gododdin.

He’d never heard how the trip to Gododdin went, there hadn’t been time between being released from the cells and securing the royal quarter. He’d only heard that Sorey had sent Alisha away from Vanya when the man had come back to get his next assignment. That was just another thing to speak to Sorey about.

Sergei pivoted to look at the emperor, watching as Sorey walked back to his place at the head of the table, his attention still buried in the reports. He only looked up when Mikleo cleared his throat, holding out the report he had been reading. Sorey glanced up to read it, sighing at whatever he saw there. He stared at it for a moment before sighing and nodding to whatever Mikleo had pointed out. Whatever it was, it made the seraph nod and twist to dig in one of the other boxes.

He watched the two of them for a moment more before stepping forward to lean against the table. He didn’t like being left out, especially when it was so obvious that Sorey and Mikleo were planning something. He understood that Sorey might not want a formal council after what had happened with the first one, but Sergei was not about to be left out of the proceedings, especially when he had questions that only Sorey could answer.

“Why did you send Alisha away?”

Sorey jumped at the question, looking away from the reports to stare at him. The shock on his face was surprising, especially since Sergei didn’t know how else to take it except that Sorey had never intended to speak to him about it. He frowned and leaned further in, watching as Mikleo mirrored the move on the other side of the table.

Sergei made sure to stop just short of a threatening loom, not wanting to encourage Mikleo into anything. He didn’t want to force Sorey to answer too quickly, but he couldn’t be left out, not with everything that was happening. “Why?”

Sorey looked back down at the papers in his hand, nervously shuffling them around before he sighed. “It wasn’t safe for her here.”

Sergei sighed with relief, leaning back a bit. He could understand worrying about Alisha’s safety. If they wanted Hyland to stand on its own, it would be smart to keep their princess alive. Besides, the crowds weren’t making things any easier. Melor and Nestor had nearly been chased off the street by the people who had taken offense to them, simply because they were connected to Sorey. Sergei had fully expected them to storm the palace, and was sure that the only reason that they hadn’t was because of the rumor that Alisha had escaped.

It wasn’t the choice that he would have made, but he could see why Sorey had made it. Alisha was a valuable ally. They couldn’t risk the people turning against her, not when there was a chance that they could revive the peace treaty. It was still enough to make him wish that Sorey had sent an escort with her in a show of good will. It didn’t matter that they wouldn’t have had the men for it, Sergei would have figured out how to make it happen.

He gave Sorey a slow nod, his attention drifting back to the map. Mikleo was still adding markers to it, although he had another report in hand; one of the ones that he had just brought in. He watched as Mikleo’s mouth twisted up into something like a smile before he reached for a marker, pulling out a blue one. The seraph leaned over the map, setting the marker firmly on Lastonbell.

Sergei stared at the map, curiosity finally getting the better of him. “What’s all this for?”

“Figuring out where everything is, and how long it will take them to get here.”

Sergei frowned, reaching out to page through the reports that were sitting to the side. “Where have you heard that?”

“I didn’t. But it isn’t too hard to figure out. The generals would have called their supporters back to regroup and in case the people started a revolt.” Sorey sighed, leaning heavily on his chair. “Even if they didn’t, the news will spread. We can’t keep what happened to the council a secret forever. People will find out what happened here.”

Sergei tensed, his gaze dropping down to the empty space in the line of border forts. He used the moment to center himself, banishing the image of the monster he had seen in the shrinechurch before looking up at Sorey. “What _did_ happen here?”

Sorey shook his head, refusing to meet his gaze. Sergei wanted to reach out and shake him, but he didn’t dare, not when he could hear Mikleo shifting on the table. The room wasn’t big enough for a dragon, but Sergei doubted that it would stop Mikleo. But the threat of a dragon wouldn’t stop him either.

He took another slow step forward, just barely keeping himself from reaching out to grab Sorey. “Sorey, what was that thing? What did you do?”

Sorey flinched, curling in on himself. That motion along was answer enough, but he couldn’t stop there. Sergei reached out, ready to touch Sorey’s shoulder or pull him into a hug when Sorey abruptly looked up, a strange sort of determination on his face.

“I killed them. That’s all you need to know.”

Sergei felt his blood run cold. He waited for Sorey to say something, some kind of qualifier for his statement, but he remained silent.

Sergei shook his head, not quite sure what he was denying, what Sorey had said or the fact that Sorey had done it, because neither sounded like the man he knew. Sorey was the kind of person who would work himself to the bone to protect those that needed protecting. He would stand in between them and danger fearlessly. Sorey would never turn on anyone, let alone kill them.

Except that Sergei couldn’t help but remember the bloodied figure that had stood on the dais of the shrinechurch, the monstrous creature that had fallen apart into Mikleo and Sorey.

He shook his head again. “No.”

Sorey didn’t answer, his attention fully back on the map. Sergei didn’t dare look back over at Mikleo, sure that the seraph was smirking.

It would be right that the seraph was smirking, because it would make the most sense. After all, the church had always said that the seraphim were dangerous to be around. They were a corrupting influence. Sergei hadn’t been able to believe them then, but it was starting to make sense.

He struggled to find the right words, Sergei finally settling on the only one that he could seem to get out. “Why?”

Sorey glanced up at him, Sergei ready for some kind of admission or signal that Sorey needed his help, but there was nothing. Sorey’s attention went right back to the map, his fingers brushing over some of the markers. “How long do you think it will take for them to reach Pendrago?”

“Sorey, what happened in-”

“That’s an order!”

Sergei froze at the shout, watching Sorey’s shoulders shake slightly. He waited for some other sign that Sorey would come back to himself, but it never came. Sorey remained braced on the table, staring down at the map. Sergei watched him for a moment more before he dragged his gaze to the markers, not sure that he could form an answer. He lingered on the blue marker on Lastonbell, finally managing to shrug. “Maybe three days. They’ll march fast because of what you did to their general.”

Sorey shook his head. “I meant the rest of the army. The ones that we can spare from border duty.”

“Why?”

“Because we’ll need them.”

“Sorey…”

That finally got Sorey to look up at him, but Sergei wasn’t happy about what he saw there. The strange determination was back, and it made him want to run from the room, or reach out to shake the emperor until the Sorey he knew came back.

Sorey looked him up and down for a moment before leaning forward to brace himself on the table. His gaze slid back to the map, Sergei relaxing the longer Sorey’s gaze stayed away from him. “The people don’t feel safe, so the only way to make them feel safe is to eliminate the enemy. Once that’s done, we can consider peace.”

“That won’t work.” Sergei shook his head. “We’ve been trying it for years and it’s never worked. Look, there’s still time to work on the treaty, even if it’s just on our end. Let the people settle down and then try again.”

“We don’t have that kind of time. Not with what you brought me.” Sorey reached out to flick at the blue marker. “The Blue Storm Knights are coming our way, it’s only a matter of time before the rest come. And I _will not_ be dragged out of here like my parents.”

Sergei thought he saw Sorey shake, but he was more distracted by the low growl that Mikleo gave. He automatically took a step back from the table, wanting to put distance between him and the angry seraph. “You won’t be. We’ll be here to protect you.”

“You can’t, because I won’t allow it.” Sorey looked over at him, the light in the room catching the crown that he wore. Sergei had never really noticed it after the coronation, or maybe he had been avoiding looking at it. Now he couldn’t look away, not even when Sorey pushed away from the table. It was only when Sorey cleared his throat that Sergei’s attention snapped back to him.

Sorey gave him a curt nod before gesturing at the map. “You and the Platinum Knights are to hold Pendrago until the rest of the army is here. That is my command as your emperor.”

For a moment, Sergei considered not bowing and arguing back, because Sorey was wrong. There was a way around this like all other things. It was like some of the villages that they had visited, just on a larger scale. All they had to do was buckle down and think their way through it. If they couldn’t convince people of something then they could bluff. The attention of the people was bound to shift, especially once they remembered what the war had cost them. Even if they didn’t, the people would never turn on Sorey like they had the others. Sergei and the Platinum Knights would never allow it.

“General Strelka.” Sergei snapped to attention before he realized what Sorey had really said. Then he just stared at the emperor because Sorey had never called him by his title or last name, not even when they had first been introduced. It felt like something had been stolen away from him.

He could only stand at attention, watching as Sorey nodded at him. “That is an _order_.”

Sergei stood in front of Sorey for a moment longer before turning on his heel and storming away. There was nothing more for him to do, at least not that he could think of. There was no point in arguing when Sorey wouldn’t listen.

He shot a look back over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes when he saw the expression on Mikleo’s face. Sergei was sure that the seraph was trying to hide what he was really thinking while Sorey was in the room, but Sergei could see the truth in it. Mikleo was glad that he was being ordered to do this. It didn’t matter if the seraph agreed with what was happening or not, it was a matter of precedence, and Mikleo was winning.

He huffed and slipped out of the door, reaching back to catch it before he could slam shut. He wasn’t at that point just yet. Besides, his duty was clear on what he had to do. He had to talk Sorey out of blundering into a war. He was right; they couldn’t afford to stumble into another one. Sergei just didn’t know what had encouraged Sorey to change his mind, save for the obvious explanation.

He didn’t quite want to believe it, because it would mean that Cardinal Forton had been right to warm him. But, more than that, it meant that Sorey was too captivated by the seraph to think on his own, which Sergei couldn’t believe. Sorey had never let anything influence him, at least not like this. There was obviously something going on, either seraphic trickery like the church had always warned about, or it was Sorey breaking down.

Sergei stumbled back against the wall, running a hand down his face. He couldn’t get Sorey’s words out of his head, the three words that had skewed his whole view of the emperor.

Normally he would have said that Sorey would have never done anything like that, but he wasn’t so sure anymore. If it had been a lie, he would have seen it. But Sorey seemed so sure, sure enough that Sergei wanted to investigate into what really happened. Looking into the shrinechurch incident was out because he had already cleared and buried the bodies. If he had been thinking clearly, they could have waved it off as a murder, although Sergei was sure that the blame would have just fallen on Alisha.

The only other option for them was to look into what had happened before the shrinechurch, which meant sending someone out to Gododdin. It was obvious that something had happened to the border fort there, and Sergei was sure that Sorey had seen it. If it had been horrible enough, maybe it would explain his sudden change in attitude.

He sighed and lowered his hand, purposefully not staring at the doors. He’d prioritize finding the truth, but he wouldn’t be the one to Gododdin. He needed to be as close to the emperor as possible, for the chance to try and talk Sorey out of his suicidal plan. As far as he could see, it would be the only way to save the empire from a catastrophic collapse.

Sergei took a few deep breaths before nodding to himself. He couldn’t allow himself to get stuck, not when Sorey wouldn’t be helping the empire in any way. Until Sorey could be put back into his right mind, it would be up to him and the Platinum Knights to keep everything in order, which was just another job. He winced at the thought, but he didn’t let it deter him for long. The safety of the people within the empire was more important than anything else; that was part of the oath that they had sworn when they entered the Platinum Knights, loyalty to the emperor and the people. With the emperor out of his mind it was up to them to keep the peace, at least until something could be sorted out. Until then, he had far too many things to sort out.

He pushed away from the wall, glancing up and down the deserted hall before walking away. He would head back to the tower to work out his own plan of attack and track down Boris. Maybe he could ferret something out about Gododdin while listening around Pendrago. While he worked, Sergei would follow the orders that he had been given. There had to be a way circumvent them and avoid plunging Rolance back into war.

* * *

Alisha leaned forward as her horse cantered up the sloping path. She kept glancing around, fully expecting something to stoop down on her from the sky or jump at her from the walls of the canyon. She couldn’t place what made her feel strange, all she knew was that she wanted to keep reaching back for the spear that she hadn’t brought with her. Alisha kept glancing up at her horse’s ears, waiting for them to flick in another direction to signify danger, but the horse cantered steadily onward.

She frowned and took a deep breath, surprised by how light the air felt. It had been a noticeable change as soon as she got deep into Biroclef Ridge. She had seen hellions when she had entered, but they were only the small ones that had scattered away when the horse had trotted past. Alisha had been surprised to see them out in the open, but it wasn’t too rare considering what she had seen in Hyland.

Michael and Rose had done the best that they could, but there were always more than a Shepherd and his Squire could do, especially considering how large the country was and how few safe places there were for the Shepherd. Still, there were the rare spaces free from hellions, and they felt somewhat how Biroclef felt, but that never helped her relax. It was stranger to be in a space clear of malevolence than one with it.

Alisha shook her head at the contradiction, looking up between her horse’s ears. At least she hadn’t run into the bigger hellions that would try to eat both her and her horse. The idea of making the long run uphill to the small village by herself wasn’t appealing.

She stood up in her stirrups, staring further up the path towards where she could see a wall jutting out from the sides of the canyon. Alisha frowned when she spotted smoke rising from behind the wall. It didn’t look like the smoke from a cooking fire, it was thick and black. She couldn’t smell anything, but the wind was blowing the smoke away from her.

She glanced down at her horse as it snorted, waiting to see if it would have a more violent reaction, but there was nothing. Alisha reached forward to pat the horse’s neck, her gaze going back to scanning the walls, perking up when she saw someone sitting on them.

Alisha recognized the umbrella first, the yellow of it bright against the dull brown walls of the canyon. She lifted one hand from the reins to wave at the seraph, breathing a sigh of relief when Edna waved back after a momentary pause.

The seraph didn’t move from her place on the wall as Alisha came close. Edna leaned over as she got closer, the seraph examining her closely before nodding and abruptly snapping her umbrella shut. The horse shied at the motion, Alisha quieting the horse quickly. She looked back up to see Edna disappearing over the other side of the wall.

It didn’t take long for her to reappear, sauntering through the open gate. There was something missing from her composure, Alisha sure that the seraph looked a little wilted compared to the other times that she had seen her. That didn’t prevent her from bowing awkwardly in the saddle. “Lady Edna.”

“Took you long enough.” Edna tapped her umbrella against her shoulder. “I’ve been watching you since you entered the canyon.”

Alisha snapped her mouth shut, not sure how to respond. She had seen Rose joke around with Edna, but she was never sure that she was allowed the same thing. There was a great difference between her and the Shepherd.

She dismounted in lieu of saying anything, keeping a tight hold of her horse. Alisha turned slightly, watching as Edna huffed, the seraph raising one shoulder in a shrug. “Rose has been wearing a groove in the street waiting for you.”

Alisha blushed, trying to ignore that fact even as she spoke. “Really?”

Edna smiled like she had discovered a grand secret. The seraph tapped her umbrella a few more times on her shoulder before pivoting on her heel. She strode back into the village, Alisha following after her.

She was still trying to figure out what to say to Edna when she noticed the state of the village. Alisha sucked in a quick breath, glancing around at the partially destroyed houses.

There were plenty of villages in Hyland that looked like Gododdin, just on the edge of existing so it was no surprise that she would find them in the empire. But, at the same time, it was always a surprise to see villages that had gotten so bad. Alisha eyed a building that looked ready to come apart, partially expecting people to come rushing out with the same suspicious looks that she had gotten used to seeing from people that had lived through the worst of the war.

“You won’t be seeing anyone.” Alisha turned her head back towards Edna, tipping her head to the side at the carefully measured tone of her voice. Edna glanced over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “We’ve accounted for all the villagers.”

“What do you mean accounted?”

Edna opened her mouth to answer, but she was quick to shut it. She nodded instead, Alisha turning to look down the dirt road they were walking on.

She could see the foundations of two houses that had once stood at the end, but the houses themselves had been reduced to piles of wood. Rose was working at one, picking out the smaller pieces and tossing them into another pile. Every once and a while she would look over her shoulder at something. Alisha stepped closer to her horse, nudging it further to the other side of the dirt road to see what Rose was working on.

Her eyes widened as she saw the six pyres that were going at full blaze. There was a seventh set up, Alisha feeling her stomach drop at the bodies that were piled up on it. She leaned closer to her horse, staring at the sizable pile of bodies that were still waiting to be put on the pyres. She recognized the familiar uniform of the empire in one pile but the other had people in more casual attire that she would expect from villagers, which made perfect sense considering what Edna had said.

The whole village was accounted for because all of them were dead.

She watched in shock as the seventh pyre suddenly burst into flames, watching Lailah coax them higher and hotter. The flames licked at the sky before the black smoke took over, the new column joining the other from the pyres.

Lailah remained standing in front of the pyre for a moment before tottering over to the pile of wood that Rose was picking through. The two of them had a hurried discussion, Lailah practically falling onto a log that had been set to the side.

The sight of the seraph close to collapse was enough to spur Alisha into action.

She turned, tying her horse hastily to the porch railing of one of the closest houses. The animal snorted and shied, but remained calm for being so close to the burning bodies. Alisha glanced back at the pyres, scanning among them until she found Dezel. The wind seraph was walking among the pyres, his attention always on the smoke. She thought she saw him wobble, but he kept moving in a constant circle.

Alisha gave the knot in the reins one last tug before hurrying over to where Rose and Lailah were. She thought she heard Edna say something but she was already hopping over the awkward piles of logs to reach Rose’s side.

Rose barely looked up at her, too busy finishing up her whispered conversation to Lailah. The fire seraph nodded along with what Rose was saying, seeming to collapse into herself when Rose pulled away.

The Shepherd sighed, rubbing at the back of her neck before turning to look at Alisha. Alisha fully expected the exhausted smile, but not the way that Rose swayed slightly her direction.

It was automatic to reach out for her and offer support. It was nothing that she hadn’t offered to her knights, the steady support of an alpha when they needed it. The fact that Rose was a beta didn’t matter in the least, she was a part of the small group of people that Alisha considered hers.

For a moment, it looked like Rose would lean completely into her, but the Shepherd pulled away at the last minute. Rose shook her head and dropped onto the opposite end of the log. Her refusal was tempered by the way that she patted the space in the log beside her.

Alisha sat down in the open space, watching Rose carefully. She seemed just as tired as the seraphim, not that Alisha had expected anything different. It was obvious that Rose had been dealing with the bodies all day, probably after dealing with most of the hellions in the area. The only part she was missing is what had happened to the villagers, although she could already piece that together. On all their cobbled together maps there had always been a fort close to the border. The soldiers must have marched down and killed the villagers, but she couldn’t imagine why.

She bit her lip, tearing her gaze away from the pile of bodies to look back at Rose. Alisha fully expected the sort of careless smile that was thrown her way, Rose stretching her hands above her head. She paused halfway through the motion, her gaze going distant. Alisha wanted to push her on it, but she kept her silence, waiting for Rose to come back to herself.

It took far longer than she expected for Rose to shake off whatever she was thinking. Rose rolled her shoulders as she lowered her arms, turning to look at her. “I was surprised you managed to get out without a problem.”

Alisha could only shrug, feeling like she was missing important information. “I had help.”

Rose raised her eyebrows. “So there are people willing to help here. We might have to look into that.”

“Of course there’s people ready to help. That’s why I came here.” Alisha kicked her legs out, trying her hardest not to look over at the pyres again. She was sure that she failed, but she pushed on regardless. “We had a treaty.”

“Had?”

“It was burned.”

Rose snorted, obviously not surprised by the outcome. “I’m not surprised, considering.”

“Considering what?” Alisha shifted closer on the log to her, using her free hand to gesture at the village. “What happened here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Of course. But what are the facts.”

Rose shook her head, Alisha noticing how one of her hands reached back to close around one of her knives. “It was a trick. All of it. They were never going to let us try for peace. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get the news that other villages had been attacked.” Rose glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. “I’m surprised that you got out so easily. Who helped you? We could use the ally.”

Alisha nodded, thinking of the way Sorey looked so alone standing of the walls of the city. The council had turned the whole city against him, and that simple use of power showed how out of their depth they always had been. The council had the church and military behind them, a kind of power that neither she nor Sorey could muster.

She shivered, imagining the might of the empire crashing down on their small group instead of being focused inward like it had been. Alisha shook her head, trying to shift the thoughts away. That was why they were working the way that they were, because she was sure of what would happen if the empire united long enough to turn their attention to everyone they considered an enemy.

She must have remained silent for too long because Rose nudged her. Alisha rocked with the touch, the motion enough to shock her out of her circle of thoughts. She offered Rose a smile, sure that neither of them believed it too much. Alisha took a deep breath before speaking. “It was Sorey and his seraph that helped me, Mikleo.”

Lailah made a choked noise, Rose immediately scrambling to her feet. Alisha leaned over from her spot on the end of the log, watching as Lailah raised shaking hands to cover her mouth. Alisha frowned and scooted closer, trying to catch the words that Lailah was muttering, but it was hard when they were muffled. Even Rose seemed to be having trouble, all of her questions met by Lailah shaking her head. Alisha wasn’t sure if she meant that she didn’t have an answer or didn’t want to answer. Whatever it was, it was frightening in a way that something could shake Lailah so completely, the seraph was usually the one that was calm and in control.

Alisha exchanged a look with Rose, offering her a shrug.

Rose rocked back onto her heels, still hovering close to Lailah. “He has a seraph helping him?”

Alisha nodded. “I don’t know their arrangement, but he’s free to come and go as he pleases. From what I heard, he found him close to where Camlann used to be.”

She glanced back at Lailah as she heard a word that sounded suspiciously like ‘Michael’. Alisha frowned, about to ask what the seraph meant when Rose cleared her throat. To her surprise, Rose shook her head, motioning for her to stay where she was even as she reached out to touch Lailah’s hand.

The seraph was quick to grab it, squeezing it gently before twisting on the log. Lailah was still shaking, but she tipped her chin up slightly. “W-who did Mikleo find? Who is he with?”

“Sorey. The emperor.”

Alisha didn’t know what kind of reaction to expect, but not for Lailah to jerk her hand out of Rose’s so she could clap them both back over her mouth, nor for the wind to shift suddenly, sending the smell of burning bodies back to them.

She choked, leaning over to cough at the acrid smell. It took a while for her to be able to breathe in without immediately choking, and then the smell was gone as the wind gusted through. Alisha looked up, having to swipe at her watering eyes to clear them.

She looked past Rose and Lailah to where Dezel was going back to his pacing, but the seraph was tense. Alisha leaned back to look at Edna, surprised to see that the seraph had planted the tip of her umbrella into the ground. She frowned and looked back at Rose and Lailah. Lailah looked on the verge of tears, while Rose looked ready to punch someone.

Rose hissed out a curse between her teeth even as she shook her head. “We don’t need his help.”

“What? Why? He’s the one who invited me to talk! He’s the one who helped push through half of the ideas.”

“And then he burned the treaty.”

“No. His council did that.”

“Did they?”

Alisha got to her feet, taking a step forward so she was toe to toe with Rose. “I was there, and I watched them do it.”

Rose crossed her arms over her chest. “Well I was here, cleaning up his mess.”

Alisha glanced over Rose’s shoulder, shaking her head. “He wouldn’t.”

The look that Rose gave her was scathing. Rose held her gaze for a moment before gesturing back towards the pyres. “The emperor did this. I have firsthand evidence from one of the victims and he didn’t live long after what the emperor did to them. If that’s not good enough I have witnesses. There’s a group of seraphim that’s heading off to Lohgrin that will tell you the same thing.”

“Seraphim?”

Rose nodded, but she didn’t seem to really hear the question. “There was a bunch here that were freed by the villagers.”

“Most of them were too weak to do much, but we helped them as much as we can.” Edna strolled up beside her, tapping out a rhythm with her umbrella. “They all said the same thing. The emperor killed them.”

Alisha shook her head. “But he wouldn’t.”

She turned to look at Rose, her gaze skimming over the Shepherd to Lailah. Alisha didn’t know if Lailah would take her side, but the fire seraph was the steadying influence of the group. But even Lailah was shaking her head, although her hands hadn’t moved from where they were resting over her mouth. The denial was enough to send a chill down her spine, Alisha feeling desperation and horror settling in her stomach.

She glanced over at the bodies, trying to match them to what she had seen of Sorey. The Sorey that she knew wouldn’t have killed his people, not when he was putting so much effort into saving them, he would have rather died than to let anyone die because of him. The only explanation that she could think of was that the council had arranged it. They had sent someone out to find the emperor. Maybe they had meant to kill him somewhere between Pendrago and Gododdin. Then there would have been no one to vouch for her or the Platinum Knights and the council would have had everything that they wanted.

Alisha took a deep breath, meeting Rose’s gaze. She hoped that she looked intimidating and every inch the princess that everyone insisted on calling her. Rose didn’t react much, but that wasn’t the point. Alisha took another breath before giving a firm shake of her head. “I can’t believe that. I _won’t_.”

“How could you-”

“Because I was on the other side of this. Sorey _would not_ do this.” Alisha leaned forward, ready to be dragged into another argument, but she held herself back. It wasn’t the time for that, not yet. “But who did this isn’t important right now. We should take care of the villagers and then get back to Hyland. We need to, before the council tries to take over again. The people aren’t happy with any kind of peace.”

Rose mouth settled into a hard line. “So it’s going to be war.”

Alisha shrugged, because there was no other answer that she could give. She trusted Sorey to try and stop it, but whether he would be able to she didn’t know. It would be better to be ready for anything than to be caught off guard. They wouldn’t stand up to the might of the empire crashing down on them, but they might have a chance to get Sorey to escape from Pendrago. She was sure that both he and the Platinum Knights would be welcome, and the others would be ecstatic to have Mikleo, rumored dragon or not.

Then again, that hope might be a shot in the dark. She couldn’t imagine Sorey wanting to abandon Pendrago and its people, but at least it meant that they could maybe manage to trap his council between the two of them. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was the only one that she could think of and it was enough to make her wish that Maltran was still alive. Her mentor would have known what to do, she’d always had the knack of knowing which way a war would go.

She clenched her hands into fists, forcing her thoughts back to the present. There was too much to do to let her thoughts start drifting everywhere.

She gave Rose a sharp nod before stripping off her jacket. Alisha almost laid it over the log until she saw how badly Lailah was still shaking. She stepped forward to drape it over Lailah’s shoulders, offering the seraph a smile. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

Lailah didn’t respond, but she didn’t expect the seraph to. If anything, the seraphim would side with Rose, which Alisha didn’t blame them for. The seraphim and their Shepherd were always close.

She rolled up her sleeves and started over to the laid out bodies. She reached down to pull part of her undershirt to act as a mask. The dead bodies smelled, even if Dezel was sending the wind in another direction. Alisha cleared her throat before bending down to pick up the closest body, glancing up when she saw Rose come to the other side of the body.

Rose met her gaze for a moment before nodding. It didn’t mean that she had won the argument, it just meant a truce. Alisha frowned, but didn’t say anything.

There was a time and place for arguing about what they thought, but it wasn’t in Gododdin. If Pendrago was dangerous enough for Sorey to send her away, then it was just as dangerous for Rose and they couldn’t lose their Shepherd. Without Rose they wouldn’t have any hope of returning Glenwood to the way that it had been before, and that was the worst outcome that she could think of, a world where seraphim did not exist and every living thing on the continent had changed into hellions.

She shivered, glad that Rose didn’t comment on it. It was better to save their breaths for the long, hard task of laying bodies on pyres. It was the least that she could do. She might not have been able to save the people of Gododdin, but she would work hard to save the others. The chance at peace wasn’t gone, just delayed for a while longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fanart, although this was all technically done before the fic, held off giving links until now so the costume changes would match.
> 
> Sorunrun has done another beautiful piece of [Sorey and Mikleo](https://twitter.com/arizumu99/status/827951730289635328)  
> teacupcliffo has one of [Sorey and Mikleo](https://twitter.com/teacupcliffo/status/827316242599981057)  
> AlasseTasartir did one of [Emperor Sorey](https://twitter.com/AlasseTasartir/status/827178524880498690)


	15. Chapter 13

“O, where will ye gang to and where will ye sleep,  
Against the night begins?  
My bead is made wi’cauld sorrows,  
My sheets are lined wi’sins.”  
- _The Witch-Mother_ , Algernon Charles Swinburne

* * *

 

Mikleo ran his hand along the crates, feeling the sharp dissonance of so many seraphim in a tight space. He looked down into one of them, staring at the hodge-podge of weapons. All of the careful sorting he had done before was gone, the weapons just thrown together to be shipped out to wherever the council had decide that they were needed. He frowned at some of the cracks that he could see on the swords, tempted to reach out and touch one of them but he couldn’t allow himself to do that.

The hunger was back, nipping at the edges of his mind. Mikleo shook his head, trying to chase it away but it stayed in place. It felt like it was back for good, which was an unsettling. He’d lived with malevolence for so long that he had forgotten how it had felt to be without it, to be without the hunger that gnawed at him at every hour. It was been strangely wonderful, but it hadn’t gotten the chance to last long. He wasn’t sure if he was pleased or disappointed by that.

He drummed his fingers against the side of the edge of the crate. Being free of malevolence had felt weird, it had felt like being light and hopeful, but he had also felt sick. That alone had been worth the change back, because he’d been able to stand the world as it was, but at least he understood now. It was no wonder the seraphim fell apart so quickly. The air was so thick with malevolence and he’d just stopped noticing. That alone was enough to make him pause and reconsider freeing them.

Being bound in a weapon was horrible, but surely being forced out into a world that felt like it was trying to crush you was almost as bad as dying.

Mikleo reached up to rub at his throat, curling his fingers around his neck as he stared at the wall. He could leave them in the weapons, but that would kill them just as much as letting them out would, because they would sink into malevolence while being trapped. And they were at risk in weapons because anyone could use them. If they were free then they could at least hide like most of the wind seraphim had. Mikleo could remember Zenrus and Taccio talking about it in all of their whispered conversations that he shouldn’t have been listening in to. Aside from the option of running he couldn’t offer them much more.

He closed his fingers slightly, feeling his pulse jump underneath his fingers. He doubted that he could purify hellions like before, the strange lightness that had come over him when he had been purified by Maotelus was gone. In its place was the more familiar heaviness of his own personal malevolence. Mikleo was sure that he was more likely to spread it around than purify it from a seraph.

Briefly, he lingered on the idea of letting Sorey join with him again, waiting for the revulsion to follow. It didn’t come, which made him all the warier.

He’d only given his true name to Sorey in an act of desperation. If the soldiers had been allowed to continue they would have gotten to the seraphim and he would have ended up in a weapon. Mikleo doubted he would have survived the latter, at least with his sanity intact. He let go of his neck to reach up to his forehead, running his fingers along the filigree of his circlet. It was the best they could have done in a bad situation because it had given them everything that they wanted. He had gotten to keep the seraphim safe and Sorey had gotten his revenge.

Mikleo wouldn’t lie to himself that Sorey was the only one of them that had wanted revenge, because it was sort of his own revenge too. He would never know which soldiers had come to Elysia to steal his family away, he had only heard the screams and seen Zenrus’ back as he had defended him to the last. It had been cathartic in a way to destroy them as completely as they had destroyed him.

He found himself smiling, Mikleo not bothering to stop himself. He’d been waiting for some kind of revenge for what the humans had done to him for years now.

Mikleo released his hold on his circlet, flexing his fingers lightly. That revenge should have made him feel better, but it didn’t. The same growing anger was there, bubbling just beneath the surface. It didn’t quite make sense to him because he had comes to terms with the fact that he would never find the exact people who had taken his family and that he would settle for the best that he could get. Maybe it was because he hadn’t found Natalie or Melody yet. Or maybe it was left over from Sorey.

He turned his head, risking a glance over his shoulder at where Sorey was puttering among the crates. The emperor seemed to be counting them and checking to see that they were open, but he was pointedly not reaching inside of them. Mikleo appreciated that just as much as he appreciated Sorey’s current distraction.

Since they had gotten back to Pendrago, he’d been focused on whatever end he was planning. Now that he thought about it, it wasn’t too different than Sorey had been before, except that he wasn’t as upbeat. All the cheer seemed to have drained away and Mikleo wasn’t sure if it was Gododdin or what they had done in the shrinechurch that had done it.

All he knew was that there was a depth of anger in Sorey that he hadn’t even realized existed. Mikleo had only found it when they had come together. It was hard to hide anything when they were one being. Mikleo had been sure that Sorey would drown his anger, but Mikleo had found himself drowning in turn in Sorey’s.

It was the anger of having people taken away from him, for seeing people suffering and the idiocy of the others around them. Most of all, it was the anger of watching people die uselessly and because of him. It was breathtaking in a way and frightening in another, because Sorey hid it so well. But, now that he knew that it was there, it was easy to see it in the moments when Sorey let his control slip a bit more. That and there was almost a pull, Mikleo sure that it was one tainted creature calling out to another. That or his own hunger was drawn to something else, something to eat and use to grow.

He swallowed, quickly pushing that thought away. It was easier than he thought, the idea of devouring and growing stronger replaced with a strange sense of calm. Mikleo wasn’t willing to wave it away as the comforting presence of an alpha because he wouldn’t allow himself that, not yet. It wasn’t time for his next heat. That was months away, not that Mikleo thought that the time mattered. He could feel impending sense of something coming, something that made heat curl in his gut in a familiar way. The signs were familiar, and it make him want to snarl and snap.

He wasn’t ready for another four days of abject misery, there was too much that he needed to do. That should take precedent over whatever was prompting his body, whether it was because of the purification or because he was spending all of his time around an alpha.

Mikleo wasn’t sure if his scent thickened or if he made a sound, but Sorey turned towards him anyway. His eyes widened momentarily before he stepped around the crate he was inspecting. “Is there a problem?”

Mikleo let Sorey get close enough to lean into the crate before he managed to shake his head. He closed his eyes, trying not to breathe too deeply. It was easier to ignore the way that Sorey smelled than to admit that the smell of old books was starting to become his favorite scent in the world.

He managed to get a hold of himself as Sorey stood up straight again, the frown persistent on the human’s face. Sorey reached out like he wanted to touch one of the weapons, but he pulled his arm back quickly. He rested his hand on the side of the crate. “These look worse now. Or am I just seeing things?”

“Maybe, but it could also be a sign of the seraph starting turn. We’ll have to be careful.”

Sorey hummed, nodding slowly before he stopped himself abruptly. He stared at the weapons before lowering his voice to a near whisper. “What about the hellions?”

Mikleo winced at the question. It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought of it himself, but he hadn’t thought too hard on it. He took a deep breath and looked over at Sorey. “Do you think you still could?”

It took Sorey a moment to understand what he said, Mikleo watching as Sorey sunk partially into himself. Sorey shook his head, not meeting his gaze. “I don’t think so. I don’t…It doesn’t feel the same. Sorry.”

Mikleo bit his lip to keep from snapping at Sorey, because he didn’t want to hear the apologies. He reached up to rub at his neck, feeling the collar. He had gotten it resized with the tailor, watching as the human had cut it into a more flattering shape. He had been tempted to ask Sorey if he would put it on again, because the fleeting few moments that Sorey had been in contact with him had almost been heaven, even if he wasn’t about to admit it out loud. He traced around some of the decoration that the tailor had managed to do, his fingers stopping on the jewel that had been set in to match the stone in his circlet.

He felt Sorey’s gaze on him, Mikleo tipping his chin up slightly to offer his neck before he was fully aware of what he was doing. He stopped himself from offering too much. It didn’t matter that he knew that Sorey wouldn’t take the offer, but it was the principle of the thing.

Mikleo waved his hand dismissively, trying to look indifferent even as he spoke. “Don’t be. We did what had to be done.”

“But at what cost? We could have helped them instead of condemning them to this.” Sorey gestured angrily at the crate before leaning on it. Mikleo watched as his shoulders heaved as Sorey breathed heavily.

He watched Sorey’s shoulders rise up and down, the black of his jacket in stark contrast to the wood of the crate. It was strange to see Sorey in black instead of blue, and Mikleo didn’t know if he liked it or if it made him want to snarl. He restrained himself from doing either, but not from reaching out for Sorey.

He yanked his hand back before it could make contact with Sorey’s shoulders and before Sorey looked up. The human sighed and stared into the crate. “Can you still tell which ones are more likely to be hellions?”

“Not clearly.”

“Then we’ll have to be careful.” Sorey pushed away from the crate. “Maybe we can get the ones who can stand the change out. Then they can take the crates when they leave.”

Mikleo almost started at the mention of them leaving, some part of him wanting to refuse and demand that the seraphim remain with him. But that was impossible. They needed to go somewhere where the malevolence wouldn’t be as strong and, more importantly, where they would be safe. The empire was not one of those places, but it was somewhere they would have to travel through.

He reached down into the crate to run his fingers along the blade of a sword, using the touch to center himself. “Where would they go?”

“Lohgrin maybe. Or further out beyond that. There are a few islands that are technically under the empire’s control, although no one lives there anymore. They’ll probably be safe there. And the army won’t come after them, they’ll all be marching out with me so the seraphim will be able to pass out freely.”

“They’ll be marching out with _us_.”

Sorey jerked like Mikleo had hissed at him. Mikleo didn’t bother to look up to see Sorey’s expression, because he could imagine the shock on the human’s face.

He leaned forward, intending just to hold out his hand, but he couldn’t help himself from reaching out further. Mikleo just stopped himself from cupping Sorey’s check, instead running his finger over the edge of the scale that Sorey had dangling from his ear. Mikleo smiled at the sight of it, trying to ignore the quiet, possessive side of himself crowed at the sight of something so distinctly his on Sorey. He swallowed back a purr, tipping his head to the side with a smile instead. “I made a promise and I intend to keep it.”

Sorey took a deep breath, but whatever argument that he intended to say died quickly. He nodded slowly, Mikleo’s stomach twisting pleasantly when the motion made Sorey’s hair brush against the tips of his fingers. He stayed in place as Sorey turned his head, just barely keeping himself from trembling as Sorey’s breath washed over his palm. He didn’t want to encourage Sorey to step away, because he wasn’t shivering in fear, quite the opposite. He couldn’t hide the way his breath shook on his next exhale as Sorey brushed something that felt like a kiss to his palm. Then Sorey was stepping away, Mikleo curling his fingers in the empty air.

He swallowed hard, not knowing what to do in the face of Sorey’s fond expression. Some part of him wanted to curl up against Sorey, but he wouldn’t allow himself that.

Mikleo turned away from him, starting to sort through the weapons. It was easier to do that than to look at Sorey and it took his whole concentration. Now that he was tainted again, he could only tell that there were seraphim in the weapons and if they were strong or not. Using the base instincts of a hellion wasn’t the best way to sort them out, but it was the only thing he had.

He gathered an armful of weapons, turning to lay them out on the floor when he saw Sorey standing by. He considered the human for a moment before offering the armload of weapons. “Lay them out.”

Sorey stared at the weapons before shaking his head. “I don’t-”

“Please. The sooner we get the stronger ones out, the better. They can help us with the others.”

Mikleo wasn’t sure which part of his explanation urged Sorey into motion, but he doubted that it mattered. He just felt an immense sense of relief when Sorey took the weapons away from him and started to set them out in careful rows in the open space in the floor. Mikleo watched the procedure carefully, not sure if he was making sure Sorey did the job right or if he was just watching Sorey.

Sorey seemed to be taking extreme care with the weapons, sometimes staring at the letters that were carved into them. Mikleo couldn’t tell if the expression on his face was just serious or an indication of something wrong.

He paused in looking through the crate. “Is there a problem?”

“There shouldn’t be, but we’ve never tried to do this many at once. We might have to try multiple times for the others.”

“As long as we get them out, I doubt it matters.” Mikleo nodded back towards the other room. “We have a place for them once they’re free where they can start to help each other.”

He wanted to say that he could help them too, but he wasn’t sure. Malevolence was never helpful, and he wasn’t sure that the few healing spells he knew would be powerful enough to help anyone. If anything, he might make things worse. But maybe the presence of a seraph would be better than the presence of a human. He bit his bottom lip, turning over the ideas in his head before shrugging.

That seemed to be enough of an answer for Sorey, because he continued laying out the weapons. Mikleo watched him for a moment longer before going back to his own task, picking out the few weapons that seemed to have stronger seraphim. There were never many, so it was easy to move along to the next crate. Mikleo played with the idea of sorting the weapons out further, but he tossed it away. He had done that once and it hadn’t amounted to anything. What was more important was getting the first group of seraphim out. By the time they got around to some of the weaker seraphim the others might be strong enough to hold their own. Then, they could send a whole group out instead of smaller ones, which meant that the seraphim would be able to defend themselves better.

Silence fell over the storeroom, the only sounds the clank of weapons and the intermittent sound of wood scuffing across the floor when Sorey moved a crate to give himself more room to work with. Sometimes, Sorey would be there to take the next armful but, when he wasn’t, Mikleo left them on the ground for him to pick up. The latter was almost easier, because he meant that he wouldn’t have to look at Sorey. He almost dreaded the times when he would meet Sorey’s eyes and feel the warm curl in his stomach return.

He stopped when he reached the last crate in the room, feeling that it was all too soon. He shifted the crossbow and the snapped off end of a spear in his arms, looking back around the room. He knew that they hadn’t managed to get all the crates back. They’d freed the seraphim in Gododdin and calling the army back would bring the rest of them in. Logically he would be better for them to clear out what they could before more came in, but he couldn’t help but want them to be in one place At least then he could look after them far better than any human general.

Mikleo sighed and set the weapons he was holding on the floor. He purposefully stepped back from them, glancing back over at where Sorey was standing on the other side of the room.

The human had his arms crossed over his chest, obviously thinking very hard about something. Mikleo didn’t get the chance to ask what was bothering Sorey because the emperor shook his head. “Ready?”

Mikleo nodded, edging closer to Sorey. When they had tried this before the weapons had shattered with various amounts of energy. He wanted to be close to Sorey in case some of the weapons exploded violently. He could offer some protection with his artes, because he still needed Sorey around. He had never gotten around to figuring out what the unbinding words were. And it would also be bad to lose Sorey. Mikleo didn’t think that any anyone in the empire would want him. He’d noticed the looks that Sergei had been giving him, and he didn’t trust any of the others to keep him outside of a weapon. It was better to conserve his one ally, and that wasn’t because of whatever attachment that he had to Sorey.

He jerked his gaze away as he edged close to Sorey, tensing his shoulders slightly. Sorey didn’t reach out for him, but he did move his arm so that Mikleo could get closer. Mikleo didn’t take the invitation, keeping his gaze on the weapons on the floor. He stretched his fingers out, starting to pull together an arte. He didn’t let anything materialize, but he held it at the ready. When the first weapons started to break, he would be ready to protect the two of them. Mikleo was tempted to call his staff to him as well, but he doubted that it would help them any. That didn’t stop him from flexing his fingers around the air as he tried to settle himself.

His stillness seemed to be the thing that Sorey was waiting for. He heard Sorey exhale, turning his head to watch as the human breathed in and out for a moment. When he spoke, Mikleo almost missed the word that Sorey spoke, the ancient tongue coming out on an exhale. Mikleo jerked slightly at the sound of the word, sure that he heard a bit command in it, but it wasn’t directed at him.

Mikleo turned his head at the sound of meal cracking and then shattering. He jerked his hand up, ready to call on the ice and water to shield them, but the shrapnel from the swords never moved from the floor. He watched a few fragments of the crossbows and spear hafts lift, but they didn’t do more than rise and fall back to the ground. That didn’t stop him from eyeing the weapons even as balls of light formed above the broken ones.

Not all of them had been unbound, Mikleo not sure if it was because Sorey had used the wrong word or if it was because of other circumstances. He glanced back at Sorey, about to ask what was going on when the scent of so many seraphim in one place hit him.

He choked on his next breath, Mikleo swaying forward. He stared at the balls of light, watching as they twitched and started to reform. They were vulnerable now, he could just snap them up and consume them. He could almost feel the soft slide of their energy down his throat and into his stomach; pulsing, warm and still alive. Mikleo rumbled out a growl, taking a step forward.

He wanted to eat, he _needed_ to eat. He had been starved and there was a buffet in front of him. He would _die_ if he didn’t eat.

Mikleo took another step forward, screeching as he felt someone grab him. He spun around to glare at Sorey, baring his fangs as he stared the human down.

He expected Sorey to back down or at least look frightened, but he did neither. If anything, he just looked worried.

Sorey tugged on his arm gently, stopping the motion when Mikleo snarled at him, but he didn’t let go. Sorey just gave him a long look, Mikleo shivering as he felt Sorey’s thumb brushing over the inside of his wrist. “Mikleo.”

Something in him rebelled at the name, because that name had no power. It didn’t matter that Sorey knew the one that did, it wouldn’t stop him for long. He knew that he could overwhelm the human, he’d done it once before. He could even pull away and Sorey wouldn’t be able to stop him. But he didn’t. He went still, staring back at Sorey.

The stalemate held for a moment before Sorey gave him a shaky smile, and then Mikleo gave in. He slumped, shaking as he felt the scales slough off his skin at the wings retreat again. He closed his eyes, allowing Sorey to reel him back in. He didn’t even protest when Sorey wrapped an arm around his waist. It wasn’t confining, it was a restraint. If he ate the seraphim he was trying to free, he would never forgive himself. Mikleo shuddered and leaned closer to Sorey, feeling the human tense.

He expected Sorey to pull away, Mikleo not sure if he was glad that Sorey didn’t. He swallowed and tried to resist the urge to curl up against Sorey and just lose himself there. It might not be strong enough to block out the scent of so many seraphim, but it would at least stop him from drowning in the scent of the seraphim. Mikleo swallowed, watching Sorey out of the corner of his eye before leaning close.

Sorey met his gaze for a moment, Mikleo not quite sure if Sorey was considering him or understanding him. The line was a thin one considering how close they had been to each other. It was impossible not to know the deep, hidden parts of each other after what had happened.

Mikleo swallowed, about to direct Sorey’s attention elsewhere when Sorey reached up with his free hand to rearrange the collar of his jacket. He popped it up, making a barrier to the skin of his neck before tilting his head in an obvious invitation.

Mikleo felt his mouth go dry at the offer. It was an escape from the temptation of the seraphim without having to go into skin on skin contact. Mikleo shivered, not sure if he was disgusted by the idea or almost desperate for it. He had a feeling that it was the latter, but he didn’t want to voice it. There was too much that came with admitting to that that he didn’t want to think through. It was easier to tuck his face in the join of Sorey’s shoulder and neck and inhale. The scent of old books wasn’t enough to completely mask the seraphim, but it easier to ignore.

Mikleo sighed and tried to nuzzle closer, moving one hand around Sorey’s back to grab at the back of his jacket. He wanted to wrap himself completely around Sorey, but he stopped himself. There were more weapons to work on and still a danger of shrapnel. Mikleo just barely stopped himself from making an annoyed sound, turning his head just enough that he could look at the room.

Some of the balls are light were starting to reconfigure into the vague shape of seraphim, like they were starting to remember what they had been before they had been trapped. Mikleo eyed them for a moment before he was distracted by Sorey speaking another word of unbinding. Mikleo shuddered as he felt the word rumble through Sorey’s body.

It took more effort than it should have to not press closer. He curled his fingers more securely into Sorey’s jacket, trying to ignore the whims of his body. He knew what it was trying to do, but he didn’t have the time for it, at least not until the heat was too insistent to ignore. That didn’t stop him from taking another deep breath of Sorey’s scent, his eyes practically fluttering shut as Sorey worked through the words in the ancient tongue.

He lost track of how many words that Sorey used or if he repeated any, his attention tugged back and forth between the seraphim as they were freed and the heady scent of Sorey.

He relaxed as Sorey spoke the last word, leaning into Sorey for a moment longer. Mikleo took one last breath, smiling to himself when he felt Sorey shudder. He definitely felt Sorey’s fingers curl into him then, Mikleo relishing the pressure before Sorey dropped his hand away. He almost leaned into Sorey as he stepped away, but Mikleo stopped himself at the last minute.

It was embarrassing how easily he had almost fallen into the temptation to continue snuggling up to Sorey. He had an entire room of seraphim to take care of and that was far more important than chasing after his own desires. Besides, he didn’t know if he would be able to move away if he got that close to Sorey again.

He reached up to rub at his scent gland, trying to ignore the way that it was starting to feel a bit swollen. If it was like that already, then he had a matter of hours, maybe days if he was lucky.

Mikleo pressed hard against his scent gland before letting it go and focusing on the seraphim. Most of them had form now, Mikleo scanning over the balls of energy that were taking their time. He frowned at the sight of them before deciding to leave them be despite the small part of him that was clamoring for him to snatch them from the air and bite down. Mikleo took a few deep breaths, disappointed that the action cleared the last lingering bits of Sorey’s scent from his nose, but it got him to start thinking straight again. He nodded to himself and looked out at the seraphim again, watching as they moved through the room.

Most of them were standing still, their gazes directed over his shoulder at where Sorey was standing. Their attention was warranted, but Mikleo trusted Sorey to keep back and far away from the seraphim while they were nervous. That just left him with what he had to do. Mikleo swallowed and started looking through the seraphim, looking for anyone familiar.

The room wasn’t too crowded, but the seraphim were grouped together like the proximity would keep them from any harm. The few that were away from the group were moving with a purpose, either towards the door to the other room or around the crates. Mikleo following the path of one earth seraph that was moving out of the crowd to peer into the crates. He passed in front of Mikleo and Sorey, not seeming to care about the presence of the human as he poked around in the open crates.

“Edna? Zaveid?”

His soft spoken questions seemed to break the seraphim from their shock, a few of them throwing quick glances back at Sorey before beginning to move around the room. Mikleo saw a few run at other seraphim and hug them close, but most joined the earth seraph in his slow circle around the room, although they got more frantic as they went. Mikleo watched as a few seraphim came out of the crates, clutching a weapon to their chests and looking around. Part of him expected them to come to him, but he banished the thought quickly. He probably reeked of malevolence and that was enough to keep them away.

He wrapped an arm around his stomach, looking among the seraphim. He didn’t recognize any of them, Mikleo feeling his heart sink at the same time as the malevolence twisted inside of him. If they weren’t there, then they were probably dead. It might not be true, there were other weapons that hadn’t been brought back and other stashes throughout the empire. But the fact that he hadn’t seen them weighed far more heavily than he expected it to.

Mikleo took a step back, jumping when he felt Sorey’s arm against the small of his back. He turned his head to catch Sorey’s muttered apology, not bothering to listen to it. He sighed and slumped against Sorey, feeling the human start. Mikleo almost wanted to tell Sorey not to think too much into it, but he felt too tired to talk about it. He turned his head, tempted to nuzzle it back into the crook of Sorey’s neck. It was harder to ignore now that he was closer and Sorey’s hand was starting to drift back to the small of Mikleo’s back.

He leaned in, ready to settle until he could think of the next step when he heard a shout.

“Mikleo!”

He jerked upright, stepping away from Sorey to look through the milling crowd of seraphim. He thought he saw a flash of red among the crowd, Mikleo rocking up onto his tiptoes. He stayed there for a moment before coming down, just as he saw a flash of blue. Mikleo pivoted to face it, feeling like the breath had been punched out of him when he saw the two seraphim standing there.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen them, all he’d had were the bits and pieces of the memories of them from before Elysia had been attacked. All he knew was that he hadn’t seen them go, but he had missed them as fiercely as he had missed everyone else.

Mikleo swayed in place, suddenly unable to move forward. He opened his mouth to speak, unsure if he got anything out beyond a squeak. He thought he heard Sorey say his name, but that meant nothing when compared to the sight of two members of his family.

The two seraphim didn’t give him any more time to think on it before they rushed forward. Mikleo reached out for them, catching onto Natalie’s arm even as Melody pulled them both into a hug. Mikleo clung to Natalie, not caring that he was crushed between the two of them. All that mattered where their familiar presences on both sides and the familiar smell of the both of them, the scented smoke that had always hung around in Elysia and the smell of rain. Mikleo nuzzled closer to one of them, hearing the two of them laugh and the catches in their voices through their tears.

He took a shaky breath and looked up, trying not to show his shock on his face. He knew that they had been trapped for years, but it showed in their faces and the mess that their clothes were. He reached up to touch the loose ends of Natalie’s ponytail, surprised at how brittle her hair felt. He twisted in Melody’s arms to look at her face, not surprised when she pulled slightly away from him. It still wasn’t enough to hide how exhausted she looked. He leaned back into her, hoping that the reassurance worked.

Neither of them reacted more than holding him even tighter. Mikleo didn’t complain, standing between them until he felt one of them shaking. Mikleo looked between the two of them before reaching up to pat Melody’s arm. “Come on.”

It took more effort than he thought to wiggle out of their embraces. He was more than reluctant to move away, but he had to make sure that the two of them were safe. He had worked too hard just to lose them now. The other room would be better, because then they could sit without having to worry about the shards of weapons or the rest of the seraphim.

Mikleo took a moment to look around, looking at the seraphim that were standing in the center of the room in shock or clutching weapons. They would need to be attended to, but Mikleo didn’t feel like he could pull himself away from Melody and Natalie, not after so long. He twisted slightly, cocking his head to the side as he saw the door to the hallway shut. He was sure that it hadn’t been one of the seraphim, but the thought was pushed out of his mind as soon as he got to the other door.

He swung it open, not bothering to close it behind him as he led Natalie and Melody into the room. Mikleo could hear the soft shuffle of the feet of the other seraphim as they followed, but he didn’t dare turn to look at them. It was more important to sit down on the edge of a bed, gathering the two of them close. Natalie and Melody was quick to move in close to him, not leaving him in inch of space to himself. He didn’t mind, not when the press on them on either side was comforting.

Mikleo sighed and closed his eyes, leaning into Melody’s soft touch to his hair. The fire seraph combed through it, her voice scratchy and soft when she spoke. “It’s gotten longer.”

Mikleo hummed instead of answering because it was something that he hadn’t thought about. There had been too much going on for him to pay attention.

It didn’t seem to matter to Melody, because she kept up her steady petting. Mikleo turned his head slightly as Natalie made a noise of agreement. She reached under his chin to lift his face, looking him over with a smile. “You’ve grown up.”

“It’s been eight years.”

It wasn’t the best answer, he could tell by the way that Natalie flinched. She held his gaze for a moment before flinging her arms around him and hugging him close. “I’m sorry.”

“No.” Mikleo wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly. “It’s not your fault. It’s the humans’.”

He thought he heard her agree, but he was distracted by the way that Melody’s soft touch on the back of his head changed. He wished that he could tip his head back to see what Melody was doing, but he couldn’t with the way that Natalie was holding him close. He sighed and settled into a more comfortable position.

It took him a while to realize that Melody was talking softly to herself and even longer for him to realize that she was asking him questions. Mikleo lifted his head from where he had leaned forward to rest it against Natalie’s head. He hummed to show he was listening, the smile on his face disappearing when Melody’s hands stopped their steady motion.

“I asked if you were alright.”

“I…” The answer caught in his throat, Mikleo staring out into the other room just over Natalie’s head. He could still see a few seraphim in the other room, still sense the weaker ones in the weapons and still feel the repressed hunger in his stomach. He swallowed, glancing around at the other seraphim and noticing the wide berth that most of them were giving him. It could be that they were lost and confused, but it could also be that they sensed his malevolence. He was sure that every seraph in the room could. It was impossible that the other two would miss it, and it just made him feel worse.

His silence seemed to be enough of an answer for the two of them, because Melody wrapped her free arm around his stomach in a hug and Natalie sat up.

She looked him up and down for a moment before reaching out to touch his circlet. Mikleo held still as she traced over the design on the front and back to where his bangs were held back. Natalie sighed and gently untucked his bangs from behind the circlet, letting them fall back over it. “I’m glad that’s still there. I was so afraid that I’d sense you beside me one day or see you as a hellion.” Mikleo twitched at that, but Natalie didn’t seem to notice. She stroked his bangs back into place before kissing his covered forehead. “I’m glad you’re still you.”

Mikleo felt his throat go dry, unable to respond. He looked down, remaining that way until Melody finished up with playing with his hair. He reached back to touch what she had done, tracing the braid that she had plaited into his hair. His fingers lingered on the end, seeking where it was tied off. Mikleo sighed and twisted to look at her, about to thank her for it when he caught the serious look on her face.

Melody reached out to cup his cheek, giving him a long and serious look. Mikleo didn’t quite know how to react to it, any questions he had blown out of his head when Melody dropped her hand away. “You would tell us, if anything was wrong, right?”

“W-what?”

“If you needed our help.” Natalie reached out to grab his hand, squeezing it gently. “We might not be able to do much, but we’ll give what we can. And I’m sure that most of the other seraphim will help you, especially after you freed them.”

Mikleo didn’t dare look away from them, afraid to confirm what either of them were thinking. He was suddenly aware of how he looked and how he smelled, particularly of Sorey. He was sure that neither of them believed that he had been left free, especially since he had been so young when it happened. The two of them probably thought that he had managed some kind of miracle by convincing a human to help them, but maybe they were right. If anyone other than Sorey had come to the mountain then he would have been bound and used up, but Sorey had come asking for an agreement.

He finally shrugged, surprised by how much he stumbled for an answer that would be acceptable. “We…we have a pact.”

Natalie narrowed her eyes, but Melody looked surprised. She patted his arm again before giving him a shaky smile. “If that’s what works for the two of you.”

There was something more there, something that neither of them wanted to talk about. Mikleo let the subject go unspoken, almost afraid where that would lead. Natalie and Melody would know better what humans did to seraphim than he did, but he almost felt defensive about his human. Sorey wasn’t like the others, he knew that down to his core and it frightened him.

Sorey was the same human he tried to avoid and the one that he wanted desperately to touch him. The change made his head spin. Mikleo shivered and sunk back into Melody. She was quick to wrap her arms around him, Mikleo glad that she didn’t question anything else. He didn’t want to be thinking about Sorey, not when he had finally gotten parts of his family back. More than anything he wanted to curl up with them and revel in the feeling of finally being safe and having some of his burning anger drain away. It was better to just enjoy their company, and make sure that they were well rested when it was time for them to escape.

He snuggled between the two of them, closing his eyes. If he ignored the location, then he could almost imagine that he was in Elysia again, surrounded by seraphim and utterly safe. It was a strange feeling, especially when he had lived so long knowing that he wasn’t. It was nice and something that he realized that he would miss horribly when it was gone, because he would have to send them all away for their own safety.

And he would stay behind.

He had promised that much to Sorey and, after everything that Sorey had done for him, he would keep his promise.

* * *

Sorey stared out into Pearloats Pasture, watching the rising dust from the approaching forces. He shifted in the saddle, keeping a gently pressure on the reins to keep his horse still. It wanted to move around, probably because of all the open space. Sorey was sure that the two knights that he had brought with him would have a heart attack if his horse galloped off towards the approaching forces. They would probably think that he was out of his mind, and Sorey was partially sure that he agreed with them.

They had ridden out with him at his request probably thinking that he would stop the Blue Storm Knights led by Bishop Reno or the parts of the army that General Vortigern had started to call back to the capital. If not that then they probably expected Mikleo to fly over and take them out like he had done with Lyte, but that wouldn’t be happening either. He had left Mikleo back with the seraphim that they had managed to free, because he had found his family. That was something that Sorey couldn’t interrupt, not even for the sake of the empire. Besides, he needed the army riding towards him, at least for the short term.

He took a deep breath, pushing away the unease that he felt building in his gut. It was too late to do anything differently. He had to fix the mess that his naivety about the council had caused and the fall out of his actions against him. Pendrago already knew about what he had done, the story twisted into a thousand rumors that he wished he could just silence. But he couldn’t do that nor could he keep the people cooped up. And, if they knew about the council, then they would know about Gododdin. He wasn’t naïve enough to believe that no one in Gododdin would be missed. And, once that got out, then his hand would be forced.

He couldn’t risk the people and the army turning on him. He would be dragged out of the palace and killed like his parents had been, like his aunt had been. It didn’t matter that he would have the Platinum Knights, they would be overwhelmed and executed because their loyalty was in the wrong place. Mikleo wouldn’t be spared either, he’d be bound to a weapon, and that would destroy him utterly.

Sorey swallowed, unable to ignore the way the thought hurt more than it should. It was one thing to mourn the loss of one of the last seraphim, but another to not want to lose Mikleo for other reasons.

It had been easier when Mikleo had been firmly not interested and not offering him permission to touch and get close. He flexed his hand, almost sure that he could still feel the quick rise and fall of Mikleo’s side from earlier, but that was just an illusion. He leaned forward to stroke his horse’s neck, using the motion to pull his mind back to the present.

He had to focus for just a while longer. Then he could run back to the palace and hide himself away.

Sorey closed his eyes for a moment, trying to focus on what he would have to do. He didn’t get too long to center himself, Sorey starting at the nervous sound that one of the knights made.

He turned to look at them, watching as Nestor fidgeted enough to make his horse snort and start to back up. The knight gathered his reins, trying to edge his horse back into place. Sorey glanced to the other side, watching as Andrei narrowed his eyes to look out towards where the cloud of dust was resolving into people. Sorey almost didn’t want to look at who was coming, but he turned anyway.

The bishop was the easiest to spot, riding at the head of the group in his white clothes. He was flanked by two knights in full armor, the sun flashing off of them. The rest of the Blue Storm Knights and the army followed, Sorey having to lean forward slightly to scan through their ranks. Only the Blue Storm Knights were on horseback, the rest of them were foot soldiers, but that didn’t mean that they were any less dangerous. They were all sure to be armed and just as loyal to their general as the Blue Storm Knights were to their bishop.

Sorey saw Andrei turn around to look back at the wall, not needing to see the man’s grimace to know what he saw there. The walls of Pendrago were empty because there weren’t the men to set up a guard; they were all busy carrying out their normal duties and standing watch over the Royal Guard. Mikleo wouldn’t be there either. He reached up to play with the scales in his ears, running his fingers over the edge of one before dropping his hand back down to his side.

There was nothing to be gained by stalling, and the Platinum Knights would have to find out about what he was going to do eventually. It was better that he get it over with before any of them tried to talk him back into something that he would have loved to do. There was nowhere to go but forward.

He clucked to his horse, tugging slightly on the reins as the animal tried to rush forward. The horse snorted but settled into a trot, Sorey sitting the bouncy gait. He didn’t dare look behind him, not even when he heard Nestor call out for him. The two knights would be bound to follow, so he could ignore them for a bit longer in the face of the three men who were riding towards him.

The bishop and the two captains cantered away from the main group. Sorey glanced back at where the main force were shuffling to a stop. The foot soldiers looked happy enough to take a break, but the Blue Storm Knights looked ready to charge. It was enough to make Sorey want to glance back at front gates of Pendrago just to make sure that they were shut firmly. He didn’t want to unleash angry soldiers on the people, especially since he was sure that they wouldn’t care that the people were on their side. They would blaze through until they reached the source of their anger.

He just barely kept his hand from dropping down to the sword that he wore by his side. He curled his fingers into his horse’s mane instead, trying to look as distant as every other emperor did in their state portraits. Sorey wasn’t sure that he managed it because none of the men looked the least bit impressed. If anything, he made him feel like he was playing dress up and wearing a heavy crown that wasn’t his.

Sorey rolled his shoulders, turning the motion into pulling his horse to a stop. Sorey made sure to make eye contact with all three of the men before forcing a smile on his face. “Bishop Reno.”

It took a moment for the bishop to respond, Sorey straightening his spine slightly the longer it took. If the bishop noticed, the man didn’t comment on it. He just looked around before bowing slightly in the saddle. “Your majesty.”

The two captains by his side mumbled something that could have been the same thing, but Sorey ignored it. The two of them seemed to be giving way to Reno at the moment, which meant that the bishop was the one to talk to. It made things easier for him to deal with.

He cleared his throat, turning his head slightly when he heard Nestor and Andrei finally reach him. He raised one hand to motion them to stand back, the motion enough to catch the bishop’s eye.

The man raised his eyebrow, that enough to finally get him to talk. The bishop sighed and looked over his shoulder at Pendrago, Sorey surprised at how quickly the man had gone from formal to relaxed. He had expected something more, a protest or a list of demands, but the bishop was quiet. It should have put him on edge, but Sorey felt more relieved than anything else. He relaxed himself, waiting for the bishop to finish.

Reno didn’t take long, the man sighing and making a vague gesture back at the city. “It’s a shame that Pendrago has fallen on hard times, she used to be such a beautiful city.”

“She could be again.”

Bishop Reno laughed, the sound not mocking but amused. He shook his head, reaching up to steady his mitre with a hand. “It’s good to have a young emperor. The young are always seem to have a clearer view of the future. The citizens of the empire should be thrilled.”

Sorey considered the man for a moment before letting the comment pass. He leaned forward slightly, trying his best not to glance back over at the two captains. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

The bishop waved his hand with a laugh. “I didn’t expect it either, but rumors reached me. Disturbing ones.” He paused, obviously waiting for Sorey to push forward on the pause. When he didn’t the Bishop sighed. “I heard about Cardinal Forton. She may have pushed too hard too quickly, but she was not wrong. We need a firm hand on things, especially with the rebels from Hyland acting up. There are rumors that they’re pushing into the very heart of the empire as we speak.”

Sorey winced, almost glad that Bishop Reno seemed to take it as a reaction to the news instead of an admission of guilt. The man just nodded, giving him a serious look. “There are reports that Princess Alisha was seen riding away and rumors of smoke seen rising from Biroclef Ridge from an attack on the people there. After that it’s no wonder that the people want to know that they will be safe.”

The bishop stared at him, probably expecting him to nod along with everything that was said, but Sorey couldn’t bring himself to do that. It was one thing to push forward with his plan, but it was another thing to lie entirely.

He looked away, fully expected the exasperated sigh that the bishop gave. Sorey bit his lip, keeping himself still as the man started to talk again.

“Your majesty, I understand that you are young and inexperienced, if you will excuse my boldness. But the people are frightened and there are too many offices without a leader. If you don’t act, then the rebels will take advantage of us.”

“Yeah? And what’s to stop you from doing it?” Andrei nudged his horse forward, not seeming to care that one of the captains reached for his sword. It just seemed to encourage Andrei more. The man went for his own sword, Sorey giving him a quick glance before rushing onward.

He couldn’t afford a fight, not when he knew that he could prevent it. Sorey raised his hand, hoping that Andrei would pay attention enough to stop. If not, then the man would surely stop after what he was going to do. “You’re right.”

He heard one of the knights make a choked off noise. Sorey swallowed, purposefully ignoring it in favor of watching the bishop. He didn’t miss the fleeting look of victory that came before the deep bow that Bishop Reno gave him. The motion repulsed him, but there wasn’t anything more he could do. He’d spoken and it was too late to turn back.

Sorey swallowed and directed his gaze slightly past the bishop, hoping that the man wouldn’t notice. “I swore that I would keep my people safe and I thought peace was the way to do that.”

“No one is blaming you. You tried your best.” Sorey could see Bishop Reno nodding along, and the sight made him sick. “But everyone knows that the people from Hyland cannot be trusted. In fact, I believe your father was the one to say that.”

Hearing that was like a punch to the gut. Sorey just managed to keep himself from swaying in the saddle. He gave the bishop a nod, not sure what else to say to that, because it was wrong.

Everything that they thought was wrong because it was all calculated to keep them in power or because they had never bothered to try to think another way. They were so focused on the glory of war that they didn’t see the harm that it was doing. Sorey curled his hands more tightly around the reins. His horse tossed its head, the motion giving him the time to pretend to settle it as he worked out what to say next. It was hard, especially with the urge to run away rising.

He fixed his gaze on the leaning towers in the distance. They were safer to look at than the army or the bishop. Sorey took a deep breath before giving a sharp nod, feeling that he was crumbling into the pulse of malevolence that was curled tight in his chest. “I…I think you’re right. Which is why I would appreciate your help with the church.”

“Your majesty, I would be honored.”

Sorey looked away from whatever motion that the bishop was making. He knew it was a bad idea, but it wasn’t something that was going to last, and he was counting on it. Bishop Reno would want the war, he would crow about the war until the people realized that it wasn’t working. Or that’s what Sorey hoped. The only good thing he could do in the meantime was use some of the resources that the bishop was giving him.

His gaze lingered on the two captains by his side, focusing more on the captain of the Blue Storm Knights. He gave the man a solemn look before jerking his chin back towards the mounted knights. “I also wonder if you would allow me the use of the Blue Storm Knights while you get settled in.”

“Why?”

It was almost a relief to throw the man off, even if it didn’t last long. Sorey tried his best to smile, hoping that it came off as natural as possible. “I want to keep the Platinum Knights close for the moment, but I need to spread the word to the rest of the army. It’s been a long time since they have been mustered and resupplied.”

For a moment, he thought that Bishop Reno would refuse, but the man was all too eager to nod. He waved towards the captain, seeming to ignore the look of shock on the man’s face. “Of course. It will be the least I can do.”

Sorey sighed, pulling on the reins so his horse backed up a step. It wasn’t what he had originally wanted to do, but Mikleo had been the one to point out that it was dangerous to leave the Blue Storm Knights in the hands of the church. If they wanted to give the people the leeway to tear down everything, then they needed to have a fighting chance. Besides, it would keep them away from the Platinum Knights until he could get everything settled. He didn’t want to have the two groups fighting, especially when he would be having enough trouble with the Platinum Knights once he gave the order to release the Royal Guard.

He took a few deep breaths, bracing himself from what would follow and what he would inevitably have to deal with. Sorey tuned towards Nestor, preferring to deal with the calmer of the two he had with him. “Make sure that the Blue Storm Knights go out to retrieve all the soldiers we can spare from the borders and bring them back to here. We’ll seen to resupply and check everything that they have.” He waited just long enough to hear Nestor make a high pitched sound that may have been in protest, but he didn’t dare wait longer. “And release the Royal Guard and integrate them into the rest. We’ll need everyone.”

Sorey turned his horse before Nestor could protest. He wanted to kick his horse into a gallop and rush back to the city, but he had to at least pretend that he believed in everything that he was saying. He shivered and looked over his shoulder. “Your eminence.”

That was enough to get Bishop Reno moving, the man muttering something Sorey could only assume was a blessing. He didn’t quite catch the words in the ancient tongue, but he wasn’t too worried about it. He was sure that any blessing wouldn’t do him any good. Sorey was sure that he was beyond anything that a blessing could help, maybe even beyond what a Shepherd could save.

He lowered his gaze to his horse’s neck, staring at its mane while he listened to Bishop Reno babble on. He wasn’t really paying attention to what the man was saying, it was just words without meaning. The only good thing was that he wouldn’t have to listen, he could just nod and let Bishop Reno do what he was planning to do. The bishop wouldn’t last long, especially after his military support was taken away. After all, he couldn’t refuse the man who had put him in his position. It was just a matter of holding out until that point.

Bishop Reno changed the topic of conversation to the historical treacheries committed by Hyland, Sorey lifting his gaze to look at the gates of Pendrago. He watched them creak open before shutting his eyes, trying to drown out the sound of Bishop Reno’s voice.

* * *

Sorey stumbled back into his room, blindly shoving the door shut behind him. He wasn’t sure if it even closed, but he was too tired to care. He had been expecting protests to his orders, not stony silence. The only saving grace was that Sergei hadn’t been there. He had barely survived Nestor and Andrei glaring at him as they had let the Royal Guard out.

He wasn’t naïve enough to believe that they wouldn’t tell Sergei. Their loyalty was to their general first and only attached to him because of Sergei. If he had earned any of their loyalty, he was going to fritter it away soon enough.

Sorey scrubbed his hands down his face, muffing a groan into his palms. There were still things he needed to do, there were arrangements for the army to make up and Bishop Reno’s investiture as cardinal of Pendrago to plan, but he was too exhausted to deal with any of them. Sorey wasn’t sure if it was the situation or if it was the weight of the malevolence that was dragging him down. He couldn’t quite sense it like he had before, back when it had all been burned away, but he could still remembered how shaky he had felt and the weight. Maybe it was just his own imagination, just like the strange knot in his chest might have been.

He rubbed at his chest, looking around his room. It wasn’t much of a sanctuary, not when he was sure that Sergei would just barge in when he found out. Sergei might have been a stickler for protocol, but there was a line, and Sorey knew that he had crossed far beyond it.

It was tempting to turn around and seek out Sergei to tell him, but that would mean revealing too much. And there was the danger to consider. If Sergei knew everything then he and the other Platinum Knights would fight until the end, and he didn’t want that. He wanted them safe and out of the way long before anything happened. If anything was to emerge out of the empire, they were the ones that needed to be there for it. Everyone else was either connected to the generals or too far gone to risk leaving with the people.

He sighed, swaying in place as he decided what to do. The immediate steps were simple enough, it was just a matter of summoning up the energy to do them. Sorey groaned, reaching up to strip out of his coat and letting it fall to the ground. He reached up to fiddle with the buttons of his jacket, opening it up but not taking it off. Still, it was a little bit better, the weight of the empire almost slipping from his shoulders, but it never truly would.

Sorey stripped out of his jacket, tossing it over a chair as he made his way towards his bed. He intended to collapse into it, but his gaze caught on his bookshelf. Nothing was out of place or strange, but the rows of books still caught his attention, as did the realization that he hadn’t read them in years. He’d been away from the capital for so long and being emperor hadn’t left him the time to look through the books he really enjoyed.

He edged around the chair, stepping close to the bookshelf to run his fingers along the spines. He felt some of the tension leave him at the simple motion, Sorey smiling to himself as he read over the familiar titles. He had read all of them at one point and sought most of them out himself. A few of them had been gifts from his aunt, although most of them were attempts to get him interested in governing.

Sorey pulled off a history of the Rolance government, absently paging through it before slotting it back into place. He remembered dutifully reading it and the way that his aunt had smiled at him. The book had been interesting, but it had been put aside as soon as he was done.

He made his way towards the end of the shelf. Sorey skimmed over the titles, sure that he almost felt the spark of something that could have been interest beyond the exhaustion that seemed to tug at him constantly. He gave the books a fond look before leaning his shoulder against the wall as he stared at the bookshelf.

There were fond memories there, back when he thought that he would be forgotten as a prince. Back then he’d had three cousins, one who was already emperor. He thought they would last forever, which would let him become an explorer, just like the person who had written the Celestial Record. He’d even used a ruin as an excuse when he had first left the city, so sure that he could fix the wrongs in the world and then go back to what he really wanted to do.

He’d never gotten to that ruin.

He frowned, rubbing a hand along his arm as he stared at the bookshelf. He doubted that he could even remember the ruin’s name, or maybe he had made it up. It hadn’t mattered much then, not when Sergei had known to come and find him. And, now that he thought about it, he doubted that Nadia had believed him either. His aunt had always seen through him, perhaps more than Sorey had ever realized.

Sorey shivered, trying to find something to think about aside from his aunt. He didn’t want to think about how she had died, because it was just another layer to the horror that had become his life. The fact that she had probably gone down fighting and with all the dignity that he remembered her possessing didn’t help. He still missed her.

He stepped close to the bookshelf, searching along it for a specific book. He hadn’t taken it with him when he had left, he hadn’t taken any books with him for fear of losing them during his travels. He didn’t know if his aunt had ordered the books rearranged or had taken a few to the palace library where most of them probably belonged. Sorey wouldn’t have put it past her, because he had never indicated when he would come back. For all his aunt had known, he would have never come back. And he hadn’t intended to, at least originally.

He stopped his search at the sight of a worn spine, one of the few that didn’t have a title stamped onto it. He traced his finger down the spine before starting to pull it out, smiling when he saw the worn leather and the symbol of the Shepherd.

Sorey pulled the book all the way out, cradling it slightly as he traced over the cover. His aunt had told him that it had been his mother’s, but not where she had found it. He’d figured out that it was a rare book, his copy only one of the few copies in existence, but the rest was a mystery Sorey paused in his tracing of the symbol, staring down at it.

He stepped over to the table, leaning over the chair that was pushed in against it. He placed the book on the top, opening it carefully. The spine creaked a bit, but the pages fell open readily to a bookmarked page. Sorey petted the leather bookmark before turning his attention to the writing. It was the section on the Lefay ruins, the ones that were hidden behind a waterfall. Sorey braced himself against the table, reading the account of the ruin. It had been years since he had read it last, but there were parts that he still remembered.

Sorey smiled to himself, reaching up to move the bookmark only to stop. He dragged his fingers over the leather. This book and all the stories had been his life for so long, and he had managed to forget about them for a while. Sorey wasn’t sure that remembering made it better, it just brought back the longing. He wanted to be out there with this book, chasing after all these places instead of planning on how to make his empire rebel. Sorey was sure that he would have been happier at least. He could have gotten himself lost in one of the old ruins or tucked away in the places that no one would ever look for him. Maybe he could have left Glenwood and started to catalogue all the other ruins that were in the world, and the war would have never touched him.

He rubbed at his chest, stopping when he realized what he was doing. Sorey sighed and ducked his head, taking a few deep breaths. Wishing would get him nowhere, it was too late for something like that.

He glanced up at the book, tempted to shut it and put it back. There were a few others that would be more helpful than the Celestial Record, ones that were actually political commentaries. Sorey wasn’t sure that the _Commentaries on the Rule of Emperor Royns_ by one of the priests from the Pendrago shrinechurch would be completely pertinent, but looking them over couldn’t hurt. Sorey was sure that he could find the others that his aunt had given him. If he couldn’t find the solution to his political problems there then he would have to turn to the few military books he had gathered. There had to be some advice that he could glean from them, even if it was bad advice. Bad advice was his aim after all, anything to get the people and the army to turn on him.

Sorey sighed and turned to look at the bookshelf, scanning the spines for some clue where to start. He eyed a few of the newer looking books, because he would have read the ones on government and war the least. Sorey hummed to himself, cocking his hip against one of the chairs just as the door creaked open.

He turned, fully expecting to see one of the captains of the army or Sergei coming to demand answers about what was happening. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw Mikleo peeking into the room. Sorey closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before turning to face him. He’s take Mikleo over anyone else that would want his attention.

He pushed away from the chair, about to ask what needed their attention when he saw how wrung out Mikleo looked. Sorey just stopped himself from lurching forward, sure that Mikleo wouldn’t enjoy any close contact, especially smelling like he was going into heat. Sorey caught on the thought for a moment, feeling his baser instincts raise their head. It was all too easy to push the idea back, because he was more concerned than interested.

It was too soon for Mikleo to go into heat, it had barely been a month since the last time. There was no way that it should have been that soon again. Sorey felt a spark of fear, trying not to turn his head to look out the window. It wasn’t like before when he’d been sure that Mikleo would be safe like he had promised. There were too many people that he couldn’t trust.

That was his fault for calling them in despite the change in Mikleo’s scent. The heat was probably his fault too. The purification and power that they had gotten from Maotelus had probably thrown Mikleo off of his schedule.

Sorey swayed in place, not sure if he should get closer or remain where he was. Mikleo didn’t give him too long to think over what he should do, the seraph shuffling into the room and shutting the door behind him. He leaned back against the door, Sorey glad of the space between them.

He curled his fingers around the back of the chair, trying to offer Mikleo the steadiest smile he could manage. Sorey wasn’t sure that it helped or that Mikleo even looked at him. The seraph was still looking at the floor, Sorey almost concerned by the silence.

He cleared his throat, not daring to step away from the table. “Is everything alright?”

If he hadn’t been looking at Mikleo he would have missed the seraph’s nod. Mikleo tipped his head back so it rested against the door, taking a few deep breaths. Sorey was almost tempted to follow along, but he didn’t dare.

It took Mikleo a moment longer to respond, the seraph finally stepping away from the door. It looked more like a stumble to Sorey, but he didn’t dare comment on it. He did let go of the chair, starting to move to meet Mikleo halfway across the room. He didn’t know what he would do once he was there, but he knew that Mikleo needed him, and that was all that mattered.

He didn’t know which one of them picked up their pace, but it didn’t matter. Sorey opened his mouth to ask what Mikleo needed, but he barely had time to take a breath before Mikleo was knocking into him. Sorey stumbled back a step, his eyes widening as Mikleo tucked himself against his chest. Sorey froze, holding his arms away from his sides. He stared down at the top of Mikleo's head, watching as the seraph nuzzled into his chest. He reached out, swallowing before resting his hands lightly on Mikleo’s back. He waited for Mikleo to tense up or pull away, but Mikleo only stepped closer, his arms going around his waist.

Sorey shivered, curling his fingers into Mikleo’s coat, not sure if it was to steady himself or to pull Mikleo closer. He almost didn’t want to think too much on either of those options, not when Mikleo was pressing against him like he was trying to make them one being again. The thought didn’t help, because he was tempted to use the name that Mikleo had gifted him, but he didn’t want that rush of power again, not when he’d used it to kill or when it would infect Mikleo with more malevolence. But it left him with his arms full of Mikleo and no reason behind it.

“M-Mikleo?”

If Mikleo noticed how his voice shook the seraph didn’t comment. He just took a deep breath that seemed to make his whole body shake.

Sorey pulled Mikleo closer, absently stroking his back as he looked around the room. What he wanted to do was to curl around Mikleo and to keep him safe, but he couldn’t do that standing up. Sorey tilted his head back, staring at his bed. He turned the idea over in his head before taking a step back. The whine that Mikleo gave nearly made him stop, but Sorey took another step. They would be more comfortable there, and it would get Mikleo off his feet.

He felt Mikleo scramble at his back for a moment before the seraph gave in, allowing himself to be pulled back to the bed. Sorey smiled down at him, sure that Mikleo didn’t even see it.

It was hard to maneuver the two of them into bed because Mikleo seemed reluctant to let go of him. Sorey sat down on the edge, wiggling back and tugging Mikleo in after him. He barely got his back against the headboard before Mikleo all but clambered into his lap, the seraph tucking his head under Sorey’s chin. Sorey went still, waiting for Mikleo to finish his shifting.

Mikleo didn’t take long to get into position, his face still pressed against Sorey’s shirt, although the new position had Mikleo partially against the skin of his neck. Sorey shivered when he felt Mikleo’s breath across his skin but he didn’t dare move beyond that.

He glanced down at the seraph, watching one of Mikleo’s hand reach up to grip at the cloth on his shoulder, sure that he didn’t imagine the shaking that he saw there. Sorey hummed, hoping that the sound was comforting. He stroked a hand up and down Mikleo’s back, just in case.

Sorey was more than willing to let Mikleo sit in silence, but it was harder than he imagined to stay silent himself and to keep from shifting. He didn’t want to jostle Mikleo too much, but it was hard when the seraph wasn’t talking to him. Sorey looked down at him, tipping his head when he noticed the braid in Mikleo’s hair. He lifted one hand to touch it gently, tracing it out. The motion didn’t keep his attention for long, Sorey tipping his head to try and see Mikleo’s face.

“Mikleo?” He got a grunt in response, Mikleo not moving from where he was tucked close. Sorey sighed and reached down to slip two fingers under Mikleo’s chin. He put a little pressure, feeling Mikleo’s fingers dig into him slightly in protest. Sorey didn’t press too much further, instead running his thumb along the line of Mikleo’s jaw. “Mikleo, look at me.”

Mikleo relented just enough to lift his head where it was pressed against Sorey’s neck. “Must I?”

“Please?”

Mikleo remained still long enough for Sorey to think that the seraph wouldn’t listen. But then, ever so slowly, Mikleo peeled himself away. Sorey waited until Mikleo was looking at him. He moved his hand so it was cupping Mikleo’s cheek, unable to keep his thumb from stroking the line of Mikleo’s cheek. He expected to be asked to stop, but Mikleo leaned into the touch. The way that the seraph’s eyes fluttered shut made the breath catch in his throat.

He must have made some kind of sound because Mikleo opened his eyes, giving him a long look. Mikleo shifted slightly so he could keep the eye contact and be as close to him as possible. It was a strange, half sideways position but Sorey wasn’t about to complain, not when Mikleo seemed very happy to be in contact with him.

Mikleo played with the shoulder of Sorey’s shirt before he shook his head. “The seraphim should be able to stand up to the malevolence now, at least for the next few days. I tried to do the same for the seraphim still in the weapons, but I don’t know if it worked.”

“We can try tomorrow since releasing so many worked today.”

Mikleo made a noncommittal sound, Sorey tipping his head. Mikleo met his gaze for a moment, his hand tightening on Sorey’s shoulder. “They can’t stay for too long. I couldn’t do much on my own.”

Sorey frowned, taking in the way that Mikleo was slumped against him. It didn’t take too much to figure out what Mikleo had been doing. There hadn’t been too many seraphim that they had freed, but Mikleo would have pushed himself to make sure that they could stand against the malevolence.

Sorey dropped his hand to the back of Mikleo’s neck, muttering an apology that he was sure that Mikleo didn’t hear. For a moment, it looked like the seraph would curl back into him, but Mikleo remained facing him.

Mikleo reached back to cover Sorey’s hand with his own. He pressed it down harder, Mikleo shivering before he relaxed in Sorey’s arms. The seraph kept his hand there, although he let up on the pressure. Mikleo’s head lolled onto Sorey’s shoulder, taking slow breaths. If Sorey hadn’t been watching him, he would have been sure that Mikleo had fallen asleep. Even looking at him, Sorey was sure that Mikleo wasn’t going to be awake for too much longer.

He stroked the edge of his nail along Mikleo’s spine, watching as Mikleo’s breath hitched once and a while. The seraph leaned back into his hand, the touch seeming to be just as calming as the pressure had been. Sorey smiled and kept the motion up, the mindless action helping him focus, although it was hard when he had Mikleo comfortable, pliant and partially draped over him.

Sorey took a deep breath, trying to focus on the conversation that they had to have. Mikleo knew about the plans for war, the two of them had managed to work that out the day before. It was nothing more than a vague plan, but that was better than floundering. The army was sorted for the moment, which meant that they had to focus on the seraphim.

He slowed the gentle motion of his fingers. “What about the ones we can’t help?”

It was the one question that Mikleo didn’t want to think about, Sorey could tell by the partial glare that he was given.

Mikleo resettled himself, wiggling further back into him. Sorey held still as Mikleo turned in his arms so he was straddling Sorey’s legs. Mikleo stared at Sorey from his new position, bracing one hand against Sorey’s shoulder. “We’re not leaving them here.”

“No.” Sorey leaned back until his head knocked back against the headboard. He stared up at the ceiling. It didn’t hold his attention long, Sorey looking back down at Mikleo. “Alisha said that she might know someone in Hyland that could help them.”

He purposely didn’t say like they could have done, because he was sure that it wouldn’t help. There was no getting it back, not unless they managed to run across Maotelus again, and Sorey had a feeling that he and the other seraphim were long gone from Gododdin. Without that, Sorey didn’t know what they could do.

Mikleo was quick to shake his head, Sorey not surprised by the decision. Sending them away to some unknown fate didn’t sit well with him either, not even when he trusted Alisha.

He swallowed and let go of Mikleo’s neck. Mikleo looked strangely disappointed by that, but he didn’t reach for Sorey’s hand again. Instead, he rocked forward until their foreheads were nearly touching. Sorey wanted close the distance between them, but he didn’t. He had already taken too many liberties and he didn’t want to push further.

Mikleo remained there, Sorey watching as he struggled to look at him. The short glances were enough to know that Mikleo was trying, which is all that he wanted.

He dragged his hands up Mikleo’s back, watching as the seraph shivered. He was about to stop the motion when Mikleo relaxed into the touch with a long sigh. Mikleo rocked forward slightly, his forehead knocking against Sorey’s before he got control of himself again. Mikleo looked slighted dazed, like sitting up was becoming difficult. Sorey shifted his hold to help Mikleo stay upright, holding the seraph by the waist. He thought he saw a thankful smile, but it was quick.

Sorey rubbed his thumbs over the sweep of Mikleo’s hip bone, struggling to find the words when he was so close to the seraph. He swallowed harshly, trying to get his mind to focus on what they were talking about. Between Mikleo’s scent and the way that the seraph was falling asleep, it was hard to keep the talk to business. He shifted his hold slightly, the jostle enough to wake Mikleo up.

The seraph started, staring down at Sorey before rocking back onto his heels. Sorey reluctantly let go of Mikleo’s hips, watching as the seraph reoriented himself. Mikleo sighed and shook himself, Sorey not sure that it worked to wake him up. Mikleo slumped back down again, swaying in place before flopping down to one side. Sorey watched as Mikleo nuzzled into the blankets, the seraph not seeming to be too aware of what he was doing.

He shifted around for a moment longer before sighing. “I don’t want to split them up. They’re scared enough already. Some of them have found their family in there.”

Sorey just nodded, almost ready to ask about the other seraphim that they had saved in Gododdin. Certainly if the others could find Maotelus then they could get the rest out. Sorey sighed, sliding further down the headboard.

The problem was that they didn’t know where Maotelus and the others had gone. He hadn’t even bothered to help them after the massacre, he had just grabbed Malfore and had ridden off. Sorey was sure that the seraphim could take care of themselves, but he had left them in an uncaring world.

“I’m sorry.” Mikleo made a questioning noise, but Sorey didn’t know how to respond. There was too much that he needed to atone for that he couldn’t with just those words, but there was nothing else that would suit the situation.

He sighed and shook his head. “If I hadn’t…I was given the power to help them, and it worked, but I squandered it. If I hadn’t at Gododdin…and then in the shrinechurch, I could have helped them more.”

Mikleo stared at him for a moment before offering his hand. Sorey hesitated before taking it. The seraph tugged him closer, Sorey going without a protest. He settled against the pillows, watching as Mikleo curled in on himself.

The seraph blinked at him sleepily before giving a small shake of his head. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“But if-”

“I won’t get us anywhere.” There was a sharpness in Mikleo’s voice, one that was quickly toned down again. “This is what we have to work with and wishing won’t get us anywhere. You need to protect the empire and I need to protect the seraphim.”

“I want to protect the seraphim too.” Sorey scooted closer to Mikleo, smiling when the seraph yawned wide. “When I was little I dreamed about traveling the world and seeing all of the ruins that the Celestial Record talks about. And I wanted to see the seraphim too, but not like they are now. I always wanted to see them like they were in all the old stories, free and living alongside humans. That was all I ever wanted.”

Mikleo hummed, Sorey not sure if the seraph had actually heard him. He sighed and went to roll over, stopping when he felt Mikleo grab his wrist. The seraphim’s grip was surprisingly strong, especially when Mikleo looked like he was already asleep.

Mikleo fixed him with a serious look, Sorey trying his best to meet it. Mikleo squeezed his wrist once before letting up on the pressure. “Dreams die hard. It doesn’t hurt as much if you let them go…” Mikleo’s voice trailed off into a soft breath as he fell asleep.

Sorey watched him for a moment, debating the success he would have if he pulled his wrist away. Mikleo might wake up, and the seraph looked like he needed the rest. Sorey hadn’t heard anything about seraphim needing sleep, but he assumed that it could happen if the seraph pushed themselves too hard, and Mikleo had certainly done that. Sorey sighed and relaxed into bed, trying to ignore the call of the work that still had to be done. It had been a long time since he had gotten a good night’s rest, one that wasn’t interrupted by the dreams about the monster he would become when he joined with Mikleo. It wouldn’t do him any good to keep pushing, not when everything depended on the careful balance that he was setting up.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, relaxing more with the steady sound of Mikleo’s breathing across from him. Sorey was sure that he imagined the way that Mikleo squeezed his wrist slightly, but he clung to the idea. He might not have been able to live out his dream or carry out his original plan, but he could at last save the seraphim. At least he could save Mikleo.


	16. Chapter 14

“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;  
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”  
\- _The Old Astronomer to His Pupil_ , Sarah Williams

* * *

 

Mikleo woke slowly, not sure which was stranger, the sensation of being on the edge of his heat or the sensation of waking up. The latter was something that he’d rarely experienced, mostly because he had never pushed himself to the point where he needed sleep. He had always stopped right before, because there had always been the danger of being taken by surprise by the hellions that prowled around the mountain. It didn’t matter that he was tainted, he would have made a tempting enough meal for any of them.

He stretched, gritting his teeth at the pulse of warmth in his stomach. He could ignore it for now, but the heat would hit him sometime soon. Mikleo sighed, annoyed at the variation in his schedule.

He’d already gone through one heat and he had been looking forward to a few months rest before having to tackle another. For one, it would mean that he would have been able to get the seraphim out of Pendrago so they would be safe. For another, it meant that he wouldn’t have to deal with the annoyance that came with a heat. He’d have to lock himself into his room for the next four days, all while Sorey focused the empire. It was a gap of time that Mikleo was loathe to give, even if he would have spent most of it with the seraphim.

Mikleo pushed himself up onto his elbow, freezing when he felt something slide down to rest on his stomach. Mikleo looked down, having to push back the covers to see what was on him. He stared at the arm clad in black, frowning as he tried to work out who it was. His mind was still fuzzy from sleep, leaving him grasping at the thing that he would have been able to work out quickly.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder, huffing when he saw Sorey tucked up against his back. Mikleo waited for the familiar sensation of his skin crawling since he had the human close, but it never came. Mikleo stared at Sorey for a moment before shaking his head. It was probably just because of his heat, just like the urge to lean back and let Sorey pull him close again was. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t remember when Sorey had pulled him close or even fallen asleep, he just remembered feeling comfortable. Comfort was important, especially since he would be feeling nothing but discomfort soon.

Mikleo reached down to touch Sorey’s arm, stopping himself short. This was more than he had ever allowed himself, and it was frightening that he couldn’t quite remember why.

He knew why he didn’t let most humans interact with him, because they thought of him and the other seraphim as nothing more than tools. They believed everything that the church had taught them blindly, and it disgusted him. But he had known that Sorey was different from the start, because no human would purposefully seek out a dragon and ask it to help him. Beyond that, Sorey had always kept his distance, but the rest was just habit.

Mikleo plucked at the edge of Sorey’s sleeve before moving the human’s arm off of him. As much as he wanted to stay, there were still things that he had to take care of before he was incapacitated for four days. And there was still some part of him that was annoyed at Sorey. It was somewhat his fault after all, even if it was all involuntary.

He slid out from underneath Sorey’s arm, rolling his eyes when he realized that he was still wearing his clothes. That was something that could be fixed later, once he had checked on the seraphim. Mikleo doubted that he would get the time to change into anything else before the heat hit, and then it wouldn’t matter.

He stood up, stretching his arms above his head with a groan. Mikleo twisted slightly into the stretching, pausing to look back at Sorey.

The emperor was sleeping peacefully, looking far younger than before. It was almost a surprise, because he knew that Sorey wasn’t that old, but the stress of the job was obviously starting to wear on him. Then again, Mikleo wasn’t surprised. Malevolence wasn’t easy to carry around, Mikleo knew that from experience. That made him just want to run his fingers through Sorey’s hair, for what little good that would do. He couldn’t heal malevolence.

Mikleo shook his head and walked around the end of the bed, absently looking around the room. He had only been in Sorey’s room a few times, and it was just as dull as before. There was nothing of Sorey’s personality in the room, but Mikleo wasn’t surprised. Sorey just seemed to use the room for sleep, running the empire hadn’t allowed him the time for anything else. The only thing that seemed to differentiate the room from all the others that Mikleo had glanced into during the nights he had wandered through the palace was the large bookcase.

He walked over to it, resting his fingers on the wooden shelves. Mikleo stared at the titles, almost in awe of seeing so many of them. Any of the books he’d found had been few and far between, and all of them had been for a purpose. He hadn’t had the time to read for pleasure, not when he had been sure that all the evils of the world that he had been warned about were coming for him and when there had been hellions circling closer to Elysia. It had never been so frightening when all the other seraphim had been there with him.

Mikleo paused, staring at a line of books with cracked spines. He lifted his hand, hesitating before touching one of them. He didn’t dare pull it from the shelf, not when he didn’t know how rare the book was and when he couldn’t silence the little voice in his head asking if it would be useful at all.

Mikleo closed his fingers back towards his palm, staring at the shelf of books with envy. The sheer amount and the subjects alone implied plenty of free time, something that he could have only dreamed of when he was younger. It made him want in a completely different way, a longing for a fraction of what the shelf of books promised.

He turned, biting back a growl as he looked at where Sorey was sleeping. It would be so easy to rid himself of the source of envy, and he was sure that no one would hate him for it. The empire would lose their annoying emperor, and Sorey wouldn’t have to do something that was obviously so abhorrent to him.

Mikleo shuddered at the thought, wrapping his arms around himself. It didn’t help to banish the cold that he felt rush through him, which was surprising. Before he would have just done what he wanted without a worry for the consequences, because they had never mattered as much as what he wanted. Even with that, he didn’t want to kill Sorey. He was fond of Sorey.

He rubbed his arms, looking away from the sleeping emperor. His gaze caught on the book that Sorey had left on the table. Mikleo cocked his head to the side, staring at the illustration of the waterfall and the ruins behind it.

He frowned before stepping forward, leaning over the book. He contemplated the drawings and the words for a moment before reaching out to turn the page.

Mikleo’s eyes widened as he recognized the ruin of the old temple that had been on the mountain, just under Elysia. He reached blindly for the chair, sitting down in it even as he stared at the temple.

Gramps had taken him down there when he needed to practice his artes. The temple had long since started falling apart, which meant that there was plenty of water, but also plenty of traps. There had been a few fun afternoons where the two of them had gotten no training done, spending most of their time finding and tripping the old traps.

Mikleo felt something catch in the back of his throat, his hand shaking where it rested on the book. He swallowed, trying to breathe without feeling it catch in his throat. He shook his head and flipped through the book, trying to find something that wouldn’t remind him of his home. He was already feeling shaky, either because of the upcoming heat or the reminder of happier days. It didn’t matter, because he didn’t want to be thinking about either of them.

He glanced over the book, settling into his habit of skimming for keywords that would help him. He didn’t have time to read the whole thing, but someone obviously had. The pages were worn moved easily, Mikleo stumbling across a few bookmarks scattered through it. He fingered the edge of one, absently playing with the leather tassels as he skimmed over the page.

There were a few mentions of seraphim, but nothing that was remotely helpful. Most of it was talking about how it had been in the old days, when seraphim and humans worked together. Mikleo huffed, glancing up at the image of a human surrounded by four seraphim. It had to have been copied from something, because Mikleo couldn’t think of anything that looked like that. All of the carvings in the shrinechurch had seraphim represented as lesser beings, bowing and scraping to the humans that controlled them. This looked something different, like something out of a dream. He traced his fingers over the water seraph before shaking his head and turning the page.

It was obvious where Sorey had gotten his ideas from. It wasn’t wrong to believe that the seraphim weren’t just tools to be used in the expansion of the empire, but it might be too much to believe in this kind of harmony. To his knowledge, there had never been this understanding between humans and seraphim, it was all just something from the stories.

Mikleo sighed, focusing on the next page. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a picture of what he assumed was a hellion. The human was certainly twisted and corrupted like one. There were more, all of them arrayed in the shape of an army. Mikleo would have mistaken them for the empire’s army if he didn’t know better. Nothing in the book he had seen even referenced the empire, it was too busy pretending that such a thing didn’t exist, but maybe it hadn’t yet.

He stared at the collection of hellions, breezing quickly over the drawing of the man with the upraised sword on the opposite page. He had seen enough of the same type of drawing back in the old ruins close to Elysia to know who it was supposed to be. It was a very triumphant pose for the Shepherd, but Mikleo couldn’t help but to scoff at it. If the Shepherd was so triumphant, then more of them would have survived. And then maybe he wouldn’t have had to lose everything.

He huffed and turned to the next page, stopping when he caught sight of the dragon illustration that took up most of the center of the page. Mikleo traced the edges of it, lingering on the creature’s outstretched wings. It looked intimidating, he would admit that, but it was nothing like the dragon that he had made out of ice to protect himself. This one was bulkier and covered in spines. With how heavyset it was, Mikleo couldn’t imagine how it could get into the air, let alone fly. It looked like it would lumber ponderously through the air. It was almost enough to make him laugh, because he was sure that his construction was better. Then again, there was no telling what he looked like as a drake.

Mikleo tipped his head to the side with a frown. He couldn’t remember looking into any reflective surface as a drake. He didn’t remember much from when he was a drake at all. Everything was just instinct and living in the moment, nothing tangible. All Mikleo remembered was the anger, and how good it felt to finally allow himself to lose control and tip over the edge. For all he knew, he looked just like the dragon in the book, a massive lumbering monster.

He let his hand slip off the page, considering the words on it. He didn’t know how much help reading about dragons would be, because he doubted that there were any left. The empire had taken care of all the ones they knew about. He was the only thing left that was close enough to call a dragon and there was nothing the book could teach him on that. He wouldn’t remember it as soon as the rage and anger took over.

Mikleo moved his hand, about to turn the page when he caught sight of a dark drawing. He tipped his head to the side, studying the picture. It wasn’t like the others, it looked more realistic than something that was copied from a carving on the walls. There was even something familiar about the face. Mikleo hummed to himself and traced the jawline of the man before looking up at the heading. He blinked at it, surprised by the departure from the discussion of wonders and ruins of the world to something else.

**_THE LORD OF CALAMITY_ **

_This title is given to the strongest hellion around the time that the malevolence of the world gets too strong to ignore. In legend, he is often depicted as the enemy of the Shepherd, His defeat is something that must happen for the Shepherd to restore balance to the world. Often, the Lord of Calamity is a human who has been corrupted by his ideals or some great sorrow that draws the malevolence closer in. There have been many Lords of Calamity as many Shepherds have mentioned their struggles against some great hellion. Those first records have been lost by time, or have been heavily edited by the Abbey multiple times over the years and further edited by the church when the Abbey fell at the end of the Era of Asgard. Better known are the Lords of Calamity Vikram, Olaf, Netres and Rilla, who were pitted against the Shepherds Lucus, Brastius, Fern and Mauno respectively._

_Equally as compelling as Lords of Calamity themselves are the signs by which they will be recognized. The coming of a great malevolence is generally agreed to be the first one, although this is often hard to tell without hindsight. Other chronicles have pointed out a rise in more powerful hellions, as the Lord of Calamity generally tears through the smaller hellions. Most sources do agree that the coming of the Lord of Calamity is signaled by dragons. In fact, it is often said that one of the ways to become a Lord of Calamity is to join with a dragon in the same way that a Shepherd does with their seraphim._

Mikleo started from his readying as a soft sigh from the bed. He turned his head to look, letting his finger drop away from the sentence he had been on.

He smiled as he saw Sorey sitting up. The human looked blearily around the room, Mikleo raising an eyebrow at his ruffled hair. It was almost enough to make him want to get up and try to pat Sorey’s hair back down. He shifted in his chair, but didn’t bother to move, just waiting for the moment that Sorey realized that he wasn’t alone.

Sorey stretched his arms above his head, staring at the door. Mikleo watched his shoulders slump, Sorey sighing and glancing at the space where Mikleo had been. Mikleo was surprised to see him reach out and pat the space, not quite sure how to react to it. After all, he might have been the one to pull Sorey down on the bed, but he hadn’t been the one to pull them close, that had been Sorey.

He cleared his throat, watching as Sorey turned to look at him. It was hard to ignore the look of joy and relief that crossed the human’s face. Mikleo tilted his head down, but he found he couldn’t look away, not when Sorey was smiling at him.

The bed creaked slightly as Sorey moved to the edge, the human sitting there instead of coming to the table. “I thought that you would have left by now.”

“I just woke up myself.” Mikleo played with the edge of the page. “It’s been a while since I’ve had to sleep.”

“You looked like you needed it.”

Mikleo raised his shoulder in a shrug, but he didn’t bother to argue. He had felt wrung out after trying to heal up as many of the seraphim as he could. Mikleo wasn’t sure that it had helped them any, but he couldn’t have left them like they were. Most of them hadn’t been able to stand after the initial rush of exhilaration that had come with being freed. Even the earth seraph had stopped his careful circles of the storeroom and had collapsed against the wall.

He’d tried his best to spread what he could do around, so they could all have an equal chance to survive. Mikleo wasn’t too worried about them, it was the next group. And the one after that. And all the ones after until he and Sorey got to the ones that were too far gone to help. When that happened, they could figure something to do. There would be enough seraphim out of the weapons that they could come to a decision as a group, which would be far better than forcing it upon any of them.

He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. He heard Sorey cross the room, not bothering to look up until he felt Sorey leaning over him. Mikleo tipped his head back, looking up at Sorey. He got a gentle smile in return, Mikleo ignoring the slow flip that his stomach gave in response. The two of them were still more asleep than awake, the morning still feeling soft around the edges. It made Mikleo want to reach up and touch the hairs at the back of Sorey’s neck. The emperor looked different in the morning light, a bit more relaxed, more like the boy that he had met on the mountain.

Mikleo reached up, stopped himself halfway through the motion. He swallowed, changing the motion to touch the braid that Melody had put into his hair. It was slightly messy now because he had slept on it, but that didn’t stop him from running his fingers along it. He found the end of the braid and played with it, fighting the urge to continue moving his hand until it touched Sorey. It would be so simple to curl his fingers into the silk of Sorey’s shirt and pull him close. He’d liked the warmth from when they had been asleep, and he wanted that back. Wanted to drag Sorey close enough so he could scent him and Sorey could do the same. Mikleo imagined Sorey nuzzling up his neck and shivered in longing.

He tried to ignore the want that his throat went dry, focusing instead on the words on the page, although they were suddenly difficult to make out. His gaze drifted to the dragon only to be pulled back to the drawing of the Lord of Calamity. Mikleo swallowed as he saw Sorey reach out to touch the drawing. He turned his head to look at the human, watching as Sorey scowled.

Sorey stared at the drawing for a moment before shaking his head. “That’s going to be the way they see me one day. After what I did at Gododdin and at the shrinechurch…”

Mikleo huffed, the sound not coming out as strongly as he would have liked it. He couldn’t help leaning closer to Sorey, trying to see what the human was thinking. He frowned as the corner of Sorey’s mouth twitched up in a self-deprecating smile. It made Mikleo want to reach up and smooth it out, because it made Sorey look like someone different. He was used to a certain kind of Sorey, and he didn’t like that it felt like he was slipping away. It made him feel on guard and like he had to back away again.

He sighed, glad when Sorey turned back to look at him. Mikleo reached up to touch Sorey’s cheek, stopping just short of touching him. Sorey seemed to understand, leaning in until just the tips of Mikleo’s fingers brushed across his skin. It was everything that Mikleo needed, but also too little. The need was growing, to the point where it was hard to concentrate.

Sorey moved away all too soon, leaning against the table as he stared at the book. He took a deep breath, his shoulders shaking with it. “I murdered their Shepherd.”

Mikleo recoiled. “He wasn’t anyone’s Shepherd.”

“He was the people’s. They might not have been chosen by them…but you should have heard them cheer. They were so happy to get a Shepherd because it meant things were returning to normal. Or hope. Or…I don’t know. But Malfore was a symbol of the empire they wanted, and I killed him.”

“He wasn’t much of a symbol then. He wanted what the Cardinal wanted, which was more war.”

Sorey shook his head. “The people didn’t see it like that.”

Mikleo rolled his eyes, glancing back at the book. He glanced between the drawing of the Lord of Calamity and the dragon before smirking and running his fingers over the dragon. “If you’re going to be the Lord of Calamity, it’s a good thing that you already have a dragon.” He saw Sorey flinch, making a soothing sound as he reached out to gently turn Sorey’s head to face him. He smiled at Sorey, getting up from his chair so they could be eye to eye.

He heard Sorey suck in a quick breath, but he pushed on before Sorey could move away. “We made a promise to each other. You help me save the seraphim and I help you win you the empire. And if not…”

“We’d burn it all behind us.” Sorey’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Yes.” Mikleo leaned in, just stopping himself from completely closing the distance between them. He swallowed harshly, trying to rein himself in. It was hard with Sorey so close, smelling of old books and alpha. What was worse that he smelled like Mikleo after a night of being curled around him. It all just made him _want_.

He bit his lip when he felt the first wave of heat settle on him, the slick starting to leak out of him. He could tell that Sorey noticed it to. He saw Sorey’s nostrils flare, Sorey leaning forward slightly before rocking back.

“I…I have things to do. The army…and the Blue Storm Knights…” He stumbled over the words, backing away.

Mikleo whined as Sorey moved away, tightening his jaw to keep the rest of the sound from coming out. He just watched as Sorey inched closer to the door.

Sorey made an awkward gesture back towards the door, clearing his throat. He went to grab his coat, jerking his hand back with a blush. Mikleo leaned forward slightly, watching as Sorey fumbled at the buttons on his jacket before giving up. Sorey rubbed the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly. It sounded a bit choked, which made Mikleo just want to inch closer.

He reached back to hold onto the back of his chair, using that to anchor him in place. He couldn’t get closer to Sorey, not while he was still wavering on what to do. If he got too close now, he might do something he hadn’t properly thought through. Mikleo swayed in place, clutching at the back of the chair.

Sorey made a sound close to a whine, but he stumbled closer to the door instead of closer to Mikleo. “I…I’ll escort you to your room. No one will bother you there. I’ll even come and stand guard later, if you want me to.”

“Like last time.” The words slipped out without Mikleo meaning them to. He shook his head, trying to clear it enough to continue with the conversation. “I noticed.”

From the blush that crossed Sorey’s face, the human hadn’t even thought about it. Mikleo didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or snap at Sorey, because it had been torture being able to smell an alpha so close and knowing that he didn’t want him. Still, it had helped in a strange way. But that had been before, it was different now. Having Sorey being just on the other side of the door would be torture for different reasons.

Mikleo let go of the chair walking slowly across the room. All the while his gaze was fixed on Sorey, almost afraid to look away in case Sorey decided to leave suddenly.

He didn’t want that. He wanted was that warmth that he’d had and not to go another heat without being empty and alone. More than that, he wanted Sorey.

If the empire couldn’t have him, then Mikleo was going to make damned sure that the empire wouldn’t sink its claws too deep into Sorey. There were some parts of Sorey that were his and his alone.

Mikleo crossed the distance between him and Sorey, just wanting to wrap himself up in Sorey again. It would be warm and comfortable there. And he could have all of Sorey. The problem was, he wasn’t quite sure how to ask for it.

There was a careful give and take, something that he had never learned. Gramps had told him about it, but had put it off for when he was older, and he felt that loss keenly now.

He shifted in place, watching Sorey carefully. It was something of a relief to see that Sorey didn’t know what to do as much as he did. That meant that he had a smaller margin of error to work with.

Mikleo took a slow step forward, carefully tipping his chin up to offer his neck. He didn’t move so far that he couldn’t see Sorey’s expression. He smiled to himself when he saw Sorey’s wide eyes. It was a good sign and gave him a little bit of confidence. He licked his lips, taking a slow step forward. “I’d prefer to stay here.”

“I-if that’s what you want.”

“And with you.”

He was sure that he heard Sorey squeak at that. Mikleo carefully held Sorey’s gaze for a moment longer before lowering his chin. It wasn’t him going back on what he had asked, but he needed a little bit more.

He shuffled forward to close the distance further, unable to keep himself from stepping right up in front of Sorey. He watched as the human took a deep breath, smiling at the visible shiver that Sorey gave.

Mikleo waited for it to abate before reaching out, letting his hand hover in the space between him. He watched as Sorey looked between him and his hand, sure that Sorey’s gaze lingered on his lips for far longer than it needed to. But that didn’t matter, because he had the patience to wait Sorey out, if just for a bit longer. This was how it had always been between the two of them, an offering and acceptance, and Mikleo was not about the change it now, especially not for this.

He tried to ignore the way that his hand shook, focusing on meeting Sorey’s gaze. When Sorey didn’t move, Mikleo swallowed, trying to move the words past his dry throat. “I want you to stay.”

Sorey whined, Mikleo swaying forward slightly to chase the sound. He wanted to find the exact place where it vibrated under Sorey’s skin and kiss there and bite.

He exhaled shakily, ready to take another step back and give Sorey more time to think or refuse him. He went to take a step back and find a space where he wasn’t just breathing in Sorey when Sorey took a step forward. Mikleo froze, shivering as Sorey lightly stroked the back of his hand, the motion holding him steady as Sorey pressed a light kiss to his fingers. It was light, more of a breath and barely there, but it made Mikleo gasp and shudder.

He tipped his head to the side without thinking, offering Sorey his neck again, but Sorey didn’t go for it. Mikleo watched as Sorey nuzzled his way into Mikleo’s palm. Sorey looked at him with dark eyes, Mikleo shuddering as he felt Sorey’s tongue flick against his palm. He took a deep breath, his mind slipping away to the other places that he’d prefer that tongue like on his neck or inside of him…

Mikleo moaned, the sound drawing Sorey’s attention. Sorey looked up from his palm, the hand that he was still holding the back of Mikleo’s hand with sliding down his arm. Sorey took a step forward at the same time, moving into Mikleo’s space.

Mikleo just stared at him in a daze, not quite sure what his reaction should be, only that he wanted Sorey closer.

He tipped his head up slightly as he felt Sorey’s fingers slide along his neck. The moved briefly over his scent gland before they pushed up into his hair. They twisted there for a moment before Sorey put gentle pressure on the back of his head, just enough for it to be a request and light enough for him to get away if he wanted to. But he didn’t want to get away. He needed to be closer.

He took a step forward, practically crashing into Sorey like he had the night before, except that Sorey was better prepared. He shifted to meet Mikleo his free hand wrapping around Mikleo’s waist to pull him closer even as the hand in his hair guided him in for a kiss. Mikleo rocked up on his toes to cover the last of the distance between them, reaching up with both hands to grab onto Sorey’s head when so he couldn’t get away. He thought he felt Sorey laugh, a soft sound with more breath than anything. Then Sorey was kissing him, hard and desperate, and Mikleo could only respond in kind and equal fervor, his eyes sliding closed in pleasure.

* * *

Sorey had heard all kinds of things about omegas in heat. He’d experienced it enough with the Platinum Knights, when one of the omegas had needed someone to be close and hold them. But it had never been like this, never as intoxicating or all consuming.

He pulled Mikleo roughly against him, hearing the seraph gasp. That was enough of an opening for him to push the kiss deeper, Mikleo matching him stride for stride. He chased after the soft noises that Mikleo made, egged on by the hands in his hair. He gasped into Mikleo’s mouth as Mikleo’s nails scraped across his scalp, sure that he felt a hint of talon in the motion. Sorey shuddered, pulling away slightly to pant for breath.

Mikleo didn’t seem to have the same problem. He leaned forward, chasing the kiss. Sorey let him, tipping his head slightly to try and get a better angle. He didn’t get far before Mikleo dug his nails in again. He thought he heard a soft no, but then he was being guided into position for another kiss and he was beyond complaining.

Sorey let Mikleo take control, only pulling away when he needed to breathe. Even then he didn’t stray far, preferring to nuzzle along the line of Mikleo’s jaw as he caught his breath.

He could feel Mikleo shifting in front of him, sure that it was mostly impatience. He felt Mikleo tug on his hair, a request to raise his head but Sorey was focused on other things, like pressing a light kiss to Mikleo’s scent glad.

Mikleo tensed, Sorey pausing at the choked off sound. He hesitated against the scent gland for a moment before lifting his head. “Mikleo?”

He was sure that Mikleo whispered something, but it was too quiet for him to catch. He studied Mikleo’s face, searching out what the seraph had said. He didn’t get long to look, Mikleo smiling at him and taking a few steps back.

Sorey lurched after him, stopping when Mikleo turned his back. He stared at the white coat that Mikleo wore, his gaze tracing out the blue patterns on it until he was staring at the laces. His fingers twitched, Sorey realizing how easy it would be to slide it off of Mikleo. There would be other layers, but it was at least a start. The rest couldn’t be as tightly laced, so it would be easy to find his way to skin…

He shivered and took a step back, taking deep breaths to try and calm the rushing thoughts in his head. It was slightly easier to think now that Mikleo wasn’t pressed right up against him. His scent was still heavy in the air, so it was only a momentary reprieve. Sorey could already feel himself rocking forward, wanting to bury himself in that scent again.

He closed his hands into fists, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. Sorey swallowed, watching as Mikleo threw a coy look over his shoulder. In the face of that, it took him a few moment to find his voice again. “M-mikleo, are you really alright with this?”

Mikleo raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

“But-”

“I told you. I want it. Now,” Mikleo reached back to play with the strings at the back of his coat, “are you going to help me?”

Sorey could only nod, shuffling forward. He would be lying to himself if he denied that he wanted this. He’d wanted it the first time, because Mikleo had smelled so good. Even when he wasn’t in heat, Mikleo took his breath away. But he hadn’t been invited, so he had stayed in front of the door because he didn’t want anyone else getting ideas. The church had always said that the seraphim were tools, made to work with humans in perfect partnership in all things. There were enough people in the palace that had believed what they said that Sorey had wanted to be sure that Mikleo’s privacy remained intact. He’d been willing to wait for an invitation, whether or not it actually came.

Sorey stared at the gentle curve of Mikleo’s back, resting the palm of one hand between Mikleo’s shoulders. He let it sit there for a moment before dragging it down to where the laces started at the small of Mikleo’s back. He absently played with the knot, pulling the strings tighter for a moment before finally releasing the knot. He curled his fingers into the laces, pulling them free slowly.

He watched as Mikleo shivered, unable to help himself from stepping forward and nuzzling into the back of Mikleo’s neck. He felt the seraph tense, Mikleo reaching back and grabbing onto his hip with one hand. Sorey went still, waiting to see if Mikleo would push him away or pull him closer.

Mikleo ended up doing neither, just curling his fingers over Sorey’s hip. Sorey hummed, taking the stillness as permission to continue.

He pulled the laces completely loose before going back to his attentions to Mikleo’s neck. He heard Mikleo’s breath hitch, Sorey smiling against the back of Mikleo’s neck. He ran his hand up Mikleo’s back again, his fingers plucking at the laces. It would be hard to pull them free when he was practically pressed flush against Mikleo, but he didn’t want to move away, not when it kept him close to the intoxicating scent and where he could hear the soft sounds that Mikleo made.

Sorey let his eyes fall partially closed as he worked, his fingers clumsily tugging the lace free as he explored the graceful arch of Mikleo’s neck. He kept himself from straying too close to Mikleo’s scent glands, not wanting to make him startle away. It felt too good to be pressed up to him like this, listening to the hitching of Mikleo’s breath every time he tugged the coat a little bit looser. Sorey hummed, nuzzling down Mikleo’s neck until he ran into the collar.

He growled at the obstruction, nipping at the edge of it. He must have caught some skin because Mikleo jumped, a sound that could have been a squeal escaping him. Sorey tipped his head, watching Mikleo for the space of two more tugs of the lace before he went back to exploring what bits of Mikleo’s neck was left bare. There wasn’t much of it because this collar was thicker than the other one. Sorey explored the upper edge, tempted to follow the design around to the front, but he didn’t want to move away from Mikleo for too long.

He pulled back slightly as he finished loosening the coat, using that hand to reach up and undo the buckle of the collar. It was easy to work free, Sorey immediately nuzzling into the skin that was revealed to him. He heard Mikleo gasp, ignoring the sound of the collar hitting the floor. It was out of his way, which was all that Sorey cared about. He now had more of Mikleo to kiss, Sorey taking his time to kiss the individual knobs of Mikleo’s spine that he could reach.

He smoothed his hands down Mikleo’s sides, feeling the coat move freely. He smiled to himself, working his hands into the open back of the coat so he could rest them against the curve of Mikleo’s waist.

They lingered there for a moment before Mikleo was stepping away from him, Sorey staring at the space that Mikleo had inhabited a moment before. He found the sense of loss, looking up at where Mikleo was shucking off his coat.

He whined, hoping to draw Mikleo’s attention back to him, but it didn’t quite work the way that Sorey wanted.

Mikleo looked over his shoulder at him, giving him a smirk. “Watch.”

Sorey opened his mouth to protest, because he didn’t want to watch. He wanted to touch, to hold and taste. He never knew that he could physically ache from not being able to hold someone, but there was a first time for everything. He wanted to bury himself in everything that was Mikleo in every way possible. But Mikleo had asked him to do something, so he would try his best.

He didn’t know if he nodded or not, but he must have given some clue because Mikleo’s hands went to the dark blue robe that he wore.

Mikleo slipped the robe off his shoulders, turning to face Sorey with the motion. He let the robe rest gathered on his elbows, meeting Sorey’s gaze. Sorey was helpless to do anything but look, which seemed to be just what Mikleo was waiting for. The seraph grinned and slipped the robe off of his arms, leaving in him a pale blue shirt and white pants.

Mikleo smoothed his hands over his body, hooking his fingers briefly into the hem of his pants before he bent over. Sorey leaned forward as well, watching as Mikleo loosed the laces on his boots in short, efficient tugs. Then he was toeing his boots off and nudging them to the side. Sorey was tempted to follow where they had gone, but he didn’t dare look away, especially when Mikleo was straightening back up, taking his shirt off with the motion.

The shirt was tossed carelessly to the side, completely lacking the finesse that the other articles of clothes had been treated with. It was the only sign of his impatience other than the way that Mikleo’s breathing sped up.

Sorey licked his lips as Mikleo dropped his hands to his waistband, Mikleo hesitating there before rushing the buttons on his pants. Sorey inched forward when it looked like Mikleo needed help, stopping when he heard a soft growl. He responded instinctually, tipping his head to the side to expose his neck.

He couldn’t tell if the appeal was taken, because Mikleo’s attention was already elsewhere. Sorey didn’t care either, because his gaze was fixed on the way that Mikleo stripped his pants off. He tossed them the same way that he had thrown his shirt. Then he was bare, gloriously bare.

Sorey didn’t realize that he had moved until he was slipping his arms around Mikleo to draw him close. He muttered an apology against Mikleo’s forehead, right where the metal of his circlet met skin.

If Mikleo had a reply, Sorey didn’t hear it. He barely got a moment to hold Mikleo before he was pushed away. It was barely an arm’s length, but it felt like a yawning gap. He looked down at the space between them and whine, although his protest dissolved into nothing when Mikleo tugged at his clothes.

Sorey was quick to apply himself, not bothering to take is slow. He shucked his jacket, pulling his shirt over his head with the next motion. He fumbled on his undershirt when Mikleo traced a finger up the front of his pants. Sorey bit back a curse, shaking in place before changing his tactic. He pulled off his boots, not caring how awkward it looked. He barely cared that he heard one smack hard against something to his left, not when it allowed Mikleo to start working on the front. Sorey let him, tugging off his undershirt before reaching down to shove his pants down. He stepped out of them, kicking them to one side. It was worth the pause when he could wrap his arms around Mikleo and pull him close for another kiss.

He thought he felt Mikleo laugh against his lips, taking it as a good sign. And he was desperate for anything that would allow him to seek out Mikleo’s scent, his usual smell of wet earth and rain thicker and deeper from his heat. Sorey groaned, gathering Mikleo closer even as he slid his hands down Mikleo’s sides.

He felt Mikleo twitch when his fingers brushed over some spots so he skirted them for now, too busy trying to map out every part of Mikleo by touch. He wanted to taste the salt on Mikleo’s skin, the slick that was leaking out of him. Sorey moved his hands over the ridge of Mikleo’s hips, smoothing his palms over Mikleo’s ass. He used the hold to pull Mikleo closer, enjoying the hitch in his breath as their cocks rubbed against each other.

Sorey watched as Mikleo tipped his head back, tempted to lean into the act of submission, but it would mean losing sight of Mikleo’s face and he wanted to see every reaction. He shifted his grip slightly, feeling Mikleo practically try to climb him as his fingers dipped further down.

He sucked in a quick breath when his fingers slid over wetness, Sorey following it back to Mikleo’s hole. He circled it gently, trying to hold himself back as Mikleo ground against him and clutched at his shoulders. It was so tempting to just slide a finger in and relish the reaction. Sorey groaned and tucked his face into the crook of Mikleo’s neck. It was the safer place for the moment, a place where he could come back into himself without getting pulled along by Mikleo’s scent, but it was a close thing.

Sorey took a couple of deep breaths, ending one on a long moan as he tried to pull Mikleo even closer. He felt Mikleo’s hand tighten on his shoulder, and then it was pushing him away.

He stumbled back a few steps, staring at Mikleo in shock. He expected some kind of refusal, not for Mikleo to prowl towards him.

Sorey stepped backwards until he hit the wall. He threw a surprised look over his shoulder, staring at the paint before he turned to look back at Mikleo.

The seraph stepped right up to him, pressing one of his shoulders back against the wall with a smile. Mikleo looked him up and down, Sorey feeling his stomach flip. He opened his mouth to speak, snapping it shut at a sharp shake of Mikleo’s head. “No.”

“No what?”

“No teasing.” Mikleo’s hand tightened on his shoulder, Sorey arching his back at the tease of claws. From the grin that Mikleo gave him, the seraph knew what he was doing.

“Then what do you want?”

“You.”

Sorey shivered, tipping his head back against the wall. He took a few deep breaths, trying to get himself back in control. It was hard, especially when Mikleo used his other hand to take his cock in hand. Sorey bit his lip, bucking his hips up as Mikleo stroked him. He looked back down at Mikleo, something fierce unwinding in his chest. Sorey bit his lip to hold back to urge to growl, not wanting to scare Mikleo away. This was all still too new to chase away with something threatening.

He jerked as Mikleo squeezed his shoulder again, meeting Mikleo’s gaze. Mikleo nodded slowly. “Eyes on me.”

Sorey did growl at the order, watching as Mikleo’s eyes went unfocused for a moment. He took the moment to claim Mikleo’s mouth in a rough kiss. He heard Mikleo make a soft sound, Sorey pulling back just enough to check for a refusal before pushing back in.

Mikleo went deliciously pliant against him for a moment before returning the kiss with a ferocity that Sorey hadn’t expected. Mikleo crowded him against the wall, his hand letting go of Sorey’s shoulder to grope for his hand. Mikleo grabbed it and pulled it around until it was resting on his waist again. Sorey didn’t need more encouragement than that.

He dragged his fingers over the swell of Mikleo’s ass. He cupped it briefly before sliding his fingers, between the cheeks and to Mikleo’s hole. He paused when he felt Mikleo jerk, slowly sliding a finger in when Mikleo didn’t do anything else. Sorey gently moved his finger around, more in lazy exploration than actual stretching out. Most of his attention was devoted to the slack jawed look on Mikleo’s face. The rest was on how tight Mikleo felt around him, and how wet.

He must have said the last part out loud because he heard Mikleo laugh, the sound having more shake to it than he expected. “M-more.”

Sorey stared at him, enraptured by the darker color that Mikleo’s eyes had changed to. He almost forgot the request until Mikleo rocked back onto his finger. “Sorey…”

He swallowed and slid another finger in, whimpering as Mikleo bore down on them. Mikleo’s eyes were half closed now, and he seemed to have forgotten everything in his need to rock down onto Sorey’s fingers. It almost made him jealous, and made him want more.

He lowered his head, nosing his way along Mikleo’s neck until he found a good place to bite down. The bitten off scream from Mikleo was just want he wanted to hear. But he also wanted more. He wanted to hear his name, he wanted to hear every noise that he could wring out of the seraph.

He made a sound that he hoped was encouraging, but he didn’t dare move away from the spot he had found. Mikleo seemed to enjoy it by the way he had shifted his grip to clutch at Sorey’s shoulder. He was using the hold to push himself down further. Sorey almost wanted to look up to see Mikleo’s expression, but that would lose him his spot, and it was glorious. He was drowning in the sharp scent of Mikleo, Sorey groaning as he slid another finger into Mikleo.

That made Mikleo buck hard, something that might have been his name escaping him. Sorey grinned against Mikleo’s skin, about to move slightly further up Mikleo’s neck when Mikleo pulled away.

Sorey took a step to follow him, the lack of warmth pressed up against him making him woozy. He stopped himself before he could go too far. Sorey shook his head hard, trying to clear it from the same thoughts that were circling his head. He wanted to call Mikleo back, or pin him to the floor, anything to get back close to him. It was strange to suddenly be without the heady scent of the seraph so close. It didn’t matter that the entire room smelled of it, it wasn’t the same without being able to touch Mikleo.

He fumbled for something enough like words, losing all of them when Mikleo held out a hand to him. Sorey didn’t even need to wait for Mikleo to bare his neck, he was already rushing across the room.

He grabbed onto Mikleo’s hand, meaning to pull the seraph close, but his forward momentum was too much. He yelped, reaching up to cradle the back of Mikleo’s head as they both fell to the ground.

Sorey grunted as his shoulder hit the ground, his eyes widening in surprise when Mikleo used the moment to roll them over. He blinked up at Mikleo as the seraph straddled him. He couldn’t help bucking his hips up as Mikleo settled into place. Mikleo leaned forward, planting a hand on Sorey’s chest to keep him still. Sorey shifted, hissing when Mikleo dug his nails in. This time he was sure that he felt the bite of claws in his chest, but it was nothing more than a warning.

He met Mikleo’s gaze, watching as Mikleo shifted on his lap. For a moment, Sorey thought he saw a flash of scales and slit pupils, but it was gone as quickly at is appeared. He stared up at Mikleo, glorying in the sight of him, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to be inside of him and Mikleo needed to be within reach.

He skimmed his hands up Mikleo’s sides, the motion brought to a stop when Mikleo reached down to cover them with his own. Mikleo gave him an imperious gaze, his fingers tightening over Sorey’s hands and giving a warning squeeze. “What are you doing?”

“I want you under me.” The frank statement didn’t surprise Sorey, not when all he could think about was sinking into Mikleo. He had felt wondrously wet and warm around his fingers and Sorey couldn’t help thinking about how it would feel around his cock. How it would feel to be buried deep inside of Mikleo and knotted.

He didn’t realize he was growling until Mikleo squeezed his hands again. He couldn’t quite stop the sound, but he could turn it into a whine.

That didn’t seem to appease Mikleo either and, for a brief moment, Sorey was sure that Mikleo would get off of him and leave. He shook his head, stopping the motion when he heard Mikleo laugh. He watched as Mikleo leaned forward, lifting his head in the anticipation of another kiss, but then Mikleo was catching his chin with a smirk. “What makes you think you can?”

It took him a moment to understand what Mikleo was saying, then he sat up with a grin. He wrapped his arms around Mikleo, twisting them both sharply.

Mikleo went with a gasp, trying to wiggle out of his grip before he hit the floor. Sorey managed to pin Mikleo on his back for a moment before the seraph was shoving him off, trying to roll them back.

Sorey braced himself, waiting for the next opening to make his move, but he was distracted. He wanted to kiss the column of Mikleo neck. He wanted to explore the planes of Mikleo’s body, to lick into him, to wraps his lips around Mikleo and suck him off. The smell of Mikleo’s heat and need was driving him mad.

He grunted as he was pinned down again, managing to scrape enough presence of mind to roll away before Mikleo had the chance to straddle him. Sorey rocked onto his knees, moving when he saw Mikleo go to his hands and knees.

He clambered on top of Mikleo, pressing one hand between Mikleo’s shoulders and pushing. There wasn’t much force behind it, but Mikleo fell forward, Sorey shuddering at the moan that Mikleo gave. He couldn’t stop himself from grinding up against Mikleo’s ass as he watched for further signs of approval.

Mikleo turned his head, panting softly as he opened his eyes. They were definitely more like the drake’s eyes than Mikleo’s, but that didn’t frighten him away. He leaned forward, putting a bit more pressure on the hand between Mikleo’s shoulders to make sure that he didn’t wiggle away, not that it was likely. Mikleo was rocking back into Sorey, gasping every time that Sorey rubbed up against him. “Sorey…”

The sound of Mikleo moaning his name undid him. Sorey steadied Mikleo’s hip with his free hand, holding it in place for a moment before letting go to line himself up. He swallowed harshly at the sight of Mikleo hole, all wet and red from being stretched. The slick had slid down his legs, coating the inside of his thighs. The sight and the soft noises that Mikleo was making was enough to sweep away what little control he was holding onto.

He pushed in, watching as his cock was enveloped. He looked away from the sight as Mikleo’s back arched. He leaned forward in preparation to hold Mikleo in place, but there was no need, Mikleo moaning loud and long as he rocked back into Sorey, pushing the last few inches into himself.

Mikleo shuddered, Sorey gasping for breath as Mikleo fluttered around him.

It felt so good to be pushed so close and so deep, far better than the other times when he had just lay curled around the omega. This time, Mikleo wasn’t anyone else’s, he had chosen Sorey alone. He would have lingered over that, but he didn’t have the attention for anything more than thrusting deep into Mikleo, listening to the litany of choked off noises that Mikleo made.

Part of him wanted to encourage Mikleo to get louder, but another part of him was jealous. Like this he was the only one who could hear Mikleo, which was so much better than anyone overhearing him. Like this, it was just between the two of them.

Sorey groaned and draped himself further over Mikleo’s back, not bothering to put any pressure on the hand between Mikleo’s shoulders. Mikleo wasn’t going anywhere, not with the way that he was rocking back into Sorey’s thrusts with abandon. Sorey grinned and nuzzled the back of Mikleo’s neck. He was rewarded with another full body shudder, Mikleo pushing himself up onto his elbows. Sorey eased his weight slightly, watching as Mikleo dropped his head, clearing Sorey’s reach to his neck.

It was tempting to rock forward and bite down, but he didn’t want to change his position. It felt too good to be pressed inside and against Mikleo, feeling every shift and buck that Mikleo gave. Being this close meant that he could hear every quick breath, every moan that Mikleo made. Sorey was distantly aware that he was moaning as well, but that was secondary between the sounds that Mikleo was making and his steady thrusts into Mikleo.

Sorey closed his eyes, focusing on the tight heat of Mikleo. It was perfect, divine and driving him out of his mind.

He adjusted his position slightly, not daring to get up where he was lying against Mikleo’s back. It wasn’t much, but it was enough that he could thrust harder.

The first one wrung a scream out of Mikleo. Mikleo pressed up against him, reaching back with one arm to grope for Sorey’s. Sorey gave in easily, moving his hand from its place on Mikleo’s hip.

His hand was guided under Mikleo, Sorey’s fingers brushing over Mikleo’s cock. He didn’t expect Mikleo to start forward at the touch, Sorey moving to follow so he wouldn’t slip out. The hard thrust made Mikleo moan, his hand dropping away from Sorey’s so he could brace himself better. Sorey barely did the time to adjust, thrusting back into Mikleo at the same angle.

Mikleo screamed something that might have been his name, but the word trailed off into a moan as Sorey started to stroke him. It didn’t take more than a few strokes before Mikleo started shuddering, his walls clamping down. Sorey grunted and dropped his hand from between Mikleo’s shoulder, grabbing onto Mikleo’s hip instead so he could hold Mikleo in place as he ground deep into him. Mikleo mewled, twisting and writhing in his grip.

The movement made Sorey panic, because Mikleo couldn’t move away. He was so close, and it felt so good. He growled in warning, leaning forward a bit more. He bit down hard on the back of Mikleo’s neck, holding him in place with that bite and the weight of his body.

Mikleo went still for a moment, then his whole body shuddered. Sorey moaned when Mikleo’s walls clamped down around him, bucking his hips slightly as he felt Mikleo’s cock pulse before he came.

Mikleo practically sobbed his name, Sorey managing to hold out a moment longer the tight squeeze of Mikleo’s walls brought him over the edge. He gasped as he came, letting up on his hold on the back of Mikleo’s neck slightly, but he didn’t dare let go completely. He didn’t know why, there was nothing more important than grinding deep into Mikleo as he spent himself.

Sorey dropped across Mikleo’s back, panting for breath. He could still feel Mikleo shaking under him, Mikleo sometimes shifting his hips slightly. He never moved too far which made relaxing all the easier.

Sorey hummed and let go of Mikleo’s neck, nuzzling the skin around the bite mark that he had made. He thought he heard a lazy hum from Mikleo, but his attention was mostly on the delightful sensation of being knotted.

He’d never knotted any of the Platinum Knights when they had asked him for help, mostly because that was never part of the deal. He was just another alpha who they could scent and hold to take the edge off. This was better, closer than he’d ever been to anyone.

He shifted slightly to kiss across Mikleo’s shoulders, opening one eye as he heard Mikleo whine. The seraph was looking at him, but his eyes were still unfocused. Sorey watched Mikleo take a few deep breaths before the seraph freed a hand from where it was pinned under him. Mikleo curled his fingers into the carpet a few times before shifting his hand out to the side and spreading his fingers.

Sorey stared at the offered hand for a moment before understanding. He uncurled his fingers from the curve of Mikleo’s hip to reach forward and rest his hand over Mikleo’s, shifting so his fingers were in the gaps. Sorey smiled as he heard Mikleo breathe out a shuddering breath, the seraph’s eyes slipping closed.

Sorey watched him for a moment before shifting to find a more comfortable position that would keep him in full contact with Mikleo. He didn’t want to give a moment of this up, not when all he could smell was the two of them. Because that was perfect, it was right.

He smiled to himself, nuzzling into Mikleo’s neck again. The long sigh that he got out of the motion was worth it, Sorey feeling Mikleo relax further under him. Sorey muttered something that might have been words, he couldn’t quite tell himself. It didn’t seem to matter to Mikleo, because the seraph just hummed in response, although he sounded like he was half asleep. Sorey didn’t bother to disturb him, just settling himself more comfortably over Mikleo as he waited for his knot to go down.


	17. Chapter 15

“The fierce god of War has laid aside  
His spear; but yet his terrible cry  
Rings in our ears; he that spreads death and destruction.  
Ye gods, drive him back to his distant home!  
For what the light of day has spared,  
The darkness of night destroys.”  
 – _Oedipus the King_ , Sophocles

* * *

 

In his seven years of being a Platinum Knight, Boris hadn’t seen the walls of Pendrago so empty. He tipped his head up, watching for the gleam of armor in torchlight. He knew that there were Platinum Knights on the wall, but he couldn’t see them because of how sparsely spread they were. Boris let himself look for a few more moments before shaking his head. It wouldn’t do him any good to look at what wasn’t there. It was more important to look into what was going on in the palace.

He turned on his heel, looking back at the courtyard. It had been filled with the Royal Guard earlier, but they had been marched out to join the others camping in the fields around Pendrago. Boris didn’t know if it was because Sorey still didn’t trust them or if it was because Sorey was wanting to avoid any fights between them and the Platinum Knights. If it was the latter, that was strange considering that Sorey wanted to restart the war.

Boris drummed his fingers against his leg. Sergei had nearly been in a panic when he had delivered that bit of news, and Boris could almost agree with him. This was the prince who had ridden out of the capital and, often, away from safety to help the people. He was the one who had climbed a mountain to find a dragon on the off chance that it would help bring about peace. For him to have turned his back on the idea of peace was worrying, but how much Boris didn’t know. Sergei hadn’t been able to give him a concrete reason for Sorey’s change of plans, but he had pointed out his behavior at the shrinechurch.

He shivered at the thought, rubbing his palm against his leg. He wouldn’t blame Sorey for getting angry at the council. They were a bunch of duplicitous, self-serving assholes who probably would have been charged with treason if they had ever gone to trial. The sentence for treason was death, no matter how badly Sorey felt about it. Still, the process was the important part, because then the people wouldn’t have seen them in a favorable light. Boris wasn’t quite ready to call them martyrs, but the people still had fallen back into the belief that the council was at least trying to look after them. Boris would readily admit that it would have been easier to stop everything if Sorey had done anything but kill the council.

Then again, it was a question of if Sorey had been in control.

He’d never seen anything like the thing in the shrinechurch. Whatever it had been, it had been an awe inspiring and terrifying creature. Boris assumed that it had to have been powerful considering the destruction that they had seen. The powers of a seraph were the only explanation for the weapon that had been frozen from the inside and shattered or the shards of ice that had been stuck in the walls of the church along with General Viktor. It was just the how of it that escaped him, but he hadn’t gotten the chance to look too much into it. He’d been too busy trying to arrange a way to get someone he trusted to Gododdin to look into what happened there. It was important because that was the point at which Sorey had changed his mind.

Boris turned away, scanning over the parts of the courtyard closer to the castle. He glanced over at the carts that were gathered by the gate, ready to leave as soon as the city gates opened up. He walked a bit further into the courtyard, staring at the crates that were inside them. They were full of weapons and supplies for the soldiers camped outside. Boris had seen a few carts come in with broken equipment, but he hadn’t seen what happened to those yet. Considering the usual weapons that were used, the broken ones were probably seraphic, which meant that the generals would be desperate to fix those. Boris couldn’t think of a single part of the war that they hadn’t fought with some kind of seraphic weapon. With a lack of seraphim, it would be even more important for the weapons to be fixed, but there were two problems with the idea that he could see.

For one, Boris wasn’t sure that there was any way to repair the weapons. He’d listened to the argument cycle through the army and the blacksmiths of Pendrago many times over. There had been one point when Empress Nadia had brought in blacksmiths from other countries, even mysterious foreign ones who all said that they had no idea how to fix the weapons that looked like they were about the break. As far as he knew, the only way to fix them would be to release the seraph and rebind it in another weapon, which was always dangerous to try. There was no way of telling if the seraph would survive outside of the weapon. They were more liable to break apart into nothing or to turn into a dragon than anything else.

On the other hand, Boris couldn’t imagine why Sorey would want to repair the weapons. Sorey had always been enchanted by tales of the seraphim and the Shepherds of old, and he’d hated the seraphic weapons. Boris agreed with him that they were cruel things. He’d seen what had happened to a seraph who had been released from one once, a seraph that seemed more hellion than anything else. He hadn’t been able to watch what had happened to it, but he heard it clear enough.

It had made sense when Sorey ordered all the weapons to be gathered in one place, although Boris hadn’t known what the emperor was going to do with them. As far as he knew, a Shepherd was need to help them but the last one had died years ago. Still, it had been better than letting the army use them until the seraphim inside were used up.

Now, Boris didn’t know what Sorey would do. He was still gathering the weapons like before, but it was with the promise that they would be fixed and returned. Boris frowned, watching a group of soldiers unloading crates from a wagon. It was late for them to be working, but it looked like it was the last wagon of the day.

He watched them carefully, shivering at how the men looked. He hadn’t gotten a chance to go look out at the growing camp, but he had heard all of the complaints from the people in Pendrago.

The army had always been a rough group of men; it had to be after being in service for so long, but Boris was sure that they were quickly running out of men. From what he had heard, most of them were more hellion than human. It wouldn’t take them much to tip over the line. One battle and Sorey would be leading an army of hellions, which was frightening in its own way. Hellions would gladly follow anyone who could promise them more destruction, but they were far too dangerous to trust. Only when they were full could they be considered trustworthy, and only barely. The problem was that hellions were always ravenous.

The soldiers started moving the crates into the palace, Boris drumming his fingers against the side of his leg before coming to a decision. He’d never looked into what Sorey was doing with the weapons and it was about time to do so. Boris would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that he wanted to check if Sorey was still acting like himself. He wasn’t sure what he would find, but an answer would be far better than nothing, at least for him. He didn’t know how well it would sit with Sergei, but that was something to be taken care of later.

Boris waited until the soldiers were in the palace before following after them. He didn’t want to sit through the tangled mess that the chain of command had become just to get some answers. The generals were very careful not to push Sorey too hard, especially with all the rumors that were floating around. The latest one that Boris had heard was that Princess Alisha had killed the council before she had escaped, one last act of Hyland depravity to spur on the war. Boris was sure that more rumors would spring up, but he had no control over that.

He slipped into the palace, waiting by the door until his eyes adjusted to the light. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh light of the torch on the wall. Even still he could see the flickering shadows of the soldiers as they moved. Boris tipped his head to the side, trying to figure out which they were going. It was obvious that the soldiers were heading to the less used parts of the palace. He had known from the start that Sorey was storing the seraphic weapons that he gathered there, probably because he had thought that no one would go back there. He was right at least on that part, simply because it was so far out of the way.

Boris lowered his hand and trailed after them, making sure to keep his distance. He didn’t think the soldiers would do anything, but it was a matter of wanting to avoid trouble. Boris was sure that he would be working his way through the army camp soon enough, which would mean dealing with all of them. He was more than willing to put it off until then. Besides, the soldiers were bound to be in a bad mood if they were working this late. If they were more hellion than human, Boris was willing to be that they would be able to smell the seraphim and humans in the palace and that would make them hungry.

He dropped his hand to his sword, holding the grip tightly as he continued to edge his way through the hallways. In the distance, he could hear the grunts and curses of the soldiers as they hauled the crates along. And then, there was a series of loud thuds.

Boris ducked back around a corner, tipping his head to the side as he waiting for the soldiers to walk back. He pressed himself back against the wall, trying to keep his breathing quiet as the group moved past him. He could hear snippets of conversation, nothing that he could put together well enough to make a report. It was just gossip and complaints to be filed way for later.

He waited until their footsteps had faded down the hallway before daring to pull away from the wall. He padded down the hallway a few steps, tipping his head to the side and listening. Boris smiled when he heard the outside door shut, straightening up before striding down the hallway. He was sure that the soldiers had carried in the last few crates, which meant that no one would be bothering him for a long while.

He released his grip on his sword, looking around the deserted hallway. He wasn’t surprised to see dust gathering in the corners. He doubted that anyone bothered to clean in this part of the palace and Sorey wouldn’t order it. Mikleo was even less likely to allow humans into this section of the palace which made Boris wonder if Sorey had ever been to where the weapons were stored. That they were working together didn’t mean that they shared all of their secrets. It would make more sense if Mikleo kept something back, the seraph didn’t seem to like humans that much, no matter what the people had said about him.

Boris shook his head, stepping around a corner and coming to an abrupt stop. He smiled to himself when he saw the stack of crates outside the door to one of the storerooms. He jogged over, running his hands over them. None of the crates looked forced open or harmed, which was good. There was still a chance of saving them.

For a moment, he entertained the thought of stealing the crates away, but he shook his head. It would take him too long on his own and it was more important to check inside the storeroom. He could figure out what was going on with the weapons there before he made his decision. As far as he was concerned, it wouldn’t hurt them to move the seraphic weapons away, if only to keep Sorey from sending them out again. Boris was sure that he could gather some Platinum Knights to help him. They could always tell Mikleo what they had done later and avoid what the seraph had done to General Alexsei. If anything, he might actually help them with the task of moving the crates.

Boris reached out, testing the storeroom door. He was surprised that it swung open so easily, he would have expected it to be locked. Then again, he couldn’t remember if the keys for this part of the palace existed anymore. If they did, they had long been forgotten. He ran his thumb over the keyhole before shaking his head. Making a new key or a new lock would take too long, and Boris didn’t know when Sorey would start supplying his troops with the weapons again or if any had already gone out. Boris made a mental note to check with the blacksmiths in the city to see what they had been ordered to do before he opened the door.

For an abandoned storeroom, it was well lit. Boris frowned and glanced at the torches burning on the walls. He could see no reason for why they would be there. It’s not like weapons needed the light, not unless Mikleo was planning on coming to the storeroom. Boris muttered a curse under his breath, moving away from the door. There was a high probability that Mikleo would be turning up, which meant that he had to work quickly. Then, while Mikleo was busy in the storeroom, he could gather the Platinum Knights that were free and speak to the seraph about moving the weapons to a safer place that Sorey didn’t know about, if only temporarily.

He made a quick loop around the room, peering into the crates and checking to see the contents. Most of them were halfway full, but there were a few that were almost empty. Boris leaned into those, trying to count the weapons. While he sifted through them, he tried to judge how long they would last in battle. If they had to prioritize their removal in any way, then it would be better to take the ones that would break immediately. The stronger would survive a little bit longer, and that would give him the time to come up with something to do to help them. For that, he was sure that he would have the Platinum Knights’ support. Sergei would certainly go along with it. His brother was a bit too softhearted to let anyone suffer needlessly.

He continued his sweep, frowning when he realized that none of the weapons looked like they would last a single day on the march. He ran his finger down a huge crack in a bow, jerking it away when he saw the crack widen further. Boris stumbled back from the crate, looking around the room with a growing sense of desperation. If any of these weapons were patched up by blacksmiths, he was sure that the captains and soldiers wouldn’t blink an eye. But, when the weapons broke there would be hellions to deal with, and maybe even a dragon.

Boris shuddered at the thought. It had been a long time since anyone had fought a dragon, much less seen one. Some might consider it alright considering that they had a dragon on their own, but Boris doubted that Mikleo would be able to help. He was smaller than what he had always imagined dragons to be. That and he hadn’t seen Mikleo fight much. A dragon driven by malevolence and pain would be much stronger than Mikleo.

He crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the crates before nodding to himself. He’d just have to ask for permission later, it was more important to move the weapons before any more could be taken away; if not for the sake of the seraphim inside them then for the sake of the rest of humanity. Boris didn’t think that anyone could survive a sky full of dragons.

Boris turned on his heel, hissing when he knocked into one of the crates. He watched it rock for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. He didn’t want any sign that he had been there to alert Mikleo, not without the chance to explain what he was doing. He didn’t feel like getting torn to pieces or eaten, or whatever Mikleo did with people who angered him. Boris shivered, glancing around like Mikleo would step out of the shadows.

The motion drew his attention to something shining in the torchlight. Boris leaned back, starting at the pile of shards that had been swept into a corner. Boris walked over to the pile, dropping into a crouch by it. He carefully sorted through some of the shards, sucking in a quick breath when he caught sight of an interrupted line of runes. Boris reached in to pull out a few more shards, finding bits of swords and a few bits of crossbow mechanisms.

Boris stared at the pile that he had made, shaking his head slowly. It answered his question on what had happened to the other weapons at least. He didn’t have a big enough pile to account for all of the weapons that could have gone missing, but it was just enough to enable him to start to connect the dots. These were the weapons that had failed completely or had been traded out for new ones. That still didn’t explain why Sorey had done it, especially if it would turn Mikleo against him, but that was something to figure out later, maybe when Vanya got back from Gododdin with the full story.

He tossed the pieces of weapons back into the pile and stood up. There was no point in delaying then, not if there was a chance on stopping this before it got any worse. He brushed his hands on his pants, ready to turn and run for the door when he heard something creak.

Boris froze and looked around the room, looking to see if one of the crates was giving way. He frowned, ready to step away towards the door when he noticed another door tucked into the shadows of the storeroom. Boris hesitated before taking a step towards the door. He expected to hear another creak, but the storeroom was quiet. Suspiciously quiet.

He dropped his hand down to his sword, holding it as he stepped towards the door. He couldn’t imagine anything more than more crates being back there, so he might have just heard them shifting, but it never hurt to be prepared.

He started to pull his sword out even as he reached for the handle. Boris took a moment to take a few deep breaths before yanking the door open. He was ready to see a room full of more crates, not a small ball of fire hovering in the air, nor a room full of wide eyed seraphim.

Boris took a step back, trying to form words even as he tried to add up the new information. The seraphim weren’t placed in new weapons, but they were out and free. That might explain the shards that he had found, but not what they were doing out. He didn’t know if the seraphim had been helped out or if they had broken out. Nor did it answer what they were doing hanging around in a storeroom in the palace. He would have thought that they would have run instead of sitting around where they could captured again. If he were them, he would have gotten as far away from humans and their weapons.

He stumbled through an apology, not sure if he actually got the words out. Boris stepped back, slamming his sword back home. He saw some of the seraphim relax at the motion, glad that he had gotten some of their wariness away.

He was deciding whether to bow to them or just turn to run when one of the seraphim stood up. He swept his gaze over her, trying to come up with something to say, but the seraph just glared at him.

She crossed her arms over her chest, looking intimidating despite being shorter than him. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m just-”

“Did Mikleo send you?” She gave him a moment to speak but the words wouldn’t come. He must have hesitated for too long because the seraph tipped her chin up. “I thought not. Who are you?”

“Boris Strelka, of the Platinum Knights.”

“Knights?”

“A soldier!”

“He’s come to take us back!”

“He’s come to take the others away!”

“I can’t go back! I don’t want to go back!”

Boris looked around at the panicking seraphim, fishing for anything that would calm them down. He took a deep breath, about to try and reassure them that he was there to take them all away to safety when a big seraph stepped in front of the group. Boris stared up at him, taking in the ragged black clothes that the seraph wore.

The seraph crossed his arms and shook his head. “I don’t think we have much of a choice then.”

Another seraph, this one with red hair, looked up from where she was sitting on one of the old beds. “We’re not going to kill him.”

Boris glanced over at her, pegging her as the one who would be on his side, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. She tucked herself back against another female seraph in blue, the two of them holding onto each other.

He licked his lips, about to offer some kind of plea when the big seraph moved, stepping in front of him. Boris tilted his head up slightly to meet the seraph’s gaze, fully expecting the wariness and hints of something that could be hatred there.

The seraph met his gaze without flinching, the corner of his mouth twitching up into something that could have been a smile. “I don’t think that we have to go that far.”

Boris didn’t get the chance to argue against whatever plan they had, the seraph moved too quickly. He took a step back, Boris only having the time to see his fist moving before it slammed into his head.

And then everything went black.

* * *

Alisha crouched by the corner of a house, leaning out as far as she dared. She tensed as she felt a hand on her back, recognizing the warmth in it a moment later. She didn’t dare look back up at Lailah, not if it meant missing anything that was going on in the town.

Dineault had the misfortune of sitting very close to the border and between two forts. From her own knowledge there had never been a contingent of soldiers stationed there. Alisha didn’t know if it was because the empire didn’t have the men or the empire didn’t care. She could easily believe either, especially looking at the state of the town. The houses weren’t in the best state of repair, but was more telling was the way that the people behaved. They had been pleased enough to welcome her and Rose, but they had all gone into their houses as soon as the soldiers of the empire had started marching through.

Alisha shifted in place, trying to ease up pressure on one of her knees. She reached down to flick away the stone she had been kneeling on, going back to her rough count of the forces that were marching through. She couldn’t do an exact count, but she was sure that she was seeing the full forces of at least a few of the border forts in the area plus the units that had been left in the area after one of the skirmishes between Emperor Dorann’s sons. They were probably only marching through Dineault because it was the nearest town for a good three days’ march, and the army would need to resupply before heading towards wherever they were going.

And where they were going was the main question. Why would the army would be removing themselves from the borders and marching away, especially when the resistance was still working in Hyland?

Alisha was sure that they would have been alerted if the resistance had been wiped out, both Dezel and Edna had been working hard to track their progress and make sure the emperor’s forces didn’t spot them first. It had been a careful balancing act, but the two seraphim had been able to alert them to many different troop movements, including this one.

Alisha settled herself back into position, laying her fingers out on her leg as she recounted the groups moving. It was easier to count them by the sigil they marched under, but that didn’t tell her everything. The unit might have once been under a nobleman, but had been taken by one of the emperors in the past for the war, so their sigil didn’t mean anything anymore. Still, it was a good enough marker to figure out what they would be facing. If they were going to be facing those forces at all.

Part of her wanted to celebrate their march back, because it meant that Sorey was still trying to abide by the terms of the treaty that they had set up. He could be calling them back to appease the people, to make a show of going to war again before trying to declare peace again. Surely by the time he had gathered his entire forces the people would be tired of the strain and they would start clamoring for peace again, and the council would have to give in, especially if Sorey managed to replace them with a council more suitable for the way he governed. But another part of her warned to be careful. In her experience things were rarely that easy.

She heard Lailah suck in a quick breath behind her, Alisha not daring to look away from the marching soldiers to look at her. She just lowered her voice to a whisper, leaning back slightly so her words would carry in the right direction. “What is it?”

Lailah shifted slightly behind her, leaning closer to speak in a low voice. “The soldiers…”

Alisha focused on the soldiers, skimming over them. Most of them looked like humans, but there were a few that caught her eye, a few who had an aura that made her shiver. She leaned back involuntarily, wanting to put as much distance between herself at the soldiers as she could.

The worst were yet to come, Alisha sucking in a quick breath at the soldiers loping along at the back of the troop. They didn’t look human anymore, all of them lizards, wolves or cats with bared teeth and clawed hands that were barely hanging onto the weapons that they carried. Alisha was sure that they were only following the others because of the promise of blood and battle. If that didn’t happen soon, she didn’t know exactly what they would do, but she was sure that the populace would suffer for it.

She held her position until the last of the army had marched past her, only then daring to look across the road. She had to turn slightly to see where Rose was crouched on a roof further down the road with Dezel and Edna. She couldn’t quite make out what the three of them were doing, but they seemed to be holding a quiet conversation between themselves. Alisha watched them for a moment longer before ducking completely behind the building.

She pressed her back against it, taking a few deep breaths. It didn’t help undo the growing knot of worry in her chest, but it was one of the only things she could think of doing. Alisha looked over at Lailah, watching as the seraph paced just behind the building.

The fire seraph looked at her for a long moment before she shook her head. Lailah didn’t need to say more to convey how she felt about the situation, and Alisha understood. It was hard to feel anything but unease when watching the might of the empire march by.

Alisha pulled away from the building, jerking her chin down the back alley they were in. “We should go back to the inn. Rose and the others will be heading back as soon as they’re done.”

Lailah just gave her a distracted nod, already walking towards the back door of the inn. Alisha was quick to follow, darting ahead to open the door for the seraph. She didn’t know if Lailah noticed, the seraph too caught up in her thoughts to do anything more than traipse up the steps to the inn and back to the table that they had occupied before they had gotten the news that the army was marching by.

Alisha watched her settle into the seat before going over to the counter. She exchanged a nod with the nervous looking woman behind the desk, leaning against the counter as she waited for Rose to come back in.

She stood in silence for a short while before the woman spoke up, Alisha immediately turning all of her attention towards her. “This is the second time this week it has happened.”

“The second time?”

The woman nodded, smoothing her hand over the counter. “They’ve been moving through steadily. I almost expected them to stop like the others have. We’ve had two groups camped outside the town, but we get a lot of scouts riding through to demand supplies and then bringing wagons.”

“And they’re all heading to Pendrago.” It wasn’t a question, but the woman nodded anyway. Alisha stared down at the counter, curling her fingers against it. “Do they all look that bad?”

The woman nodded again, her hands reaching up to clutch at a small medallion that she wore around her neck. “It’s always frightening to see the soldiers marching through, because it means more war. But when the hellions come with them, it can only be bad. I thought we’d managed a stalemate.”

“I’ve heard people are afraid of Hyland.”

“Why?” The woman seemed genuinely shocked. “They’ve been defeated for nearly twenty years. We hear stories of the resistance, but they’ve never been a problem over here. Why can’t we just leave them alone? It’s not like we need that country if it’s doing as badly as we are.”

Alisha made a noncommittal noise, distracted from her conversation by the sight of Rose slipping through the front door. The Shepherd nodded at her before flopping down in a chair beside Lailah with a groan. Alisha looked for Edna and Dezel, tipping her head to the side when neither of them were there.

Rose must have noticed, because she waved her hand. “They’re out scouting the perimeter or something like that. They’re probably watching to see where they go.”

“Pendrago. It’s always Pendrago.”

Rose sat up slightly, a frown crossing her face. “Any reason?”

The woman looked around nervously, despite the fact that they were the only two in the inn for the night. She leaned over the counter, Alisha sure that she was going to beckon the two of them closer, but the woman just spoke in a low voice. “I’ve only heard what over travelers say and the rumors that have been spread through. But they say that the council is dead.”

“What?”

The woman didn’t seem to be too disturbed by Alisha’s surprise. She just nodded and leaned back slightly, obviously warming to her topic. “Just why is different every time, but everyone says that the emperor and his dragon killed all of them, even the Shepherd.”

Alisha saw Rose start out of the corner of her eye, but she didn’t say anything. She had told Rose about the compromises that they had tried to strike and, while she hadn’t been impressed, Rose had admitted that it wouldn’t be too bad to have some help. But it looked like she wouldn’t be getting that either.

She cleared her throat, looking back at the woman. “Did anyone say why?”

The woman shrugged, seeming comfortable enough to stand up straight again. “Everyone says something different. Some say it’s because that dragon of his corrupted him. Others say that he was jealous of the council. Most agree that he’s just gone mad. The whole royal family seems to. There had not been one ruler from the royal line that has kept their sanity. What else could have made those three brothers turn on each other like they did? I swear, Empress Nadia was the best one out of the bunch, but she wasn’t originally from the family. And we all had such high hopes for Emperor Sorey too, since he was Empress Selene’s son. Not that I cared much for his father, but at least it was new blood.”

Alisha nodded absently, her gaze dragged back over to Rose.

It was a small mercy that Rose didn’t smirk, because she had been doing nothing but arguing with her about Sorey on the way back to the border. She was convinced that Sorey was at fault for what had happened at Gododdin and all the troubles of the empire. Alisha had tried to convince her otherwise, even to the point of reciting the parts of the treaty that she remembered. But Rose was adamant that it had all been a ploy, and it was getting harder to fight against that view with all the information she was getting. It was all making Sorey look just as bad as the other emperors, but that wasn’t right.

The Sorey she had known was not a tyrant, he was caring and maybe a bit too soft for governing, but at least he was trying. That Sorey would never slaughter an entire village and his own soldiers, or the council. Sorey had wanted to put them on trial, to show the people how wrong they had been. If the council had been killed, then it had to have been someone else. Alisha wasn’t quite ready to say that it had been Mikleo, because the seraph tended to keep to himself. But he could have killed them. He might do anything to help Sorey.

Alisha pushed away from the counter and walked back over to the table that Rose and Lailah were sitting at. Lailah seemed to still be in deep contemplation. Alisha studied the seraph for a moment before looking back at Rose, watching as she traced patterns on the table. From where Alisha was sitting, they looked like figures. She let Rose work her way through them for a moment longer before tapping her finger on the table. “We have to get back.”

Rose nodded, her fingers curling in towards her palms. “The rest of them need to know about this and have time to react. But I think they’ll want to march to war.”

Alisha pressed her lips together, but didn’t say anything. As much as she wanted to refuse, the others in the resistance would want to march to be ready. Everything that they reported would show that Sorey was gearing the empire up for war again, and it would be foolish not to prepare. Alisha could only hope that they would get information to the contrary or a chance to interfere before things got too bad. If they weren’t careful, things could actually lead to war.

She sighed, clasping her hands together. “What will you do?”

“As Shepherd I’m not supposed to interfere in stuff like this. But there will be plenty of malevolence to clear up, so I can trail behind, close enough to reach if you need me.” Rose sighed and stretched her arms above her head. “Besides, I keep hearing that this emperor has a dragon, and I can’t let that stand.”

Rose groaned and stretched her arms above her head. She slumped back in the chair when she was done, her head turned towards the door. “I’m just taking care of something that’s been bothering me.”

Alisha couldn’t argue with that. The Shepherd and their duties were far beyond her as a princess and as a person at times. It was a huge mythical world that she had gotten the barest glimpses of, so it was all so strange and new. And, if Mikleo was really tainted, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to free him from malevolence. Maybe he could be happier then, less jumpy. Maybe he would even want to help them out, which might help Sorey get out of the tangle that had become his country.

Then again, there were too many maybes, too many what ifs.

Alisha shifted in her seat, not daring to look back at Rose. She was aware of how much her arguments about Sorey depended on what she had seen and that could have all been an act, especially in the face in what Sorey was doing. It was going to be hard to defend him. Alisha could only hope that there would be someone willing to listen. If not, then they would have a hard road ahead and, possibly, a war.

* * *

Sergei startled awake, quickly resettling himself in parade rest. He thought he heard one of the other Platinum Knights snicker, but the sound was quickly followed up with mutters of support. Sergei nodded, trying to keep the motion small, but he doubted that anyone else was paying attention. They were all looking up at the front of the shrinechurch where the ceremony was going on.

He dragged his gaze up to the dais, glad that there were so many people blocking his line of sight. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to stand seeing the whole ceremony. He wasn’t sure that he would be able to see the dais without seeing the dead bodies sprawled across it and the monster in bloodstained white. Sergei swallowed and looked down at the floor. That was better than trying to peer over the heads of the crowds. Sergei didn’t think that it mattered much anymore, the Platinum Knights weren’t there to guard the ceremony, they were there to witness it. The honor of guarding the new pope was on the Blue Storm Knights. They might have been stripped away from their old position, but they were allowed this at least.

Sergei shifted in place, seeking out the bits of darker blue among the red, but the crowd was too dense. The shrinechurch was packed to capacity as was the courtyard outside, probably extending all the way back to the palace, but Sergei was sure that the new pope wasn’t worried, he wouldn’t be going anywhere but to his palace tucked just behind the shrinechurch. The rest of them would have to struggle back and, normally, Sergei would be worried. But there was no point, not when Sorey wasn’t even in the shrinechurch.

He resisted the urge to look through the crowd. If Sorey had come into the church he would have caused a stir and the people were still happily listening to the drone of prayers.

Sergei sighed and looked up at the symbol of Maotelus carved into the stone above the dais. He doubted that the seraph was listening, which made the whole ceremony worthless considering that most of the oaths Gasparo was swearing were calling on the blessing of Maotelus.

He abandoned his parade rest to cross his arms over his chest, leaning back against the wall behind him. He heard one of the other knights shift to give him room, Sergei giving the man an absent nod in thanks.

There was something strange about this whole ceremony, which was only a small part of the strangeness that had been going on since Sorey had gotten back from Gododdin. For one, Sergei was surprised that Sorey had just allowed Gasparo to demand the position of pope so easily. It may have gotten him the Blue Storm Knights, but Sorey couldn’t believe that they would be loyal. He was just setting himself for another repeat of the council. If not, then he really was gathering troops for a war.

Sergei dug his fingers into his arm, frowning at the stone floor. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that Sorey was planning to go to war again, not after all the effort he had put into bringing it to a stop. And Sorey was not one to be so easily discouraged. Nothing was making sense, which made him wish that Boris was there to throw in his little tidbits of knowledge that would complete the picture.

He glanced towards the doors as the lower one opened, the creak completely lost in the steady, dull chant that the rest of the priests were doing. Some of the other people towards the back of the church glared or made a motion for Andrei for be quiet as he entered. Andrei shrugged apologetically, quickly edging over to where the Platinum Knights were all standing in the back.

Andrei moved past some of them, pausing every once and a while to talk, but he always continued towards where Sergei was standing. Sergei raised an eyebrow and turned slightly, not caring that he missed some of the ceremony. It was dull and he had lost all of his interest in it. Bad things seemed to happen in shrinechurches lately. Sergei wouldn’t be surprised if a dragon swooped in and stole the newly minted pope away.

He waited for Andrei to reach him, shaking his head when the man went to salute. Andrei gave him an apologetic smile before leaning close to speak. “No sign of Boris, General.”

Sergei muttered a curse, Andrei agreeing with a nod. “I did check all of the usual spots as you suggested, but he wasn’t there and no one has seen him since last night.”

Sergei frowned, drumming his fingers on his arm. “Did he go off to Gododdin?”

“No. That was Vanya.” Andrei looked around before lowering his voice further. “I even checked the camp, but I couldn’t find him there either, even with the help of some of the soldiers.” Andrei shivered. “It’s looking rough out there, General. I think half of them are hellions already.”

“I expected as much.”

“I’d heard rumors, but I’d never thought that it was that bad. I just thought they were the usual complaining from everyone outside of the capital.” Andrei frowned. “But if that’s going to be our army, we’re going to have a problem.”

“I know.”

“And his majesty won’t be talked out of it.”

“I don’t know. He’s hasn’t asked to talk to me and I’ve been busy with other things.”

Andrei hissed out a curse, which was a good summation of the situation. Sergei shifted his position, glancing back over the crowd one more time before shaking his head. “His majesty isn’t here either.”

“Oh.” Andrei blushed bright red, Sergei confused by the sudden change. “I know the answer to that one. I found him while I was looking for Boris.”

“Where?”

“In his bedroom.”

“Still? That’s not like him.” Sergei tried to ignore the part of him that chimed in that Sorey had been doing a lot of things not like himself recently. It was just the stress of the situation, or a reaction to whatever he had done to the council. Sergei tried to ignore the small voice at the back of his head that said that the change in Sorey was the fault of the seraph, because it sounded too much like Cardinal Forton. He had never agreed with her before, and he was reluctant to do so now.

He swallowed, about to ask Andrei what he had found when the man cleared his throat. “It…it appears that the emperor’s seraph has gone into heat.”

“Again? How?”

Andrei shrugged, his blush deepening. “You’re asking a beta here. But the emperor is with him…and not like last time.”

Sergei blinked, remembering the way that Sorey had sat outside of Mikleo’s door with his sword, guarding over the seraph. He knew just what Mikleo was like too. He could barely imagine Mikleo allowing Sorey to touch him, which didn’t make what Andrei told him make any sense. But he also knew that Andrei wouldn’t lie to him.

He tried to push down his sense of dread, but it didn’t work. If Mikleo had gotten his claws into Sorey that way, then they could only wait and see what came out of it. At least if Sorey came out insisting on changing the path he was taking, then they knew that it wasn’t Mikleo encouraging him into war. If he didn’t, Sergei didn’t know what to think. He wished he could just dismiss the idea that this was all part of Mikleo’s plan or Mikleo’s influence on Sorey, but he couldn’t quite shake it.

Sergei closed his eyes, counting up to ten before opening them again. “We’ll keep searching for Boris. If you haven’t found him by tomorrow, we’ll all start searching. He might just be off on a lead.”

“Yes, sir. But he’s usually easier to find than this.”

Sergei was sure that the last part wasn’t meant for him, but he couldn’t help but agree. His brother was usually better about things like this, and he wouldn’t leave for so long without at least giving a hint of what he was going to do next. Considering the situation that they were facing, Sergei would have thought that his brother would have been checking in nearly constantly.

He shook his head and dismissed Andrei with a wave. Sergei watched out of the corner of his eye as Andrei snuck out of the shrinechurch again. This time, none of the people bothered to look towards the noise that he made as he left. They were all focused on where the priests were bringing the blessed instruments of Maotelus to bless the new pope. There were a few gasps of awe, but most of the people remained in silent reverence.

Sergei watched one of the priests raise the mask in the shape of a dragon’s head to bless Gasparo, and tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in his stomach that something had gone horribly wrong.

* * *

Vanya led his horse up the twisting trails up to the village at the top. From where he was he could see the tops of the walls, Vanya wincing at the spaces along the top. It looked like the walls had been made of stones that had been dry fitted together and then covered over with mud. He could only imagine where they had gotten the water considering how dry Biroclef Ridge was. He supposed that Gododdin had its own well and it had to have run deep for the village to have survived this long.

He flexed the fingers of his free hand, trying to ease the tension he felt. He glanced over at his horse, watching as the animal walked along happily. The horse would be his best indicator of if something was going to go wrong. They would always shy in the presence of hellions, which would give him plenty of warning.

Vanya sighed and clucked to his horse, walking faster up the trail. The village was in sight, which meant that he could stop for the day long before the heat got any worse. He could hole up and find out whatever Boris had sent him out to find.

Boris hadn’t been too clear, but Vanya was too used to that. Sergei was the straightforward one, but Boris was the eyes and ears of the Platinum Knights. He knew what was going on long before anyone else did, and that had saved them enough times for Vanya to not question it. Besides, it meant that he got out of the rush of the capital and away from the rest of the army that was coming in. Vanya had had enough of dealing with them, especially when they did nothing but mock the Platinum Knights. His ride out had been nothing but jeering from the forces, especially from the Blue Storm Knights.

Vanya rolled his shoulders, jogging up his slope with his horse trotting along behind him. He ignored the annoyed snort from his horse, his attention on the opening in the wall, Vanya searching for a gate. He huffed when he couldn’t see a gate, shaking his head. The times were too dangerous to leave an unfinished wall. Between hellions and the soldiers that were wandering around Vanya wouldn’t be too surprised if the village had gotten itself into trouble.

He slowed down as he passed through the opening in the wall, Vanya frowning when he saw the state of the town, if it could still be called that. There was only one building standing, a large stone one. The rest of what must have been the main street was a mess of shaken and torn up ground and a few pieces of wood.

Vanya frowned and walked his horse over to the stone building. There was a hitching post there, probably the only large bit of wood left in the place. Vanya tied his horse and walked away, looking down the main street.

Gododdin wasn’t much to look at, but he doubted that it ever had been. He couldn’t even remember what the village had been established for. He narrowed his eyes, glancing around the place. Even if it was on the edge of nowhere, he expected to see something, even if it was just hellions running around. After all, Boris had tipped him off that the garrison nearby was gone, which was just another thing for him to look into. Vanya sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, about to take a deep breath when he caught the smell of something burnt.

Vanya coughed and rubbed his nose, looking around at the remains of the village. He couldn’t see anything immediately, but that didn’t stop him from edging forward. He dropped his hand to his sword, clutching at it as he edged forward. Vanya scanned the flat area that the village was laid out on, his gaze lingering at the cave towards the back before looking away.

The whole village was creeping him out, because there should have been someone there, anyone there. Vanya took a deep breath, choking a bit on the strong smell of burning, but he forced the words out. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

The only answers he got were his own voice echoing back at him. Vanya tipped his head to the side, listening for anything that wasn’t his own voice. He waited long enough for the echoes to stop before speaking up again. “I’m Vanya Kuznetsov of the Platinum Knights. I’ve been sent from Pendrago.”

Echoes were the only response he got. Vanya frowned and started walking forward again. There was every chance that the people were in the cave, hiding from whatever had destroyed their houses. Vanya wasn’t sure how deep they were in the cave, but it couldn’t hurt to check, just as long as he was careful. He didn’t intend on getting killed before he got the information that they needed.

He picked up his pace, so focused on the yawning black entrance to the cave that he almost missed the blackened section of earth to one side. He jerked to a stop when he saw it, the darker color standing out against the red sand of the rest of the plateau.

Vanya stared at the patch for a moment before walking closer. It was obviously the sign of a fire, and a big one considering the area. It also could explain where the houses had gone if they had been torn down to use as fuel. But the question was what they had been burning.

He crouched down, gently sifting through the ashes to see if he could find anything. There was nothing but ashes and a hard, glassy layer underneath from where the sand had melted. Vanya frowned and sat back slightly, staring at the ground. He sighed and lifted his gaze towards the back wall, surprised to see two stones set up.

He stood up, wiping his hand on his pants as he approached the stones. It was only when he was closer that he could see that they had writing on them, the words gouged deeply and precisely. Vanya hummed to himself, leaning in close to the stones to read what they said only to have his blood run cold.

_To the memory of the villagers of Gododdin, viciously slaughtered by their own emperor._

_To the memory of the soldiers of the empire, viciously slaughtered by their own emperor._

Vanya recoiled from both of the stones, shaking his head. There was every reason to doubt the memorial stones, but he didn’t know why someone would write them up for a prank, and their placement did make sense. The entire area was burned, like it had been used for pyres for the bodies. The only way it would be so big and have had to burn so hot was if they were taking care of a lot of bodies at once, like the entire garrison from a border fort or a village. Or both.

He shuddered and took a step back, glancing around at the barren field around him. The only part that was hard to believe was that Sorey had done it, but Sorey was the last person to have been to Gododdin other than himself or whoever had burned the bodies. The latter could have been someone from the other villages or a lone survivor. Another person around or not, he had to report this back to Sergei, because it was disturbing enough either way.

Vanya turned and ran back to his horse, all thoughts of napping through the hottest part of the day gone. He had to report what he had learned, if only to make it make sense in his mind. The Sorey he knew would never kill anyone, but things had changed. And the chance that it had been Sorey scared him more than anything else.


	18. Chapter 16

“Understand me! From this moment on there’s no truce and no peace between us!”   
– _Yvain: The Knight of the Lion_ , Chrétien de Troyes

* * *

 

Light trickled in from the windows, Sorey grumbling at it fell across his face. He grunted and nuzzled closer to Mikleo, his goal to get away from the sun distracted by the heady scent of Mikleo. He hummed happily, shifting so he could drape his arm across Mikleo’s stomach. Sorey heard the seraph huff, but Mikleo just leaned back into him. Sorey hid his smile in Mikleo’s neck, holding him close for a moment more before opening his eyes.

The sun coming through the windows was just the right angle to catch on Mikleo’s skin. Sorey sighing at the bright glow it gave the seraph. He traced it up Mikleo’s shoulder, his gaze dropping away to linger on the marks scattered on Mikleo’s neck. The largest and brightest was the one on the back of Mikleo’s neck, Sorey wanting to kiss it. Then again, he wanted to kiss every inch of Mikleo’s body. Sorey licked his lips, reining himself in. There was no reason to wake Mikleo up, not when he needed his sleep. That didn’t stop Sorey from stroking his hand over Mikleo’s flank, glorying in lying so close to Mikleo and being able to touch him openly.

Sorey hummed to himself, about to close his eyes as give in to the temptation to sleep some more when Mikleo made a soft sound and shifted in Sorey’s arms. Sorey shushed him, about to whisper for him to go back to sleep when Mikleo reached up to grab his hand.

Sorey froze at the touch, waiting for Mikleo to throw his hand off, but the seraph just held it. Mikleo ran his thumb over Sorey’s knuckles, seemingly content to stay there. Sorey was more than happy to remain like that, but Mikleo turned slightly in his arms. The seraph smiled, wiggling a bit as he freed his arm from underneath him. Mikleo twisted around, reaching up to rest his hand against Sorey’s face. He stroked is thumb across Sorey’s cheek, Sorey’s eyes fluttering closed.

He sucked in a quick breath as Mikleo’s fingers slid away from his cheek. They brushed against his lips, Sorey pressing a kiss against them. He chased after Mikleo’s fingers, wanting to kiss their pads, but Mikleo was already rolling over again. Sorey used their joined hands to pull Mikleo close, eliminating the small amount of space between them. From the content sound that Mikleo made, he approved of the move. Sorey had expected him to wiggle out of his grip as soon as he had woken up, but Mikleo seemed content to stay where he was.

Sorey was tempted to start stroking his hand up and down Mikleo’s side again, but that would mean letting go of the seraph’s hand, and he wasn’t ready to do that quite yet. Sorey went for the compromise of tucking his face against the back of Mikleo’s neck, taking deep breaths.

The thick heady smell of Mikleo’s heat was gone. He would have been more disappointed if Mikleo hadn’t smelled like them. Sorey squeezed Mikleo close, grinning. Mikleo was as good as claimed with their mixed scents and the necklace of bruises that Sorey had sucked into his skin, at least until the scent and bruises faded. Until then, there would be no question of who he had chosen for his heat, nor would there be any question about Sorey’s part. He was as claimed as Mikleo was, and it made him just as happy.

He lifted his head away as he felt Mikleo stretch, coming out of his curl to give Mikleo more room to move. He sighed when Mikleo let go of his hand as soon as he was done stretching. That Mikleo turned around to face him was only a little bit better, but it also meant that Sorey could scoot closer and cup Mikleo’s cheek. Sorey waited until Mikleo leaned into the touch before leaning forward to kiss him.

Sorey thought he heard Mikleo laugh, but then Mikleo was kissing him back, deep and slow. Sorey moaned into the kiss, pulling Mikleo closer and looping a leg over Mikleo’s hip.

Mikleo chuckled at that, pulling away just enough so he could rest his forehead against Sorey’s. He shook his head slightly, a smile on his face. “I don’t think I can, not again.” Mikleo stretched slightly, Sorey watching as he bit his lip. “I _ache_.”

“Sorry.” Sorey dropped his leg back to the bed, quickly replacing it with a hand on Mikleo’s hip. He dragged it down to Mikleo’s lower back, curling his fingers into a fist and rubbing it into the small of Mikleo’s back.

Mikleo’s eyes fluttered shut, a groaning working its way out of his throat. Sorey couldn’t help himself from leaning forward to nuzzle into Mikleo’s bared throat, kissing over some of the bruises that he had left there.

He felt Mikleo’s laugh before he heard it. He smiled against Mikleo’s throat, practically purring as Mikleo dragged fingers through his heir.

Mikleo kept petting for a moment before he tugged lightly on Sorey’s hair, laughing again when Sorey grumbled. “Come on, we can’t lie around all day.”

“Why not?”

“Because I need to see the seraphim. My sisters will be worried. And so will Sergei. He’ll probably think I’ve eaten you.”

The last part was said with a growl, Sorey unable to keep himself from laughing at it. He pulled away from Mikleo, looking down at him as Mikleo smiled. It was a gentle smile, so different from the imperious and cynical ones that he had gotten used to. But those smiles were just for the world, this smile was all for him.

Sorey reached down to trace the shape of it, his breath leaving on a shaky exhale as Mikleo kissed his fingertips. “Beautiful.”

Mikleo blushed bright red, Sorey watching the reaction. He’s seen Mikleo flushed with pleasure, but never flushed like this. Mikleo usually didn’t let anyone this close. Sorey didn’t know if it was because they had found part of his family or because of the heat, but he supposed that it didn’t matter. He had gotten a glimpse of something other than the armor that Mikleo kept around himself.

He only had a moment to enjoy Mikleo’s blush before the seraph was pushing him away. “I-I told you. We can’t just lie here.”

“But Mikleo…” Sorey resisted the push for a moment before giving in and sliding out of bed.

He stretched his arms above his head as soon as he was upright, feeling something in his back pop. Sorey hissed, rolling his shoulders to ease some of the tension out.

It was no surprise that he was sore, not after spending a few hours knotted in Mikleo on the floor. It would have been impossible to move to the bed until his knot had gone down. And then it had been hard to convince Mikleo to move, especially when the heat had gotten a grip on him again.

Sorey peeked back at the bed, raising an eyebrow when he saw that Mikleo was still lying under the covers. He shook his head, walking over to where the ewer and basin were sitting on the table. Clothes could wait until he had wiped the worse of the sweat and come off of himself. Besides, from the feeling of eyes on him, Mikleo was enjoying the view.

He peered into the ewer, making a face when he saw it was empty. It must not have been filled before Mikleo had gone into heat, and the scent of an omega in heat would have been enough to warn all but the staff who left food for them away. Sorey sighed, about to turn to look at Mikleo when water sloshed into the basin. Sorey glanced over at the basin, shaking his head before throwing the towel over his shoulder. He picked up the basin and walked back over to the bed.

He was treated to the sight of Mikleo finally coming out from under the covers, Sorey’s mouth going dry at all the skin revealed to him again. He wasn’t sure if it was just a ploy or Mikleo was finally taking his own advice. Sorey swallowed, setting the basin on the side of the bed.

Mikleo looked between him and the basin, raising an eyebrow. “I could do this on my own.”

“Let me, please.”

Mikleo open and shut his mouth before nodding. The seraph stood up slowly, Sorey taking in the stiffness that he saw in Mikleo’s body and trying not to feel pride about it. He wasn’t that kind of alpha.

He swallowed and dipped the towel into the water. Sorey wrung it out before scooting forward slightly, just close enough that he could curl the fingers of his free hand around Mikleo’s calf.

Sorey felt Mikleo shiver at the touch, freezing there and looking up at Mikleo’s face. He couldn’t see discomfort there, just rapt attention. Sorey smiled up at him, gently squeezing the muscle of Mikleo’s calf before starting to clean up the mess of dried come and slick that had dripped down Mikleo’s legs.

He tried to be a gentle as he could, working his way up Mikleo’s legs. Every once and a while, he felt Mikleo shudder, Sorey pausing to look up at him for any sign that he wanted to move away, but Mikleo seemed perfectly content to stand and let Sorey clean him off.

Sorey worked his way up to Mikleo’s crotch, giving Mikleo a quick glance before continuing. He started when Mikleo rested a hand on his head for balance. Sorey took that as permission to keep going, reaching between Mikleo’s legs to clean his ass. He heard Mikleo’s breath hitch, the seraph’s hand tightening in his hair. Sorey swallowed, looking up at Mikleo. "You're not bashful anymore."

Mikleo snorted, adjusting his stance so he legs were spread a bit wider, giving Sorey better access to his ass. "You have the wrong impression of me."

Sorey laughed, pulling his arm back to dip the towel in the water and clean it. He wrung it out and went back to work. He straightened his back a little bit to kiss the sweep of Mikleo’s hip. "No. I think I've got you pegged."

He expected a biting retort, but Mikleo gave a full body shudder. His hand tightening in Sorey’s hair as he spoke in a shaky voice. "... yes. Yes, you do."

Sorey looked up at Mikleo, dropping the towel in the basin and standing up. He ran his hand up Mikleo’s sides even as he leaned in for a kiss. Mikleo leaned in to kiss him, his hand gripping Sorey’s hair tightly. Mikleo gasped into his mouth, crowding closer to him. Sorey was more than happy to let him, shivering when he felt the cool touch of water on his shoulder.

It was almost enough to get him to pull away and look, but Mikleo tugged on his hair in warning. Sorey remained where he was, shivering when the hand that Mikleo had in his hair slid down his neck. The cold touch of water followed the drag of Mikleo’s fingers, but the temperature quickly warmed up. Sorey sighed, coaxing the kiss deeper as Mikleo’s hands wandered down his body.

The dried sweat was washed away from him, Mikleo’s hands only leaving his sides for a short moment every once and a while. Sorey would hear the sound of droplets as Mikleo flicked the dirty water back into the basin. Then the seraph’s hands would be back to his sides, picking up where they had left off.

Sorey found himself mimicking the motion, even though he couldn’t use any elemental power. Still, it felt right to return the favor, especially when it make Mikleo shiver.

He stopped with his hands on Mikleo’s hips, rocking up onto his toes as Mikleo smoothed his hand over his ass. He heard the drop of water into the basin and then Mikleo was pulling away. Sorey found himself leaning after him, just stopping himself from pulling Mikleo into another kiss. He was sure that he would get another scolding. He rubbed his thumbs over Mikleo’s hipbones before letting go.

Sorey bent down to pick up the basin, staring in awe as the water swirled together and disappeared altogether. He shot Mikleo an amused look, getting a smug smirk in return. Sorey let it slide, carrying the basin back to its place and leaving it there. It would be taken care of later and, now that he didn’t have the scent of Mikleo’s heat for encouragement, he couldn’t find a reason to put off leaving the room. He had left too many things undone and probably for too long.

It had been four days, but things wouldn’t have stopped. The soldiers would have kept coming in, and the government would have kept moving. It was just a matter of making sure that it had gone in the right direction.

He turned around to find Mikleo already pulling his undershirt on, Sorey mourning the loss of all the skin that he’d had open to him over the past few days. He sighed and stepped around his pile of clothes on the floor. He only paused to pick up and shake out his jacket, leaving the inner layers on the floor. They would be picked up and washed later, because they probably reeked of Mikleo’s heat.

It would be smarter to leave all of them behind, but he couldn’t help but want something that smelled like Mikleo. Something that marked his claim to Mikleo, no matter how fleeting that was.

He walked over to his wardrobe, pulling out the rest of his clothes. Sorey got dressed quickly, putting on his under shirts when he heard Mikleo clear his throat. It was automatic to turn towards the sound, gravitating towards Mikleo.

The seraph was completely dressed save for his outer coat and collar. Mikleo was holding both of them up, an expectant look on his face. “Sorey?”

Mikleo didn’t need to ask anything else. Sorey crossed the distance between them in two strides, taking the coat from Mikleo. He helped him into it, threading the laces through the eyelets again. He couldn’t help but nuzzle against Mikleo’s neck, finding the large bruise on the back. He heard Mikleo gasp, but he didn’t react to the sound, not until he was pulling the laces tight.

Sorey rested his forehead against the back of Mikleo’s neck, concentrating on the knot that he was tying. It was only when he was done that he moved back so he could kiss the back of Mikleo’s neck.

What he really wanted to do was bite down hard and renew the mark so it lasted for longer, but he was sure that the spot was too tender for something like that. Instead, he kissed it gently, feeling the way that Mikleo shook in his arms. Sorey didn’t look away from the bruise as he stuck out his hand for the collar.

Mikleo took a moment to respond to his request, the seraph dropping the collar into Sorey’s hand. Sorey muttered his thanks against Mikleo’s neck before moving his face away. He pulled the collar up into place, buckling it into place. He smoothed his fingers over the buckle, admiring the way that it looked on Mikleo’s neck surrounded by the soft purples of bruises. Sorey trailed his fingers along where the skin and leather met, finally pulling his fingers away when he heard Mikleo’s breathing sped up.

Sorey took a step back, trying to calm himself. The need to back away still didn’t stop him from reaching out and touching the ends of Mikleo’s hair. “It’s getting long.”

“Is it?” Mikleo reached back to touch the back of his hair. “I…I haven’t really noticed.”

Sorey circled around to stand in front of Mikleo, carefully pushing his bangs back behind his circlet. He smiled as he brushed his fingers over the gold of the circlet. Mikleo’s hair threatened to fall over the circlet even as he pulled away, Sorey shaking his head. “I’ll get you something to help with that.”

For a moment, Mikleo looked like he was going to say something, but the seraph snapped his mouth shut. He shook his head and walked towards the door, slipping out of it before Sorey could see anything.

Sorey stared at the place where Mikleo had once stood, a smile crossing his face. He turned to find his jacket and outer coat, tucking them over his arm instead of bothering to put them on.

He slipped out into the hall, grinning when he saw Mikleo was waiting for him.

Mikleo didn’t say anything, he just tipping his head in the direction of the store room before walking off. It didn’t take more than two steps for Sorey to catch up with him. Sorey slipped his hand into Mikleo’s, taking in the way that Mikleo’s shoulders relaxed.

He knew he should be heading back to his study to read the reports that had piled up, but the seraphim were just as important. The last time he had been distracted, they had been stolen away. He had to check on them to calm his own worry, and just in case more were ready to be freed. If they had reached the end of what he and Mikleo could safely do then he wanted to agree on a place that the seraphim could go. With the army assembling, it would be better to get the weapons far away before the commanders learned about the lie he had been telling them.

He had promised to replace their broken weapons and he intended to keep that promise; but he wouldn’t be returning the seraphic weapons. The weapons they were getting would have no seraphim, they were just being made to look like the seraphic weapons, but the runes were just wrong enough that no seraphim would be caught. Sorey doubted that anyone would actually know the difference, not unless they knew the ancient tongue and Sorey was sure that no one really did, at least not enough to read what was written on the weapons. And, by the time that everyone found out, it would be too late. And, hopefully, that would be enough to get them to do what he needed them to do with as little loss of life as possible.

He tightened his grip on Mikleo’s hand, relieved when Mikleo didn’t ask him what he was thinking about. He was sure Mikleo knew anyway. With the distraction of the heat over there was only one thing that they could both focus on, which was fulfilling their promises to each other.

* * *

Boris shifted in place, ready to meet the glare that the big seraph gave him. The seraph had been nothing but glaring at him every time he moved or spoke. Both of those had long been put on Boris’ mental list of Things That He Wasn’t Allowed To Do According to the Seraph, along with reminding them of his human needs.

The big seraph might not have been accommodating, but some of the others were, if only because they were nudged into line.

From what he’d been able to observe, most of the seraphim were kind of lost or drifting. It was only the big seraph and the two women that were the ones who were anything like the leaders, if Boris would even call them that. The big seraph seemed content enough to lean against the wall and keep him from doing anything. Boris couldn’t see anything specific that the two women were doing, but whatever it was, it seemed to be helping the others. Boris had seen a soft light appear in the night a few times, but he hadn’t dared move too far to look at it, especially since the big seraph was constantly on guard.

He sighed and pulled his legs up to his chest, careful to avoid the chamber pot that one of the seraphim had brought to him. He thought that he had heard the name Melody, but he wasn’t sure. All the seraphim talked in low voices and scattered as soon as he made any sound. The big seraph had threatened him enough that he knew to stay quiet, although why Boris didn’t quite understand. It should have been obvious to them that they were in control with the whole situation, especially since he couldn’t go anywhere.

To escape he’d have to make it past the big seraph, which Boris doubted that he would be able to do. Even then, there were enough seraphim in the two rooms to easily overpower him. To attempt to get on any even ground, he would have to take one of the weapons, and Boris didn’t think he could do that. The thought of picking one up disgusted him.

He shivered and rubbed his hands over his arms. He gave the crate that he was leaning against a quick glance, not daring to shift enough to look into the crate. Boris was sure that it would be interpreted as an attempt to escape, and he didn’t want to be knocked out again. There was more information to be gotten here, maybe enough to assuage Sergei’s fears and help talk Sorey out of whatever he was planning. If not, then the Platinum Knights could at least help Sorey along with his plan to save the seraphim. There was no reason he had to do all of this on his own.

Boris sighed and leaned his head against the crate, tempted to start up a conversation just to see what would happen. He was sure that the big seraph would snap at him to be quiet, but one of the others might talk. He craned his head back, catching sight of a seraph with red hair walking past.

He was sure that he could get her to say something to him, or the other seraph that was hanging around her. If he was lucky enough, maybe one of the others. Of course, it would all depend on him looking as unthreatening as possible, which might not have been possible. He had no idea how the seraphim had been chased down to be bound to the weapons nor how long they had remained in them. They were all probably wary of humans at best, terrified of them at the worst.

He scanned over the room, not surprised that there were so few seraphim out in the room with the crates. He couldn’t imagine that being in the same room as the other trapped seraphim was comfortable for them, and a human present would make them even less likely to hang around. They were probably back in the second room, doing whatever the seraphim did. Boris hadn’t been given the chance to observe them long enough to figure that out.

He shifted again, stopping as he heard the scrape of his boot across the floor. He didn’t have to look over to know that the big seraph would be glaring at him. After three days that kind of glare should have lost its effect, but it was still as intimidating, possibly because he didn’t know the seraph’s element. It would have been easier to deal with the glare if he had some idea of what the seraph would do to him when the seraph decided to carry through on any of his threats.

Boris frowned, tempted to chance a conversation when the door creaked open.

He startled to his feet out of habit, just barely leaning back in time as the big seraph turned towards him. Boris got a glimpse of the pendant that the seraph had been playing with before it was stuffed back into the pocket of his coat. Boris didn’t get too good a look at it, and he didn’t bother to try and ask, not when the seraphim were all rushing out of the backroom as Mikleo slipped through the door.

Boris was taken aback by their quick response, confused about how they had known it was Mikleo when he hadn’t bothered to knock. Then again, the seraphim were mysterious and powerful beings. Boris didn’t want to spend too much time contemplating their existence; that was something to ask Sorey. He was just happy to see Mikleo.

He sighed with relief when he saw Sorey trail in after Mikleo. He had hoped that the emperor would follow the seraph in sooner rather than later, even if it meant confirming all things that Boris was afraid of being true. Being allowed to leave and confront Sorey about it later was better than being held against his will.

Boris took a step forward, stopping when the big seraph stuck out an arm to stop him. “Wait.”

He turned to glare at the seraph, about to reiterate his promise to them when he saw Sorey jerk to a stop. Boris turned to face the emperor, his gaze dropping down to where he was holding hands with Mikleo. The sight of their hands together was a shock. He had seen them acting like they were close before, but it had always been an act. He’d seen Mikleo when he wasn’t in the gaze of the populace, and the seraph was always shying away from touches then.

Against his better judgement, Boris swayed forward against the arm that was holding him back. He ignored the warning growl that the seraph gave, more focused on taking a deep breath. Just because he was a beta didn’t mean that his nose was dead, although the one deep breath made him wish that it was.

He took a step back, swiping his sleeve across his nose. The scent was strong, one of both Sorey and Mikleo combined in a way that only meant one thing. It was enough to make him recoil, Boris shaking his head to try and clear his nose. He pressed his sleeve against his nose, looking between the two of them.

It wasn’t just the scent, their body language was different. It was like the motions that they had gone through before, but it looked like they actually meant it now. And it didn’t take much to figure out why it had changed, the faint smell of heat was enough of a clue to that. It was just a matter of figuring out how long it would last, and how to use it.

Boris pushed the last thought away for the moment, choosing to move back into a nonthreatening position. That seemed to be enough to get the seraph guarding him to relax a fraction. Boris was glad for that at least, because it meant that he didn’t have to devote so much attention to the seraph. The seraph hadn’t made any move to hurt him yet, but Boris was sure that it wouldn’t take much, and that it would be on Mikleo’s word.

He tried to remember if he had angered Mikleo in any way, but he couldn’t think of anything. He’d been out of the palace too often to cause any real trouble for the seraph. But he could only imagine what would have happen if Sergei had been in the storeroom. Then again, Boris was sure that Sergei wouldn’t have gotten himself stuck in this situation. His brother was pigheaded enough to have tried to fight his way out, all on the pretext of getting the important information to Sorey. Although, judging from the way Sorey had been allowed into the room, he already knew.

Boris sighed, resisting the urge to lean back. He would just lean on a crate and he didn’t want to rile up the big seraph again, at least not until he had been allowed to go.

He shifted in place, moving close enough to parade rest by the time that Sorey turned his attention away from Mikleo. Boris tipped his torso forward in an abbreviated bow, glancing up when the big seraph made a threatening sound. He met the seraph’s gaze for a moment before looking back at Sorey.

It was a relief to see that Sorey had started to pull away from Mikleo, but he been stopped by the tether of their hands. Boris expected him to pull away, but Sorey came to an abrupt stop.

Boris frowned and stood back up, his gaze never leaving their joined hands. He was sure that he didn’t imagine the swipe of Mikleo’s thumb across the back of Sorey’s hand. It was a possessive move, one that sent a shiver up his spine. He had been so sure about why Sorey was doing this, how it was all just a ploy to buy himself more time but, now, he couldn’t be so sure.

He glanced around at the assembled seraphim, trying to gauge their power. He was sure that there was some way but he didn’t know it. If anyone did, it would be Sorey or Sergei, they had both read up on seraphim more often than him. He had been more than content to deal with the people, they had always felt a little bit more understandable than the seraphim.

He’d heard all kind of stories about the seraphim from the church, but he had always shoved it aside. The church had made it a point to justify the use of the seraphim for the sake of the war by saying that the seraphim could be tricky and dangerous, and Boris could almost believe it.

Sorey might have been trying to free the seraphim because it was the right thing to do, but there was no telling what the seraphim were trying to do.

Boris cleared his throat, giving Sorey a short nod. “Your majesty.”

“Boris!” Sorey swayed in place before letting go of Mikleo’s hand. Boris breathed out a sigh of relief at the sight. He could see that Sorey noticed it by the way that his jaw tightened. For a moment, he looked just like General Heldalf, but the similarity was gone in the next moment. The tension in Sorey remained, Sorey giving him a stiff nod. “What are you doing here?”

“Investigating.”

“Why?”

He swallowed and straightened his back, trying to frame his answers as a report. It was easier that way. “Sergei asked me to.”

“Sergei? Why?”

Boris stared at Sorey for a moment, trying to comprehend what he was asking. It was like he had forgotten the years that he had traveled around the Platinum Knights. There were a few things that Boris had taken for granted, his brother’s support and the trust that they had gotten from Sorey, but one of those unshakable facts had changed and he hadn’t noticed it.

It made him nervous.

Boris clenched his hands into fists, about to snap his answer back when Mikleo cleared his throat. Boris barely heard the sound, but Sorey turned around like Mikleo had called for him. He frowned as he watched Sorey turn towards Mikleo, light a moth turning towards a light. Except that Boris was sure that Mikleo wasn’t a light, he was a dark hole pulling everything in around it. That was useful, but also worrying, especially when Sorey seemed to be stuck in his orbit.

He wanted to reach out and yank Sorey away, but he was sure that the seraphim or Mikleo would turn against him for that. He clenched his hands into fists, glaring at Sorey’s back as the emperor went back to Mikleo’s side.

Sorey tucked himself there, Boris’ stomach turning as he saw Sorey nuzzle into Mikleo’s hair. The seraph leaned into the motion, his hand tucking into the small of the Sorey’s back, under the large coat that Sorey wore. Sorey must have muttered something to Mikleo, because the seraph chuckled.

The two stayed close for a moment before Mikleo peeled away, going over to talk to Melody and the other female seraphim. Sorey watched them go before turning back to Boris. The happy look on his face was quick to fade, Boris not sure what to make of that.

Sorey walked over to him, stopping a good distance from him. “Why did Sergei ask you look into this?”

“Why? Because he’s worried!”

“Why would he be worried?”

“Because you’re not acting like yourself! You haven’t since what happened at the shinechurch. You’ve never killed people, but you did there. You’ve been working for peace for years but you started the war again. You even gave into Bishop Gasparo’s demands without a second thought…there are many reasons.”

Sorey stared at him before shaking his head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Boris shook his head. “That’s what I’m asking. I’m asking you to help me understand this. We all are. We’re behind you, but you can’t ask us to follow blindly. We want to know the plan.”

“I’m not asking you to follow me blindly. I just…I…” Sorey sighed and looked over his shoulder, back towards the big seraph. “How long has he been here?”

Boris was surprised that Sorey would ignore him, but he found himself turning to look at the big seraph.

The seraph didn’t look too happy to be addressed by a human, but he just shrugged and looked away. “Three days, at most.”

“Against my will.”

Sorey didn’t even seem to notice his defense, the emperor staring at the floor and drumming his fingers against his arm. It wasn’t the answer that Boris had been expecting, especially considering what a surprise his captivity had to have been.

Boris looked between the two of them before daring to step forward, glad that the big seraph didn’t try to stop him for once. He stepped up to Sorey, watching the emperor look up in surprise, like he hadn’t expected to see Boris so close. Boris held his gaze for a moment before letting it out slowly. “Your majesty, please. The Platinum Knights are here to support you, but you have to talk to us.”

He wasn’t sure if he actually saw fear flash across Sorey’s face or if he just imagined it. Boris hesitated for a moment, something in him telling him to back off, but listening to that instinct would get him nowhere. With the army marching towards Pendrago and Sorey showing no signs of having any other plan, they needed answers badly, even if it was the barest hint of something. Asking them to go on blind faith was a bit too much, especially after what they had seen.

“Sorey,” he was surprised that Sorey started at his name, wondering when that had stopped being normal for the Platinum Knights, but he pushed the thought away. There was a time and a place for that. Boris cleared his throat and tried again. “We need an answer from you. Any answer and we’d be satisfied. But we need to know what happened at Gododdin?”

He’d meant it to come off as concerned, as something from an older time when they hadn’t had to play according to the rules of the court. It had been easier to ask Sorey questions once, and Sorey had enjoyed the informality. He’d insisted on it so many times that Boris had lost count. But the question didn’t seem to work to simplify the conversation or relax Sorey at all.

The emperor tensed, his eyes going wide. Boris thought he saw Sorey glance back at Mikleo, but Sorey was quick to focus on him again. “W-what about Gododdin?”

“That’s what we want you to tell us?”

“What do you know?”

It was a strange question, but Boris pushed on because it seemed better than trying to pull more answers from Sorey. At least he was responding to these questions.

“I don’t know anything. But I sent Vanya to-”

“You sent someone to find out?!”

“Of course, because something went wrong there, something that made you kill the council and become a monster.”

“That isn’t-”

“We saw you up there; Sergei, Fyodor, Nestor and myself. You became this monster and then…” Boris looked around, spotting Mikleo in a corner. The seraph didn’t look like he was paying attention to the other seraphim anymore, his hands curled around the edge of a crate. Even from across the room Boris could see that they were shaking.

Boris scowled and pointed at Mikleo. “Was it him?”

“No! Mikleo had nothing to do with that.”

“Then what did?”

“I couldn’t…” Sorey trailed off, sucking in a few deep breaths before lifting his chin. “I can’t tell you.”

“Like hell you can’t.”

“Boris, you’re going too far.”

“How else am I going to get anything? You killed your council and now the only one you’ll talk to is a corrupted seraphim.” Boris flung his hand out in Mikleo’s direction, freezing as he turned his mind over the implication.

Malevolence could be spread, he knew that much. Proximity would do it just fine, and Sorey had been spending a lot of time with Mikleo. He’d chosen Mikleo over his country, something that Boris hadn’t ever expected Sorey to do. The safety of the people had meant everything to him before, and Sorey was pushing that aside for the whims of a seraph.

Boris curled his fingers into his palm, turning to glare at Sorey.

“He was useful before, by why has he stuck around? What is he getting out of this?”

Sorey looked around the room before shaking his head. “He just wants to help the seraphim.”

“Anything else?”

“I don’t understand why you keep questioning me.”

“Because none of this is making sense. And I need it to. We used to be comrades and now you’re not sharing anything. You’re all wrapped up in the empire and it’s not right. No one can carry this kind of pressure on their own. _You_ can’t keep carrying this on your own.”

Sorey shook his head, Boris not caring that he didn’t know what Sorey was refusing. It was the last straw.

He couldn’t work like this, couldn’t protect the rest of the Platinum Knights and his brother if their emperor didn’t bother to help them. For all he knew, Sorey would throw them in with the rest of his army and waste them all in the war that he was charging into for no reason that Boris could see.

He took a step forward, seeing Sorey startle even as he reached out to grab the front of Sorey’s coat. “Damn it, Sorey, you’re going to tell me or else-”

Sorey opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a loud snarl from across the room. Sorey turned his head, freezing at something that he saw over Boris’ shoulder. Boris didn’t want to look away from Sorey, but the sound of ripping cloth and a scream from one of the seraphim made him turn.

He stared in horror at the dragon that was crouched in the small space, Mikleo cramped in and around the crates. A few of them had already broken with his transformation, and Boris watched as another three were smashed as the blue and white dragon took a step forward.

Boris’s first reaction was to reach for Sorey to pull him back, looking around for exits. Most of the seraphim were running back towards the second room, all save for the two women who were standing pressed against the wall. Boris almost expected them to scream, but the two of them seemed to be stuck in place with matching looks of horror on their faces.

The dragon turned to snort at them before focusing on where he stood with Sorey. It growled low, the temperature in the room dropping abruptly as it took a step forward.

Boris went to readjust his hold on Sorey. He wasn’t going to risk dragging the emperor back the way that the seraphim had gone. The only safe way would be out the door out into the hall. The storeroom would hold the dragon for a while, but Boris wasn’t sure that it would be forever. The dragon had never seemed protective of Sorey, but it would still be angry and being stuck in such a tight spot. By then, he’d have Sorey out of the range of danger and Boris could come up with another way to wrap back around to save the seraphim.

It wasn’t their fault that Mikleo was too far beyond saving.

He turned back to look at the emperor, cursing as Sorey slipped away from him. Boris lunged for the emperor, his fingers skimming over the edge of Sorey’s coat but he couldn’t close his fingers around it in time. He turned to watch Sorey go, his mouth dropping open as he saw Sorey sprinting for Mikleo. Boris lunged for him again, practically knocking the big seraph out of the way in his rush to get to Sorey.

He might have been angry with Sorey, but he wasn’t about to let his emperor get eaten by a dragon.

Boris was pulled sharply to a stop. He twisted to look at the big seraph, slapping the seraph’s hands away. Then the growling stopped.

He turned to look at where Sorey was petting the dragon’s nose, making calming sounds at him. It seemed to be working, but Sorey had always seemed to be able to distract the dragon. It was just a matter of how long.

Sorey rested his forehead against the dragon’s muzzle for a moment before he turned to look back at Boris. The serious look was back, the one that looked like General Heldalf in his official portrait in the long gallery and, this time, it didn’t go away. He leaned against the dragon for a while more before finally turning to look at Boris. “You want me to talk, fine. Before I do, what do you already know?”

Boris rolled his shoulder to shake off the seraph’s hold. He ignored the annoyed sound that the seraph made, preferring to focus entirely on the emperor. “I won’t be able to tell them about Gododdin, if that’s what you’re worried about. I don’t know anything about it. But I can tell them about what you’re doing here, about taking back the seraphic weapons and about the promises I’ve heard you give to the army. You’ve told them that you’ll fix the weapons, but you’re not. You have the blacksmiths working all the time on what I can only assume are fakes. You’re going to send all of them into battle thinking that they have seraphim on their side, and it’s going to get them all killed.”

Sorey was silent for a moment, the only sound the growing growl from the dragon. The emperor absently stroked his hand over the dragon’s face, Boris not sure that it worked to calm the creature down. Boris watched the steady motion of his hand, his heart speeding up when Sorey stopped it.

Sorey sighed, glancing back over at him. “You’ve figured out a lot.”

Boris could only nod, his eyes widening as Sorey lifted his hand from the dragon and stepped aside.

The dragon turned to look at him, nudging at Sorey’s hand until Sorey shook his head. Then Mikleo tensed with a growl, rocking back on his haunches.

Boris glanced over at Sorey, watching as Sorey leaned back against Mikleo. Sorey ran a hand down his face, staring at the ceiling.

He stayed that way for a while, not seeming to notice the dragon barely kept at bay. Boris kept looking between two of them, waiting for one or the other to break.

Sorey was the one who moved first, looking down at him with tired eyes. “I know you want me to talk, but I just…there are…” Sorey stopped himself, taking a few deep breaths before shaking his head. “If I promise to tell you what I plan, you have to promise to do something for me.”

Boris nodded, relief flooding through him. “Yes.”

He thought the agreement would make Sorey smile, or at least get rid of some of the tension that Sorey carried. Instead, it seemed to make everything worse.

Sorey dragged a hand down the side of Mikleo’s face. “In that case…I wish it was…maybe if I had thought this out…” Sorey sighed, shaking his head as he stepped away from Mikleo. “I really am sorry, Boris.”

He stared at Sorey, only pulling his gaze away when the dragon growled. Boris took a step back as the dragon regarded him, the calm only lasting for a moment before the creature lunged forward, its jaws opening wide around him.

* * *

Sergei frowned at the growing camp in the fields. He scanned over the neat rows of tents, not daring to take his hand from his sword. The soldiers might have all have sworn their loyalty to the emperor, but Sergei had lived through too many upheavals to trust them implicitly. After all, the army had been sworn to Emperor Dorann and they had chosen to crown General Heldalf.

He sighed, reaching up to rub his temples. His fingers lingered over the scar on his right side, tracing out the short slash. Sergei huffed and dropped his hand away. He didn’t have the time to contemplate the past for too long, he was out at the camp chasing rumors. Andrei had brought the latest one to him before the man had collapsed into his bed for a well-deserved rest.

There had been news that there had been a few soldiers who had seen Boris a few nights before. The problem was in finding them.

He shifted in place, scanning the rush of soldiers for Melor. He wasn’t able to go in as the General of the Platinum Knights because he wasn’t to be trusted according to the guards. They hadn’t needed to say that it had been on Pope Gasparo’s orders. He was sure that the man was smarting from the loss of his private forces, but Sorey’s absence had allowed him too much leeway in Sergei’s option. The last time that they’d had the church controlling the government, they had suggested binding seraphim to weapons.

Sergei huffed, glaring at a pair of soldiers that walked past. He got growled at for his troubles, Sergei watching their fangs grow slightly. He let them go past without a challenge, not wanting to mess with them. He wouldn’t have won in any case, he was useless against hellions. That was the purview of the Shepherd, and far beyond him.

He shook his head, about to step back closer to the gates when he spotted Melor jogging towards him. Sergei straightened his back, watching Melor’s face for any sign of good news. It was hard to tell just from his expression. Sergei sighed and shook his head. He prayed for good news but at least a negative was news and it narrowed down the places they had to look, never mind the fact that it felt like they had already looked everywhere. But Boris couldn’t have just disappeared off the face of the earth.

Melor waved him on as he jogged past, Sergei turning to follow. He kept his pace to a walk, watching as Melor stopped just inside the gates.

Sergei looked around as he stepped through the gates, watching the people carefully. They didn’t look jubilant or comfortable with the large army at their gates. Sergei couldn’t blame them, especially without the buffer of Sorey between them and the men that would use them. Sergei would help them where he could, but his opportunities were growing smaller with each day.

He caught up to Melor, surprised when the man started off at a fast walk towards the royal quarter. Sergei fell into stride behind him, having to lean close to hear Melor as he talked.

“There were a few soldiers who say that they saw Boris. They said that he was in the courtyard four nights ago. They saw him when they were unloading crates of broken weapons. They didn’t see where he went though.”

Sergei cursed under his breath. It was something, but it wasn’t enough to go off of. He ran a hand through his hair, turning over the information in his head. There had to be something that they could pick out and use. The crates were their best bet, because there was only one place that the crates would go, and that was directly under Sorey’s control.

He gave Melor a nod. “Thank you. Keep scouring the town for clues. Switch out with Klim when you get tired.”

Sergei stayed long enough to see Melor salute before picking up his pace. He needed to speak to Sorey as soon as possible about this, because it could be bad. It was one thing if Boris had squirreled himself away somewhere, but another thing entirely if one of the divisions of the army had taken him just to spite the Platinum Knights. Or worse, on someone’s orders.

He broke into a jog, ignoring the strange looks that he got from the people. He was far too used to them to care. Besides, what he was doing was important. It wasn’t like the Platinum Knights would be useless without Boris, they were a resourceful enough bunch, but they had lost their eyes and ears. Boris had more connections with the people than the rest of them did, and Sergei was sure that Boris’ contacts would be suspicious if one of them just turned up. If they lost that network, then they were all in trouble. Sorey was only on the throne because of the threat of Mikleo and the fact that the people still trusted him, if one or both of those were lost, then they’d have another coup on their hands, and Sergei didn’t know how that would turn out.

He had to make sure Sorey was safe, as well as his brother and the rest of the knights. But, to do that, he would have to talk to Sorey and get the emperor to pay attention instead of focusing on whatever he was planning.

Sergei heard a few people shout at him, not sure if they were jeers or something else entirely. He didn’t dare enough to check, not with the gates of the royal quarter just ahead.

He jogged through, heading immediately for the palace even as he tried to figure out the most likely spot where Sorey would be.

It had been four days, plenty of time for Mikleo to have gone through his unexpected heat, so Sergei didn’t have to worry about barging in on them. After that, there was a chance that Sorey was wherever the seraphic weapons were being stored, but Sergei didn’t know where that was. Sorey had purposefully kept it a secret from everyone as a favor to Mikleo.

Sergei muttered a curse under his breath and shook his head. After that, there were only the old council room and the emperor’s study, and Sorey rarely used the latter. He was more likely to take advantage of the larger table in the council room so he could spread out all his books and maps.

Sergei dodged around a page, ignoring the look of shock on the young boy’s face. Usually, he would have apologized, but he didn’t stop. Boris had been missing for days and he couldn’t help but think that it had something to do with the arrival of the army. There were plenty of units who were unhappy with the Platinum Knight’s place of favor. Aside from the hellions, Sergei was sure that none of the army wanted to march off to war again, not even with whatever their captains were telling them. The empire had been at war long enough for it to wear on people.

He raced down the hallways, ignoring the pages that ducked out of his way or the clerks that tried to catch his attention. They could manage on their own for a little while longer.

Sergei slowed down as he reached the hall by the council room. He would check there first before continuing on to the emperor’s study. If that didn’t work, he would start sending the pages out to check through the palace, but he wanted to keep from that kind of panic for just a little while longer.

He practically threw himself at the doors when he reached them, jerking himself back at the last moment. Sergei took a deep breath, rubbing at hand at the back of his neck. There was no reason to panic Sorey, at least not yet. They had to keep calm for a little bit longer, just until they were sure of what they had to do.

Sergei took a deep breath and opened the door, clearing his throat in preparation for starting to his report, but anything he was going to say abruptly left his head when he looked at the table.

The usual mess of maps and books were spread across it, but so was Mikleo. The seraph was pressed back against the map of Glenwood, his arms wrapped around Sorey’s neck. Sorey was braced over him, pressing Mikleo back into the table as they kissed, the two of them apparently oblivious to what was going on around them.

Sergei made a choked off noise, taking a step back. He hadn’t meant to interrupt, but he had thought that the two of them would have worked it out of their system. It was like they had forgotten everything but each other, and that made him angry.

He cleared his throat, frowning when they didn’t look up immediately. It took them a moment, and even then it was Mikleo who tipped his head back. Sorey just kept kissing down Mikleo’s throat, Sergei shifting uncomfortably.

The seraph gave him a languid smile before reaching down to stroke a hand over Sorey’s head. Sorey made an enquiring sound, not bothering to look up from Mikleo’s neck.

He must have bitten the seraph because Mikleo gasped and jerked. He grabbed onto Sorey’s head and pulled on it, Sorey finally looking up from the seraph.

Sorey stared at him for a moment, seemingly unable to comprehend who he was seeing. Then comprehension dawned, Sorey jerking away from Mikleo. “Sergei!”

“Your highness.” He didn’t bother to try and soften the disappointment in his voice. Sorey winced and sat back down in his chair, looking like a chastised child. Mikleo on the other hand remained splayed out on the table. Sergei watched as the seraph reached up to touch the spot on his neck that Sorey had been working on. Sergei glared at him, but Mikleo looked completely unrepentant.

Sergei huffed and looked away from him, preferring to look at Sorey. He didn’t care that Sorey was struggling to look at him, it just meant that Sorey would be listening.

He crossed his arms over his chest, glancing over at what of the maps and army unit positions that he could still see. From the pieces scattered on the floor, they had been set up at one point, but Sergei didn’t need more of a clue about what had happened to send them to the floor. He sighed, trying to push back his rising irritation. They needed those positions if they were going to talk this out. And they also needed Mikleo off the table.

He looked back over at Sorey, waiting for the emperor to come up with something. When he didn’t say anything, Sergei took that as permission to speak. “Your highness, we need to talk about the army outside of Pendrago.”

Sorey perked up at that, looking worried. “What have they been doing?”

“Nothing yet. But there’s no chain of command. For now they seem to be respecting your authority, but that won’t last long unless you don’t go out and talk to them. Because if you don’t, Pope Gasparo will go out and take control for you.”

“Pope?” Sorey frowned, glancing at where Mikleo was lying over the maps like the answer was there. They rustled slightly as Mikleo sat up, but Sorey had already looked away. He stared at Sergei, looking like he was trying to remember what day it was. “Already?”

“Of course. You promised him the position, so of course he took it, before you changed your mind. And he might just decide to take control of the Blue Storm Knights again since you haven’t come to check on him.”

“Has he?”

“No.” Sergei sighed and stepped forward to lean on the back of a chair. “But it won’t take him long to decide that it would be for the best; considering that you haven’t talked to anyone. All I’ve heard is that you’re promising them weapons.”

Sorey shifted in place, refusing to look at him. “Well, all the ones they have are about to break. They can’t fight with those.”

Sergei stared at him, not sure what to make of the statement. Sorey would have said that the weapons were cruel before, not just that were broken. It was strangely out of character, just like the fact that he had invited the army and had just let someone take the position of pope so easily. He narrowed his eyes, glancing over at Mikleo.

The seraph slid off of the table and went to sit on the arm of Sorey’s chair. Sorey wrapped his around Mikleo’s waist, leaning his head against the seraph’s side with a sigh. Sorey closed his eyes for a moment, Mikleo reaching up to stroke Sorey’s hair. It was an image that the people would have loved, but it put him on edge.

Sergei curled his fingers around the top of the chair, giving up on taking the careful approach. It wasn’t working and it was obvious that Sorey wasn’t the same person that he had known. There was something different, and Sergei was sure that he was staring at the thing that had caused it.

“Boris is missing.”

Sorey started upright, the motion practically pulling Mikleo into his lap. He opened his mouth to speak, snapping it shut quickly.

Sergei didn’t know how to take the motion, but it was too soon to tell. He glanced over at Mikleo, giving up on trying to read the seraph. Mikleo looked as aloof as ever, his hand just stroking the back of Sorey’s head.

Sorey ducked his head, biting his lip. “Sergei-”

“He’s been missing for four days now. He’s gone off on his own before, but never without telling any of us. The only reason he would have done this is if he told you. I understand that you obviously couldn’t tell us, but I need to know that _now._ If he didn’t speak to you, then I will need to search the army camp for him, and I’ll need your permission for that.”

He watched Sorey closely, waiting for an answer. That Sorey was just staring wasn’t a good sign, nor was the way that Mikleo shifted on the arm of the chair.

Sergei leaned forward, glaring at Sorey. It was a relief that Sorey reacted the same way that he always did. He buckled and looked away, the latter a sure sign that there was something wrong. Sorey had never been good at lying, but he seemed to think that it would work better if he wasn’t looking at the person. Sergei tensed, trying to ready himself for whatever Sorey would say when Mikleo sat up. Sergei followed the flash of the lights off the gold of Mikleo’s circlet before looking at the seraph.

Mikleo glared at him, shifting forward like he was going to stand up. Sergei didn’t know if Mikleo decided not to get up on his own or if Sorey held him back. That didn’t stop it from being terrifying, especially with the way that Mikleo smiled at him, the expression all fangs. “Your brother was poking around where he wasn’t wanted.”

Sergei froze, staring at Mikleo with wide eyes. The seraph just kept grinning at him, Mikleo settling back on his perch. He looked down at Sorey, combing his fingers through the emperor’s hair. “People like that will eventually push too far. And Boris hit his limit.”

“W-what did you do to him?”

Sorey still wouldn’t meet his gaze, but Mikleo seemed more than happy to. The seraph just licked his lips, Sergei shuddered at the flick of a forked tongue.

Mikleo didn’t need to explain anymore, because Sergei could imagine it all too well. He had seen Mikleo swallow hellions whole, he had seen how the dragon would lunge at humans. Sorey always stopped him, something that Sergei had been grateful for. He had just never imagined that there would be a day when Sorey would do nothing.

“Why?” He didn’t recognize the sound of his own voice as it cracked over the word. Sergei leaned heavily on the chair, sure that it was the only thing keeping him up. He stared at the two of them, waiting for one of them to answer him. Mikleo seemed content to just perch on the chair and Sorey was refusing to look at him, which was just as much of an admission to the truth as anything else. Sergei jerked forward, nearly toppling over the chair as he tried to get to Sorey before he stopped himself.

Sorey flinched at the sound, Sergei perversely glad about it. At least Sorey was reacting the right way. At least there was something left of the Sorey he knew, at least there was a chance of him getting some kind of straight answer.

“Why? He would have never done anything to you! We’re loyal, you know that. We’ve stood with you for all of this, through _everything_. And this is how you repay us?”

“Sergei-”

“Give me a reason, Sorey!”

Sorey stared at him for a moment before his jaw clenched, his expression shutting down. “You heard Mikleo. He was investigating too far into something he had no business with.”

“What was it? What could have possibly been worth killing him?”

Sorey opened his mouth to reply before his gaze jumped to the door. Sergei turned to look against his better judgement, but he dropped his hand to the sword at his waist. If he needed to, he would take care of Mikleo himself, for his own sake and Sorey’s. Sergei’s hand jerked a bit, drawing the sword slightly. He thought he heard Mikleo growl, but he ignored the sound, all of his attention on where Vanya was braced against the doors of the council room.

Vanya gave Sorey an abbreviated bow and then saluted Sergei. Sergei could just stare, a jolt of fear running down his spine.

Boris had sent Vanya out to check what had happened in Gododdin, he’d left that much information for them. His heart started beating faster as he stared at the man. He had forgotten about it in the rush of what was happening and the search for Boris.

In any other circumstances, he would have been waiting eagerly for the report, because Gododdin was the key for what had changed, but not here. Not when Sorey and the seraph were listening. Not when it had killed Boris.

Sergei shook his head, but Vanya didn’t seem to see it. The man pushed away from the door to take a step into the room. “I’ve been to Gododdin. It’s completely destroyed. The only thing left standing was a new building, the rest was torn down and burnt. There was no one, just two graves. It said that the whole town and border garrison had been killed…by you.”

Sergei felt his blood run cold. He pivoted on his heel, looking over at Sorey. He hoped that Sorey would deny it or at least try to explain himself in case that there was some misunderstanding. But Sorey didn’t say anything, he just tucked his head against Mikleo’s side.

The seraph’s haughty look had disappeared, his full attention on Sorey. Mikleo ducked his head to whisper something to Sorey, Sergei watching as Sorey nodded, but didn’t move his head away from Mikleo’s side.

Sergei swayed in place, staring at the two of them. Sorey’s reaction alone was more than enough evidence for him and it was all wrong.

The Sorey he knew would never act like this, never invite a war and throw away people like they were worth nothing. The Sorey he knew wouldn’t forget the years of loyalty that they had given him, or that they had been like family for so long. The Sorey he knew wouldn’t have killed people so indiscriminately. The Sorey he knew was different from all of his cousins who had fought and killed for the throne. The Sorey he knew cared about his comrades and the people.

It had all changed beyond what he could cope with, far beyond what his oaths would take. He had never imagined that there would be a point where he would have to choose between the oaths he had sworn and his own morals, but he had found his breaking point.

He reached up to grab at the pin of his office that he wore. He pulled it from his jacket, throwing it on the table without giving it a second glance.

That finally got the reaction that he had been waiting for from Sorey. The emperor pulled away from Mikleo, staring at the pin that was lying in between the stacks of books. When he looked back up his expression was shocked and lost. Sergei just met it with a stern glare.

There was nothing that Sorey could do to make up for everything that had happened, because the one thing that Sergei would demand Sorey would never agree to. He’d never send Mikleo away, not when having the dragon by his side meant that he would stay on the throne. And certainly not after they had spent a heat together. Sorey would be protective of him, which just made Sergei angrier.

Sorey had been _theirs_ before the seraph had come along. Sorey had been everything the empire needed to be saved and the seraph had taken that and corrupted him completely.

Sergei shot a glare at Mikleo before turning on his heel and walking out of the room. He grabbed onto Vanya’s arm as he passed, dragging the man out of the room despite his protests. In the midst of the noise, he thought he heard Sorey call his name, but he didn’t bother to look back. 

He wasn’t going to be lured back, not when there was a chance that Sorey might just decide to take out the two of them the same way he had taken care of Boris. At least this way he was saving Vanya, and he was sure that that he would have the time to spread the word to the rest of the Platinum Knights. He would try to save all of them from Sorey’s pointless war.

It would be desertion and there was no turning back from that, but Sergei was sure that it was the right thing to do, for the empire and for himself.

Vanya trailed along after him for a short time, seeming to be in shock more than anything else. It was only when they were down the next corridor that the man spoke up. “General?”

“We’re leaving. It’s not safe here.”

“What’s been happening?”

“Boris is dead.” It felt strange to be saying the words because they almost didn’t feel real. Sergei swallowed, trying to pull himself out of his shock. He could stop later, but he had to keep moving, at least for now. “The dragon killed him.”

He heard Vanya make a noise, but he kept moving. They had to in case Sorey sent Mikleo after them and moving meant that he didn’t have time to think or react in the wrong way, and then he would be the next to go. He knew that at least.

“What do we do then?”

Sergei stared straight down the hallway, clenching his hand into a fist. “I need you to go to the rest of the Platinum Knights. Tell them that they need to be ready to ride as soon as possible.”

He was relieved when Vanya just nodded, the man jogging around him. Sergei assumed that Vanya would have run right to the tower, except that he stopped and turned to look back at him. “Where should I tell them that we’re going?”

It was a good question, but it was one that Sergei didn’t have a concrete answer for. He bit his lip, shifting through their options before shaking his head. They would be left alone in Lohgrin, but they wouldn’t be able to do anything from there. That left just one option open to them, one that Sergei didn’t like. He had been loyal to his country and emperor all his life, but he also couldn’t just sit on the sidelines and watch Sorey destroy everything that he had once dreamed of.

He shook his head, carefully meeting Vanya’s gaze. “We’re going into Hyland, to try and find the resistance.”

Vanya tensed at that, but he didn’t argue. If anything, he looked a little relieved. He gave Sergei a sharp nod before turning and running down the hall.

Sergei glanced over his shoulder, checking the hallway for any sign of Sorey or his dragon. They were safe enough for now, but he didn’t want to push his luck. He had to get the Platinum Knights out and on the road into Hyland. Certainly the sight of all of them moving would be enough to attract the resistance’s attention, which would be all he needed. Sergei was sure that none of them would turn away a group of soldiers who had been so close to the emperor, nor any of the information that he would be bringing with him. It didn’t sit well with him that he would have to betray his country, but it was the only way he could think of that would save the Platinum Knights and give them a chance to save the people.

Besides, for the right price, the resistance might tell him how to slay a dragon


	19. Chapter 17

“To revenge crime is important, but to prevent it is more so.”  
- _The Adventure of the Illustrious Client_ , Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

* * *

 

Dawn was just started to break when the last of the crates was carried out of the palace. Mikleo watched Eizen lift it up to the seraph waiting in the back of the wagon. The fire seraph took it, wobbling a bit as he pushed it back with the others. Mikleo turned his attention to the second wagon, watching as a female earth seraph carefully arranged the crates so they could be secure. He breathed a sigh of relief as the crate was slotted into place, the seraph leaning on it for a moment before waving to the others.

The seraphim started to walk out from where they had been clustered just out of the way. Mikleo watched them, looking them over for anything that they needed.

They had worked in a rush from the time that Sergei had left them in the council room. It didn’t matter that they had always intended to send the seraphim off sooner rather than later, it was the fact that there were so many people who were beginning to question them. Things couldn’t hold forever, no matter how much Mikleo wanted to keep his sisters by his side.

He turned his head to look over at where Natalie and Melody were handing seraphim up into the wagons. Every once and a while he felt a spark of their artes as they healed a seraphim a little more. It wasn’t much, but Mikleo was sure that it would be enough to keep the seraphim going until they crossed into a place with a little less malevolence. Until then, they should be able to keep from getting tainted.

Mikleo didn’t think that any of them would be strong enough to create a domain that would push away the malevolence, but maybe just being together would slow the effects. It would have been better if they had been able to get more of them out, but the ones that he and Sorey had unbound were the only ones that he had dared to do. Some of them looked like they would make the journey, but there were others that looked ready to collapse. Those were the ones that Mikleo worried the most about.

A few of them were guided into place between the crates, Mikleo watching as the other seraphim were quick to cluster around them. At least they would have the others to look after them, but he couldn’t help but worry.

These seraphim and the ones from Gododdin were the only ones that were free, and if they died then he didn’t know what he would do. If they were tainted, then he would lose his family permanently. Mikleo shivered and looked away.

He stared out into the courtyard, watching everything carefully. Sergei’s resignation had done one thing at least, the courtyard and the walls were bare of soldiers. Even the Royal Guards had been sent out to join the rest of the army. Mikleo wasn’t sure what they would have done if they’d had to deal with the Platinum Knights on guard, but that didn’t matter now. From his brief check around the courtyard there was no one there, which just made it all the better for them.

Mikleo was sure that someone would question if they found so many seraphim being loaded into wagons, even if the emperor was with them. After all, the emperor had promised the army a solution to their weakening weapons.

Mikleo shifted in place, looking over at where Sorey was talking to the man sitting at the front of one of the carts. The two of them were in a deep conversation over the map, pointing out different places and routes. The driver shook his head, motioning towards a certain place on the map, leaning in closer as their argument continued. It was enough to draw some of the seraphim who were already sitting in the back into it, two of them kneeling on the closed crates to join into the conversation. He shook his head, looking over at where Eizen was climbing onto the bench of the other wagon.

Eizen’s wagon was completely loaded up, Natalie already securing the back. Mikleo watched her double check the locks before looking over at him. He smiled at her, stepping away from his guard position.

He hadn’t really been needed, but standing guard had made him feel better. He would have preferred to make them all invisible with an arte, but he didn’t have the strength for that, not when he had spent most of the evening healing the seraphim and not when he’d never practiced the arte on that kind of scale. He’d only used the arte to hide himself back on Elysia, not a whole section of the courtyard. There was more space and sound to take in than if he was just trying to hide from hellions on a relatively quiet mountain.

He came to a stop by the first wagon, resting his hand on one of the locks. Mikleo looked it over before looking back at Natalie, surprised when she practically lunged forward to pull him into a hug.

He let go of the back of the wagon and clung to her, pressing his face against her shoulder. He took a deep breath, trying to memorize the smell of her. She was a cold mountain stream, the rain on the leaves and everything that he should have remembered from home but couldn’t anymore. It had been too long, and he had forgotten. Mikleo squeezed her tighter, holding on for dear life.

He didn’t want to let her go, her or Melody.

Mikleo took a shaky breath, hearing Natalie copy it from her side. He was sure that it was a hint that he could let go, but he didn’t dare. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to draw out the moment for as long as possible.

He started when he felt another set of arms wrap around him, Mikleo relaxing when he smelled the sweet scent of fragment smoke. That was home too, an almost forgotten home in the mountains away from the scent of people and the choking pressure of malevolence, not that he could feel the latter much anymore. It was everything that he wanted to be able to run away to, but he couldn’t allow himself to do that, not just yet.

Besides, home didn’t seem right without the scent of old books too.

Mikleo sighed, lifting his head when he felt Melody let go of him. She smoothed her hands up his back before sighing and reaching up to comb her fingers through his hair. “If you’re going to let it grow, you have to take care of it. It’s going to go everywhere.”

Mikleo hummed, not daring to reach up to touch his hair, not if it meant letting go of Natalie. “Then I should just chop it off.”

Melody gasped in horror at the same time that Natalie slapped his shoulder. She pushed him away slightly to glare at him. “Don’t you dare! It looks good on you.” Natalie reached up to brush some of his bangs out of his eyes, playing with them for a moment before pushing them back over his circlet. “Just, take a moment to take care of it.”

He huffed, but didn’t argue with her as she played with his hair. Natalie fluffed his bangs a bit more before Melody took over, her fingers already working on a braid along the top of his head. Mikleo shot her a quick look, holding steady as she continued to work. The braid would mean that his bangs would be away from his circlet, but he didn’t mind. He’d been wearing it in the open more often than not, to the point that Mikleo sometimes forgot that it was there. He was the emperor’s seraph, so it made sense to show it off.

Melody tutted to herself, her fingers working quickly. At a loss of what to do, Mikleo glanced around, taking in what they had accomplished. At least half of the seraphim that had been trapped in the weapons had been freed. The others would survive the journey in the weapons. They wouldn’t be there long, not when they would be going somewhere mostly free of malevolence. If they were lucky, then they would find Maotelus and the others quickly and the rest of the seraphim could be freed and purified before the malevolence got too much. If not, then they would at least be able to free the others.

Mikleo rooted around for the paper that Sorey had given to him sometime during their rush. He didn’t even know when Sorey had had the time to write all the possible words of unbinding and the right way to pronounce them between unbinding the seraphim, helping repack the weapons into fewer crates and helping carry the crates out to the wagons. His fingers closed around the paper, Mikleo pulling it out and holding it out to Natalie. “Here. Just in case you need to start letting the others out.”

Natalie glanced at the paper, raising her eyebrows. She glanced back over at where Sorey was still talking with the cart driver. She looked completely surprised, but not enough to give the paper back to him. Natalie tucked it into the pouch on her belt, looking Mikleo up at down.

He blushed under her gaze, trying his best not to look over at Sorey. He was sure that he failed, but he wouldn’t have been able to deny it anyway. She had probably smelled it on him from the moment he had walked into the storeroom earlier that day. Even if she hadn’t noticed, she would have been able to count the days that he had been gone. It didn’t take much to add it all together.

Mikleo cleared his throat, wishing that he could turn around and glare at Melody as she giggled, but she was still working on his hair. He dropped his gaze to the ground, trying to ignore the pull back towards Sorey.

That was new and slightly frightening, because it was a distraction. He should be paying attention to everything else around him, but his attention kept being dragged back to Sorey. What should have been worse was the attachment, because he just wanted to be around Sorey all the time. It had been nice to be tucked up against him, to have someone touching him after being alone for so long. Mikleo shuddered, not sure if it was in disgust with himself or with longing.

He looked back at Natalie, watching as she nodded. She didn’t look completely happy, but that could be because she was leaving him behind. Natalie wrung her hands together for a moment before reaching forward and cupping his cheeks. She stared at him for a moment before giving him a nod. “You can still come with us. There’s room.”

“Natalie-”

“We just don’t want to leave you behind.” Melody spoke up, finishing up the braid. She tucked it into place, resting her hands on his shoulder. They stayed there for a moment before she pulled him back into a hug. “War is bad for seraphim.”

“I know, but I promised.” He felt Melody’s arms tighten around his waist, Mikleo prevented from looking back at her by Natalie’s hold on his face. Mikleo swallowed, not sure what the two of them were looking for. He reached down to rest a hand on Melody’s, using his free hand to hold onto one of Natalie’s. “I’ll be fine. I’ll come and find you when we’re done.”

“Just…” Natalie struggled for words, Mikleo feeling her fingers flex slightly against his face. “Be _careful_. Your human can’t protect you from everything.” Her gaze moved up towards his circlet. She stared at it for a moment before shaking her head. “Promise me that.”

“I promise.”

From the way that her eyes narrowed, he had responded too quickly, but Mikleo didn’t know what else to say to her. He had no intention of dying, not even if it was for Sorey. He was there to see their promise through to the end. There were still some seraphic weapons left, Mikleo refused to believe that they had found them all. He still owed Sorey his empire; whole, broken or however they managed to get it.

Natalie stared at him a moment more before sighing and letting go of his face. She caught the hand that he had rested against hers. Natalie squeezed it, but she refused to meet his gaze.

Mikleo stared at her in confusion, distracted from her odd behavior by Melody pulling away from his back. She stepped around to his front, giving him a shaky smile. “Okay, but we’ll be back here as soon as we hear that this war is done. Then we’ll go home, back to Elysia.”

“Yeah.” It was hard trying to speak around the lump that had formed in his throat, but Mikleo forced the word out. He offered them the best smile that he could muster up, that seeming to be enough for her.

Melody squeezed his hand before letting go. She reached up to pat Natalie’s shoulder, having to give her a little shake to get her to let go of Mikleo. Even then Natalie didn’t seem happy moving away from him. She walked backwards for a few steps before she turned on her heel and headed towards the second wagon. She clambered right up onto the bench beside Eizen, Mikleo seeing the seraph double take as Natalie settled in beside him.

He sighed and looked over at where Melody was jumping up into the back of the other wagon. Mikleo heard a few of the seraphim call out greetings to her, Melody quickly finding a spot among them.

Mikleo swayed in place for a moment before giving in and walking over to where Sorey was still talking with the driver of the first cart.

Boris glanced at him and flinched slightly, but Sorey gave him a wide smile. Mikleo returned it and tucked himself against Sorey’s side. Sorey wrapped an arm around his waist, Mikleo leaning back against it slightly. The motion didn’t feel caging, like it had before. Now it felt comfortable and safe. It felt protective.

The thought almost made him laugh - a human protecting a seraphim - but he held the laughter back. Instead, he tipped his head to rest it on Sorey’s shoulder, not quite sure why it felt so right. He felt Sorey’s fingers tighten on his waist for a moment before Sorey’s attention went back to Boris. “You think you can do that?”

“With all the noise you’ll be making here, it’ll be no problem. No one should be watching the Camelot Bridge, and the seraphim should be enough proof.” Boris reached for the front of his shirt, patting a place over his heart almost absently. He curled his fingers into his shirt after a moment, giving a long sigh. “They won’t suspect anything from me.”

“But it won’t be easy.”

“Is anything?” Boris reached down to pat the sword that he had sitting at his feet. “I’ll guard them with my life. And you can trust me on that. No need to sic your dragon on me. I got the point the first time.”

Mikleo was tempted to growl, but he held himself back. It wasn’t the time and, besides, they needed him to protect the seraphim. He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before opening them again. “Thank you.”

Boris startled, staring at him for a moment before giving him an awkward nod. “Don’t thank me. I’m just following orders.”

Mikleo huffed, but didn’t bother to press further. He just watched as the man shifted in his seat, looking up at the sky. Boris frowned and gathered the reins from where they were resting over his leg. “The sun is rising. We should head out before everyone wakes up.”

Sorey sighed, his arm tightening around Mikleo. “The gates are open. I’ll make sure that they close behind you.”

The man nodded, shifting slightly in his seat. For a moment, it looked like he was going to urge the horses forward, but he stopped. Boris stared at the back gate out of the city before glancing back at the two of them. “When you get the chance, tell them I’m alright. You don’t have to tell him where I’m going, but just let him know I’ve gone. He tends to worry.” He gestured back over his shoulder towards the other wagon. “If Sergei doesn’t believe you, just tell him canteen. He’ll know what it means.”

Mikleo tipped his head at the word, watching as Sorey mouthed it before nodding. He tucked the information away for himself just in case, standing upright abruptly when he realized what he was doing. It shouldn’t have mattered because he and Sorey were separate, only bound together by a promise. He got the urge to step away, but it was quickly squashed. Mikleo relaxed back into Sorey, nuzzling his face into Sorey’s shoulder.

He didn’t quite mean the obvious show of affection, but the idea of stepping away from Sorey was too much. There was something relaxing about having someone to lean against, and Sorey’s scent was more than enough to make him feel at ease.

He looked up at the sound of the wagons moving off, staring at the seraphim in the back. A few of them looked like they had fallen asleep and none of them were talking. They were hunched down as close to the crates and wagon walls as they could get. Only Melody was upright, and she was looking back at him. Natalie had twisted around too, Mikleo meeting her gaze before stepping forward.

Mikleo waved at the two of them, the tight knot in his stomach unwinding when they waved back, but it didn’t come completely undone. He was saving them by sending them away, and that made the ache in his chest worse.

He kept his hand raised as the wagons rumbled out of the gate, Mikleo staring after them until he couldn’t seem them through the darkness of the tunnel through the wall. His stomach twisted, Mikleo taking a deep breath as he felt something build up at the back of his throat. It hurt, but they would be safe, which was all that he ever wanted.

Mikleo turned his head at the scuff of boots against the cobblestones, looking at Sorey. Something must have shown on his face, because Sorey stepped up and wrapped his arms around him. Mikleo swayed with the force of the hug, reaching up to grab onto the arms that Sorey had wrapped around his chest. He felt Sorey rest his forehead against his neck, Mikleo twitching a bit at the pressure that it put on the bruise there, but that was secondary to everything else. It was a familiar presence when it felt like his world was shifting, something that he hadn’t had last time. It meant that he didn’t feel quite as lost.

He squeezed Sorey’s arm. “They’re out.”

He felt Sorey nod against the back of his neck. “They’ll be safe.”

Sorey couldn’t guarantee that, and that fact sat uneasily in his stomach. He swallowed, staring at the gate for a moment before shaking his head. If he wanted Melody and Natalie to be able to come back, they would need to work on the state of the world. Besides, there were bound to be other seraphic weapons that they needed to confiscate.

He took a few deep breaths before stepping away from Sorey’s embrace. Sorey let him go without an argument, the emperor stepping away from him and heading over to the gate. Mikleo watched him close the gate up, swaying in place. He still felt the urge to run after the wagons, and he was sure that Sorey would let him go. And that was why he couldn’t.

Mikleo closed his eyes, taking a few breaths as he tried to center himself again. He was sure that part of it was him coming down from his heat. It had all happened in such quick succession that he didn’t have time to recover. It would have been too much to ask for that time, especially with their tight schedule.

He opened his eyes as Sorey came back over, reaching out to touch Sorey’s sleeve. He dragged his hand down until he found Sorey’s, lacing their fingers together. It all might have been overwhelming, but holding onto someone made him feel that little bit better, and he could live with that. He squeezed Sorey’s hand, waiting for the squeeze in response. He smiled when it came, tempted to drag Sorey closer. But they didn’t have the time for that. Four days had been wasted on his heat and there was still too much to do.

Mikleo sighed, relieved when Sorey was the one to turn away first. If it had been up to him, he would have remained standing at the gate, the pressure of their plan pushing down on him or not. It was easier to give into the light tug on his arm than to work up the momentum himself.

He turned to follow Sorey, holding onto his hand tightly as they walked back to the palace.

* * *

Natalie rocked with the motion of the wagon, her hand curled over the edge of the bench. She was sure that it was shaking, but it was hard to tell when the entire wagon was moving. The roads were serviceable enough, but they were moving at a fast pace; something that she couldn’t disagree with. The more distance they put between them and Pendrago the better. It wouldn’t be enough to get them away from all the malevolence in the world, but it would at least get them away from the danger that the humans would pose. Mikleo had told her that he and his human were drawing the armies of the empire away from the border and to Pendrago, giving them plenty of time to escape.

It was the fact that he was staying behind that made her uneasy.

She frowned and looked out over the countryside, not really seeing the gentle roll of the land. She hadn’t been aware of much while trapped in the weapon, just of the malevolence pressing down all around her and the pain that came when her artes were forced into use. It was still strange to be free, so much so that Natalie almost didn’t believe it. After all, she could still feel the press of malevolence around her, so much that it hurt sometimes. She could only imagine what Mikleo was feeling.

He had told her and Melody that he wasn’t bound to anything, and she hadn’t seen his human wearing a sword, but she was still wary. Just because the human wasn’t wearing a weapon didn’t mean that Mikleo wasn’t bound to something else. After all, anything could be a vessel for a seraph; that’s what the weapons had been at the start before they had been misused.

But it wasn’t the binding that bothered her, not as much as the malevolence that she had felt in Mikleo or the shock that had come when she had seen him transform into a drake.

She had known from the start that he had been tainted, but it was hard to tell the extent. She had hoped that he had avoided the worst of it by staying in Elysia. He would have gathered some malevolence, because it was impossible not to carry some in this world, and Mikleo had witnessed the destruction of his family. But certainly that wouldn’t be enough to cause that, not with the blessing that all of them had laid over the circlet. It hadn’t been much, but it was enough to protect their treasure from any chance of him becoming a dragon.

She had hoped that it would have been enough to protect him, she didn’t want to lose Mikleo just after she had found him.

Natalie twisted on the bench, staring back towards the walls of Pendrago. She understood that Mikleo had a complex web of promises that he had made, but that didn’t sit right with her. Sending the other seraphim away had made sense, it was important to help them, but there was no reason that Mikleo had to remain behind on his own.

She drummed her fingers against the bench, ignoring the way that Eizen made and annoyed noise. The earth seraph was more bark than bite and he wasn’t her main worry.

Mikleo might have the best of intentions, but he was being corrupted. He might be aware of it, but it was happening and Natalie was sure of the source. Good intentions wouldn’t stop the malevolence. And it would get worse if he was going to war. Battlefields were nothing but pockets of malevolence and Natalie wasn’t sure the blessing would hold out. It was already under a lot of strain, it was possible that it couldn’t take much more.

Natalie nodded to herself, standing up and jumping off the side of the wagon. She stumbled on the landing, Natalie catching herself before she fell forward onto her face. She steadied herself with a hand on the ground, taking a few deep breaths before pushing away.

She glanced to the side as the wagon stopped, not bothering to look back until Eizen shouted at her. “What are you doing?”

“I’m not chancing that we might meet other seraphim or someone who can help us, not with my brother’s life on the life.”

She heard Eizen curse, turning her head slightly to see the seraph leaning on the side of the bench. Beyond him, she could see that the other wagon had stopped as well. Natalie met Melody’s gaze, expected to be called back. From the look on Melody’s face, she had probably been thinking along the same line that she had. For a moment, Natalie thought that Melody would come with her, but the seraph shook her head and smiled. Even at a distance she could see that it was shaky.

Natalie turned and ran over to the first wagon, reaching up to grab her hands. Melody squeezed her hands, giving her a shaky smile. “I’ll look on my end then. Just be safe, alright?”

“I will.”

She looked over at the driver when he cleared his throat. Boris scratched at his throat, glancing around the open plain before making a vague gesture back over his shoulder. “I wouldn’t go back to Pendrago, I’d head to find Princess Alisha in Hyland.”

“Why?”

“She kept talking like she had something that could help with the seraphim. It might not be anything…”

“But it’s better than nothing.” Natalie eyed the man for a moment before giving him a nod. “Take care of them.”

The man sighed, but nodded. She thought she heard him mutter something about someone killing him, but she ignored it in favor of stepping back. The driver clucked to the horses to get them going, Natalie watching as the first wagon started rolling away. She held Melody’s gaze as it moved away, remaining by the side of the road until it was impossible to see Melody anymore.

Even then she waited for the space of a few more breaths before taking a step back. She gave the road that the wagons were on one last look before turning on her heel and walking towards Hyland.

* * *

Sorey played the with end of his glove, pulling it tight around his hand before loosening it up until it was nearly off. He swallowed and tugged it back down, pulling a bit on the fabric. Sorey was slightly surprised that it hadn’t ripped yet, but he didn’t dare stop messing with the glove, not when it was keeping him from pacing.

He swallowed and looked down the hall, feeling so small in the expanse of the throne room. He had tried to avoid it during his reign, because it never felt right. But the throne room was better than standing in the council room and going over the maps that he was sure he had memorized by now. And it was certainly better than pacing the long gallery under the painted stares of all the past emperors and empresses.

Sorey sighed, letting his gaze drift around the room. It looked more like a hall that conquers would sit in, Sorey turning his head to look at the banners that hung in the hall. Most of them were red and black, only a few in other colors. Sorey lingered on a few banners that he knew were from Lohgrin, even though that kingdom had been allowed to slip out of the empire because an emperor had decided that it was nothing but a dead weight. After all, nothing could ever come out of a desert. Sorey didn’t agree with them, but that emperor was long dead. He scanned over the rest of the banners, quickly skipping over Hyland’s before looking back down at the ground.

He’d never gotten around to fixing things in the palace because, compared to everything else that he wanted to do, they were the least important. Now that all of that was going to wait he couldn’t see the point of tearing them all down. The people expected a certain image of him, and Sorey intended to give them just that.

Sorey closed his eyes and leaned back in his throne, taking a deep breath. Even with his eyes closed he could see the map of the continent. He had stared at it so many times that he was sure that he would be seeing it in his dreams. He slumped further down on the throne, trying to find something to occupy his mind other than the weight of the crown on his head and the passage of time.

It had been three days since Sergei had left. Sorey didn’t know which way Sergei had taken the Platinum Knights, but that hardly mattered. The important thing was that they were away from him and safe. He intended to run the army into the ground, and he couldn’t do that with them around. All of them were loyal and would fight by his side until their last breaths, which was something he couldn’t allow. If he couldn’t guarantee their safety, then it would be better to keep them away from him. That way they had a better chance of living.

After so many years of keeping him safe, it was the least he could do.

The seraphim were a little easier to consider, he could at least estimate where they were. They were out of his hands, but they at least had Boris with them. Sorey trusted Boris to keep them safe. That was one promise fulfilled. Even better was the knowledge that, as long as Sergei and Boris weren’t aware of the other, they would stay far away from the war.

They would be safe.

He jumped as the door at the other end of the hall opened. Sorey opened his eyes, halfway expecting a herald to peek in to announce that they were ready for him. After all, an emperor didn’t wait in the courtyard for things to be prepared. Everything had to at least have the illusion that it was at his pleasure. That still didn’t make the waiting easier.

Sorey breathed a sigh of relief when Mikleo stepped into the room, the seraph not bothering to close the doors behind him. The seraph walked straight down the aisle, Sorey sitting up as Mikleo got closer.

The seraph had held himself together far better than Sorey over the past three days, but only barely. There had been plenty of times that Sorey had woken up to Mikleo’s side of the bed empty and for the seraph to wander back to his side by the time that he meetings with the generals started, not that they were ever different. It was all camping and supply arrangements, enemy troop movements and precedence. Sorey was thoroughly sick of it all.

He shifted on the throne, sitting up as Mikleo took the two steps up. Sorey sighed in relief when Mikleo didn’t bow, catching the way that Mikleo’s eyebrow twitched up at the sound. Mikleo regarded him like that for a moment before sitting down in Sorey’s lap.

Sorey automatically shifted to a comfortable position, wrapping his arms around Mikleo as soon as the seraph settled. It was second nature for Sorey to press his face against Mikleo’s shoulder, some part of him afraid at how easy it had come. A few weeks ago Mikleo had been aloof as ever, and for reasons that Sorey couldn’t argue with. To have him go from that to seeking out physical contact was baffling. It was almost too easy, and Sorey had learned his lesson about things that were going easily.

His fingers tightened where they were resting on Mikleo’s waist, Sorey feeling the seraph tense slightly at the touch. He pressed his forehead harder against Mikleo’s shoulder, not wanting to look up and have to explain himself. Some part of him wanted to go back to the four days of heat, simply because he hadn’t had to think, but that couldn’t happen either. He had made his choices and, even if he hated himself for them, he would have to see them through until the end.

Sorey sighed, lifting his head when he felt Mikleo’s fingers on his jaw. It was just a gentle pressure, but Sorey couldn’t fight against the request. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch up at the soft smile on Mikleo’s face, his eyes fluttering slightly shut as Mikleo stroked his fingers through his hair. “You never come in here.”

“I didn’t want to wait in the council room. I’m sick of looking at that map.”

“Me too.” Mikleo huffed, the sound something like a laugh. “I don’t think your generals have looked over the plans as much as you have.”

“I need everything to be perfect.”

“It won’t be.”

“I know.” Sorey opened his eyes, looking over Mikleo. His gaze lingered on some of the marks that were on Mikleo’s neck. Only a few of them could be seen over the collar that the seraph wore and most of those were fading. Sorey liked his lips, almost surprised at how easy it was to look away. He didn’t have the urge to darken them again, nor did he want to growl at anyone who looked at Mikleo for too long. He was just glad that Mikleo had preferred to stay close to him, but he didn’t know how much longer that would last.

Sorey leaned up to press his face against Mikleo’s throat, breathing in the scent of leather and the seraph. He heard Mikleo hum, pressing an open mouthed kiss against the place where leather and skin met. Mikleo reached up to stroke the back of his head, Sorey feeling the encouraging pressure to get closer, almost tempted to take it. There was a patch of skin that wasn’t bruised that called to him, but he held himself back.

He swallowed, choosing to speak into Mikleo’s neck instead of looking at him. “You can still leave if you want.”

Mikleo went still for a moment, then the hand in his hair tightened. Sorey gave into the pressure, looking up at Mikleo. The seraph stared at him for a moment before letting go and smoothing his hand down the back of Sorey’s neck. Mikleo’s hand rested there for a moment before Mikleo spoke up. “Do you really think so little of me?”

“What? No.”

“Then why would I leave.”

“What we promised…”

Mikleo sighed and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. Sorey eagerly leaned up to meet him, ignoring the strain on his neck. He stayed there for a moment, just listening to the sound of Mikleo breathing.

He whimpered when Mikleo moved away, reaching up to tangle his fingers in Mikleo’s hair. Mikleo shifted on his lap, resting one hand on Sorey’s shoulder. His fingers curled slightly into Sorey’s coat, Sorey sure that Mikleo could feel his heart speeding up.

Mikleo stared at him for a moment before his expression softened. “We’re still not done with that promise.”

“You don’t have to, not for this.”

“Sorey.” Mikleo shook his head, leaning in a little closer. “I would have left if I wanted to, and I didn’t want to. I don’t want to.”

Sorey opened and shut his mouth, not sure to what to say. To say that was permanent, far more than any kind of heat influence would encourage him to say. He swallowed, stroking his fingers through Mikleo’s hair. “A-again?”

“You want to hear it again?” Mikleo huffed, but he smiled and leaned forward. “Fine. I intend to stay and see this through.”

“Your sisters…”

“I miss them. But I don’t want to leave.”

Sorey sighed, sure that the breath shook on the exhale. Mikleo leaned forward like he wanted to catch the breath, hovering close to him without closing the distance. It took a moment for him to realize what was being offered. He tipped his face up slightly, unable to look away from Mikleo’s eyes. “Beloved…”

Mikleo startled at that, pulling away slightly. Sorey intended to chase after him, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He frowned, looking up at Mikleo.

The seraph looked surprised, Sorey feeling Mikleo’s fingers flexing on his shoulder. “W-what did you say?”

Sorey frowned, tensing when he realized what he had allowed to slip out. He bit his lip and dropped his gaze away.

It was just a word, something that had started to drift through his head during Mikleo’s heat. It was a secret word, one that Mikleo was never supposed to know because it meant too much. A choice made for a heat was not a choice made forever, and he had no right to try and bind Mikleo to him like that. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want it, nor did it mean that he had been able to stop the affectionate title from lingering in his mind.

Sorey swallowed, dragging his gaze up to meet Mikleo’s. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“Again.”

Sorey blinked as Mikleo moved closer, trying to take in the motion and Mikleo’s request. He swallowed, letting the word slip out again. “Beloved?”

“Again.”

Mikleo was closer, Sorey helpless to do anything but tip his chin up slightly and follow his request. “Beloved.”

Mikleo closed the distance between them quickly, catching Sorey’s lips in a deep kiss. Sorey rocked up as far as he could, meeting Mikleo as best as he could.

It was as intoxicating as ever, Sorey quickly losing himself to the kiss. His world narrowed to the press of Mikleo’s lips against his own and the teasing touch of Mikleo’s tongue.

He dropped his hand to Mikleo’s hip, gripping it tightly in an attempt to ground him a bit more. He heard Mikleo gasp at the touch, quick to chase after it. Sorey curled his fingers into Mikleo’s hip bone, about to drag him closer when he heard someone clear their throat. He paused to consider the sound, ready to ignore it when Mikleo pulled away with a nip to his lower lip.

Sorey shuddered and looked up at the seraph, taking in the blush that colored Mikleo’s cheeks. It made him want to lean back up and kiss the blush, but Mikleo curled his fingers in warning. Sorey swallowed and leaned around him to look at the herald that was standing close to the doors. The man looked like he wanted to turn and run right back out of the room, but he managed to stay for a moment longer.

Sorey leaned back into the throne, feeling Mikleo shift in his lap. He was tempted to move his hands away from Mikleo’s hip and out of his hair, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He took a deep breath and nodded at the herald, watching as the man cleared his throat before giving a jerky bow.

“Your majesty…” The man hesitated over his words for a moment, slowly coming out of his bow and looking at Mikleo. The herald swallowed and looked away quickly. “Everything is ready.”

Sorey gave the man a curt nod, carefully lifting his hands away from Mikleo so the seraph could get up. He sighed before levering himself out of the throne, starting towards the door.

The herald rushed away, Sorey sure that the man didn’t want to linger close to the emperor or his dragon. Sorey didn’t bother to watch the man go. His mind was already going ahead to what he knew would be waiting for him.

The full might of the empire had finally gathered together. Sorey had spent all the free time he had reading over the reports and trying to figure out the numbers that he had to work with. It wasn’t a big deal in the end, especially since his goal was to break the empire’s military as fast as possible with as little casualties as possible. But none of the generals or soldiers knew that. They thought he had finally come to his senses and was going to lead them to victory.

It made Sorey wonder how many of them thought he was going to be just like his father.

Sorey shivered. He wouldn’t be like his father, he couldn’t be. The army had respected Georg Heldalf, but they would never feel the same way about him, he would make sure of that.

He lifted his chin slightly as he stepped out into the courtyard. He scanned over his escort, taking a moment to realize why the arrangement looked so wrong. It wasn’t the Platinum Knights. The escort was a mix of the Royal Guard and the Blue Storm Knights. Sorey dragged his gaze over to where Pope Gasparo was sitting on his horse, his stomach turning at the smile on the man’s face. He was completely out of allies, and the thought exhausted him.

The Platinum Knights were the ones he trusted above all else. Sergei had saved his life. The whole group had followed him into certain exile when he couldn’t take seeing the people of the empire suffer. They had been his family for many years, and now they were gone.

Sorey reeled with the loss. He hadn’t allowed himself to think about it, not really. There had been other things to worry about, things that had monopolized his attention, but those were all done and he had nothing left but the slow grind of war to look forward to. Sorey shivered, trying to pull his mind back from the bleak path that it was heading on.

He hadn’t even reported the Platinum Knights as deserters, he hadn’t found the time and he doubted that he ever would. The news would make its rounds anyway, and all he could do was pray to Maotelus and the four Great Lords that they would stay safe; if the Great Lords were even listening to him anymore.

Sorey stepped forward to take the reins of his horse, barely giving the pope a nod when the man acknowledged him. He turned to look at Mikleo instead, looking over the seraph.

Mikleo’s indifferent mask was back on, Sorey able to see the tension in Mikleo’s shoulders. It was surprisingly obvious, but maybe that was because he knew how to look for it. To everyone else, this was Mikleo. The cold, distant seraph who looked down on them all with disdain. The emperor’s dragon. The change in him was a shock and it just made Sorey want to drag the real Mikleo out, the one that he had seen in short glimpses. But that would be stripping away some of the protection Mikleo had for himself, and Sorey couldn’t do that. All he could do was keep letting Mikleo in.

He stepped to the side, gesturing to the horse. “Mikleo?”

If Mikleo was surprised by the offer he didn’t show it. He walked up to the horse without hesitation and swung onto it, sitting easily as the horse snorted and skewed from side to side. The horse probably sense the malevolence in Mikleo, which made it nervous. Sorey quickly pushed down the feelings of guilt that sprung up at the thought. He was getting better with suppressing them with each passing day.

He waited until Mikleo was settled before mounting the horse himself. He wrapped an arm around Mikleo to secure him in place, unable to stop himself from smiling as the seraph leaned back into him. Sorey pressed his face against Mikleo’s hair for a moment to steady himself.

Sorey lifted his head, nudging the horse forward as his escort moved out. For a moment, he thought that Pope Gasparo would ride beside him, but the pope stayed behind. He didn’t dare glance back at the man in the fear that the pope would take it as an invitation. Instead he focused on the backs of the four riders ahead of him until they were out of the royal quarter. Then he turned his attention to the solemn crowds that lined the streets.

They didn’t cheer as he passed. Sorey didn’t think that they would cheer for him again.

He looked out over them, searching for some sliver or hope or something that would give him a clue of what they were thinking, but there was nothing. A few people looked afraid of Mikleo and even pulled their children away from the street. Sorey felt Mikleo’s back go stiff as the seraph noticed the motion too. He squeezed Mikleo’s waist in reassurance, although he wasn’t sure who it helped more.

The horses clattered through the street at a brisk trot, moving them past the silent crowds quickly. The crowds thinned out as they got closer to the outer gate, Sorey relieved that he didn’t have to deal with their stares. Sorey was sure that someone had run ahead to make the announcement that the emperor was riding out in the hopes to gather a larger crowd. His ego wasn’t fragile enough to be hurt that people didn’t show up, he would have preferred that they didn’t. He would have rather they remember him for what he had tried to do instead of what he was doing now. He’d rather be an emperor that had brought hope instead of more war, but the people had made their opinions known. They didn’t want peace, at least not with Hyland.

Sorey glanced up at the walls as they rode closer to the gate. There weren’t any guards on the walls, Sorey trying to ignore how strange that was. He knew where the guards were, he had ordered them out to join the rest of the army, but it didn’t make him feel better. He swallowed and looked out through the gate.

From his position he could see the army waiting for them in precise lines, their unit banners flying beside the winged and crowned diamond of the empire. It was a great show of force, one worthy of a great empire. But all Sorey could think of was that Lyte had done the same thing when he had marched to meet him outside of Pendrago.

He shifted his hold on the reins, trying to calm his horse as they trotted out of Pendrago. They didn’t go too far down the road from the city, his escort pulling away to the grassy verge on the side.

The assembled generals bowed as they came to a stop, Sorey noting the way a few of them eyed Mikleo. He felt Mikleo stiffen in his arms, Sorey shifting his hand to rest on Mikleo’s stomach. He didn’t need his army decimated, at least not like this and not so soon after Mikleo had last turned into a drake. He didn’t know if there was a limited number of times Mikleo could do the feat or how malevolence worked in the first place, but he didn’t want to lose the seraph.

He would lose his one ally; the one who had become so important to him in such a short time. If Mikleo was lost, Sorey was sure that he would be as well.

Sorey pressed his face against Mikleo’s hair, taking a shaky breath. It didn’t help, but the way that Mikleo covered his hand with his own eased some of his worry. Sorey slotted their fingers together, waiting a moment to see if Mikleo would protest before letting them rest together.

He took one more deep breath before looking up, barely glancing over his army. It was easier to just look at the generals because then he wouldn’t see the brief glimpses of hellions and partial hellions and regret the gift that he had squandered. That and he could feel the first pricking of something akin to hunger, which made him shiver.

Sorey felt Mikleo squeeze his hand, just barely keeping himself from squeezing back. He had to pay attention to the moment, if only to get through it. Sorey shifted his grip on the reins, trying to gather himself together. The generals and the army were expecting an inspiring speech, but Sorey didn’t know that he could muster up that. He just wanted to tell them what he expected them to do and then turn around a leave. But he couldn’t do that, he had learned his lesson. He needed to be explicitly clear about what he wanted them to do. Sorey felt that he should be wearing some kind of sword or do something as equally impressive, like the portraits in the long gallery or the great speeches that he had read about when he was growing up. That was the kind of grand thing that they were probably looking for, but Sorey could think of nothing.

He was sending them all off to war in the hopes that everything would go wrong.

Sorey swallowed, watching as the generals shifted impatiently. They would stand there until he was done, but they would think less of him than they already did. He sighed, nudging the horse around to face the generals better. He felt Mikleo rest his head on his shoulder, Sorey resisting the urge to lean into him. This wasn’t him and Mikleo, this was the two of them as emperor and dragon. It was all an act.

He gave Pope Gasparo a glance, sure that he man’s smirk had changed a fraction. The man was probably hoping for a little bit of failure, because he probably wanted the Blue Storm Knights back, but that was the one thing that he wouldn’t do. He wasn’t going to leave anyone with anything that could be turned against the people whenever they decided that they were tired of him.

The horse snorted and shied, Sorey quickly pulling the horse up as he tightened his hold on Mikleo. He couldn’t delay anymore, he had to commit himself or turn back around and hand everything to these men again.

He tipped his chin up, trying for his best imperious look. He was sure that Mikleo was better at it, but at least he was acting like they thought an emperor was supposed to act like. And, for now, that was enough.

“The empire has always prided itself on the strength of its army and the fearlessness of its soldiers. Through its military successes it has conquered half the known world, reconstructing the Midgand Empire that was lost when the Asgardian era ended. For years, it has held the continent in peace and prosperity.

“When I took the throne I hoped that it would be time to give you the rest you deserved, but I cannot ignore the call of my generals and their information. Nor can I ignore the people and what they want and need.

“I’m asking a lot of you to do this. But I need you to march out once more, to finish the job our fathers and their fathers started. And, once we’re done, all of Glenwood will be under our control.”

Sorey was sure that the speech had come out sounding forced, because he’d had to force the words from his mouth. But the army erupted into cheers, Sorey watching as some of the men threw their helmets up into the air. He watched them rise, feeling sick.

He had hoped for some kind of protest, some sign that the army wanted to be allowed to retire. He’d been ready to deal with the soldiers that were more hellion than human, but not with all of them so ready to go to war.

Sorey turned his attention to the generals, watching as the men nodded to each other, all of them grinning from ear to ear. Apparently it had been all they had wanted to hear. They’d all been waiting for the new emperor to come up and declare another war, another grab for victory and an impossible goal.

He felt Mikleo start to tremble in his arms, Mikleo’s fingers curling hard against his. Sorey wanted to grip his hand more tightly, but he didn’t dare move, not while all eyes were on him.

It was a relief when Pope Gasparo nudged his horse forward, lifting one hand and shouting above the army. “Let us pray for the success of our just war and for our emperor, may Maotelus bless him for the rest of his life.”

“Long live the emperor! Maotelus bless the emperor.”

Gasparo waved his arm for silence, not waiting until he had gotten it before bellowing out the prayer. It took until he was halfway through for the army to go quiet, and even then Sorey could hear the growls of the hellions. He frowned, not daring to stand up in his stirrups to look at them. He’d let Gasparo do his prayers and blessings, they were important in their own ways.

Sorey nudged his horse over, heading for one of the captains of the Royal Guard. The man looked surprised that he would get the attention of the emperor, but he snapped to attention quickly. Sorey was just relieved that he kept his voice low when he spoke.

“Your majesty?”

“Separate the hellions and those in danger of turning from the rest.”

“But…that’s never been done.”

“I don’t care.”

There was nothing for the captain to do but salute, although he looked uncomfortable. Sorey went quiet and let his gaze drift back to the army, but his concentration was on where Mikleo was leaning back against him again. The seraph reached forward to rest his hand on the one that Sorey had on the reins, Mikleo gently curling his fingers around Sorey’s. He was sure that it was meant to be reassuring, but Sorey was sure that he was beyond that.

He had just started a war.

* * *

Sergei stared at the entrance to the camp, trying to look like he wasn’t checking out the defenses. It was the last thing on his mind, especially with the rest of the Platinum Knights standing patiently behind him. He didn’t want to give the impression that this was an attack, but he didn’t want to risk the lives of the men who had followed him. He hadn’t brought them away from Pendrago to get killed in Hyland. It was bad enough that he had already failed his younger brother, he wouldn’t fail the rest of them. The Platinum Knights were like his family, and something like that couldn’t be lost.

He shivered, quickly snapping to something like attention as the guard looked him over. He watched was the woman narrowed her eyes before she tapped her spear against the ground. “Well you boys are bold as brass just walking up here to us.”

Sergei ducked his head, sure that he heard someone from the back of the group give a nervous laugh. The sound quickly turned into a grunt as one of the knights elbowed the person who had laughed. He didn’t want to give too much more away, although his initial plan seemed to have failed.

They hadn’t brought anything with them that could identify them as the Platinum Knights, save for their armor and weapons. They might have deserted their post, but Sergei was not about to let his men go without their tools, not when there was a chance that they would be marching right back into battle. Still, he thought that they had managed to leave everything behind aside from the use of red in their armor, but that was something that they couldn’t change.

He heard the woman give an amused snort, something in him relaxing at the sound. It was better than indignation or alarm. Then again, he was sure that her partner was already spreading the news about who had arrived. The second guard had run off as soon as they had led their horses over.

The woman tapped her spear against the ground one more time before she leaned on it. She looked them over for a long while before shaking her head. “We’ve heard it was bad, but not bad enough to get the emperor’s personal guard to desert. What did he do?”

“He killed my brother.”

Speaking the words felt like a punch to the gut, Sergei trying his best not to flinch. It wasn’t getting easier, the loss sitting like a hard knot of pain in his chest.

It was his fault after all. He had been the one to recommend Boris to the Platinum Knights. He had been the one to ask Boris to look into what had happened to the emperor. He should have been more wary, especially since Sorey’s behavior had changed radically. But he hadn’t been thinking, because he thought he had known Sorey.

He swallowed, looking back up in time to see the woman duck her head. “My apologies.”

Sergei didn’t get the chance to thank her, the woman’s partner rushing back. She looked all of them over before making an impatient motion. “You and one other person only. The rest will be held in custody until we decide if we can trust you.”

Sergei took a deep breath, about to protest the separation. He didn’t want to send them away, at least not to the point where he couldn’t see them again. Who knew what would happen to them while he was being judged? Who knew if they would be allowed to go free after it all? They could be held for good behavior and that would be nothing that he could do about it.

He opened his mouth, about to tell the women that it wasn’t an option when Vanya rested a hand on this shoulder. The man nodded, offering him a steady smile. “I’ll make sure the others stay in line.” Vanya patted his shoulder once before turning to wave at one of the knights further back in the group. “Nestor, you’re with the general.”

Sergei watched the two of them work, feeling that he was a bit lost as the Platinum Knights worked to assemble themselves. It wasn’t until the reins of his horse had been taken from his hand that he shook himself back into motion.

That sort of thing had been happening more often and it frightened him. They all needed to be on their toes if they were going to come out of the confrontation with the resistance.

He swallowed and followed Nestor and the woman into the camp. He kept glancing between the working of the camp and back and where the knights were being led away by a blond young man. Sergei tried to see where they were being taken, losing sight of them among the tents and wagons. He frowned, curling his hands into fists.

There was nothing he could do, at least not until he proved himself trustworthy. That wouldn’t be simple, not even when he was willing to give away the battle plans that he had been privy to. There was a chance that Sorey had changed his plans once he had realized that the Platinum Knights had left, but it had to be better than nothing.

They were lead deep into the camp, Sergei amazed at the size. He had always read the reports, but they had never really managed to describe the size. General Vortigern had always been very dismissive about it all. He had always asserted that Hyland was well and truly beaten and that the resistance was nothing more that farmers rattling their pitchforks. Sergei could see the farmers, but most of the soldiers looked like professionals. He took a deep breath, tearing his gaze away from what he was sure were a group of mercenaries. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the resistance hadn’t had to pay them. The empire had made a lot of enemies.

He looked up at the larger tent they were approaching, trying to judge the guards who surrounded it. It was hard to tell, especially since they were all distracted by something by the front of the tent. Sergei didn’t get a chance to see what was distracting them until they were practically on top of the knot of guards. He heard their escort snort, the sound quickly being muffled as the other guards moved away.

Sergei found himself staring at a seraph, his eyes widening in surprise. He had thought that Mikleo was the only one free, unless this was a secret that Hyland had kept. His stomach twisted at the thought. If that was true, then he and Nestor wouldn’t be able to leave. He wasn’t sure what that would mean for the others, but he doubted that the rest of the knights would leave without the two of them.

He meant to avert his eyes from the seraph, jerking back when she stepped right into his space. Sergei stared at her for a moment before tipping his chin up, baring his neck in the hope that she would back off at the offering. She didn’t initially, the seraphim staring at him closely for a moment before shaking her head and stepping away. Sergei watched her leave, shifting in place as the guards turned their attention to him.

Their escort was the first to lean in, the woman pointing at the seraph. “Do you know her?”

“No.”

He must have answered too quickly because the woman hummed, studying him carefully before waving the two of them in. Sergei nodded at her in thanks anyway, stepping through the flaps.

It was a standard command tent, the tent large and spacious, although most of the space was taken up by the large table. It wasn’t so much different than the last glimpse that Sergei had gotten of the council table in Pendrago. Sergei tried not to stare for too long at the maps, preferring to look at the people.

He had expected a grand meeting of generals, but there were only a few people in the room. The one that immediately drew his attention was a tired looking man slumped in one of the chairs. Sergei would have thought that he was an older man, but he stopped himself from assuming too much, especially when the man levered himself out of the chair without any of the stops and pauses that came with an older fighter. The man quickly edged his way around the tent and out, leaving Sergei with the two women.

One he knew and recognized immediately, Sergei bowing to Alisha. Nestor was quick to follow suit, Sergei sure that he heard Alisha laugh before she cleared her throat.

Sergei stood up from the bow, his gaze jumping to the other woman. The red head hadn’t bothered to get up from where she was sitting on a camp stool, but that wasn’t what attracted his attention; it was the white and black cloak that she wore. He could only see the front of it, but he knew that pattern. Sorey had pointed it out on the rare occasion they had passed by a ruin that he couldn’t ignore. Sergei swallowed, shifting in place before settling for a salute. “Shepherd.”

He was Nestor startle out of the corner of his eye. The man was quick to salute her too, the woman’s mouth twitching into a smile. Sergei couldn’t tell if it was amusement or for another reason.

At a loss of what to do, he fell into parade rest, waiting for one of them to speak. To his relief, Alisha was the one to approach him.

“It’s good to see you again, General Strelka. Especially without the bars.”

“And it’s good to see you too, princess.”

Alisha made a face at the title, but she didn’t correct him. She leaned her hip against the table, looking concerned. “Did Sorey send you?”

The Shepherd huffed before he could answer, Sergei shooting the woman a look before he shook his head. “No, princess. We came alone.”

“Oh.” Alisha’s face fell. “I heard that there was a seraph, so I thought that you’d escorted her here.”

“It was coincidence.”

That didn’t seem to help her, Alisha drumming her fingers on the table. Her gaze seemed fixed on the map, Sergei wanting to say something to ease her mind, but there was nothing that he could say. Any news he had was bad and probably not what she wanted to hear, but he had no choice but to tell her. It was the only way that he would be able to get the rest of the knights to a safer place.

He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the way that Nestor was shifting constantly beside him. He was sure that the Shepherd picked it up, but he was happy enough to ignore her for the moment just to address the one of them that he knew the best. “We’ve left the emperor’s service. It was impossible to stay.” Sergei saw the Shepherd lean forward, but he didn’t look over at her, his gaze was focused on the horror that was spreading across Alisha’s face. “I don’t know what changed him, but I have my suspicions. But he’s not the Sorey we knew anymore. He killed his council, I witnessed that with my own eyes. And he’s restarted the war. I’ve gotten a report from one of my men that he killed the people of Gododdin and, because my brother was looking into this, he killed him too.”

Alisha made a choked sound, but she remained silent. Sergei could do nothing but nod, hoping that she would believe him.

Silence reigned in the tent for a moment before the Shepherd sighed and sat forward. The camp stool creaked as she moved, the Shepherd wincing at the sound. “Alisha…”

“I know. It’s just like you told me.” Alisha swiped at her eyes, shaking her head. “But I can’t believe it. Sorey wouldn’t have done any of that.”

“But he did. His own knights have left him. What more do you need?”

“I don’t know, Rose. I just…” Alisha looked at him, her expression wavering. “Sergei, is there any reason that he would have done this?”

He could only shrug. “I have my ideas, but nothing concrete.”

“But something must have changed.”

“His seraph…” He saw Rose tense, about to explain himself when he heard a shout from the front of the tent. He turned in time to see the seraph storm in.

He flinched back when she rounded on him, surprised at the anger in her eyes. “It wasn’t Mikleo.”

“I don’t-”

“You know exactly what you’re saying, but I’m saying that it’s wrong. Mikleo isn’t at fault. If it’s anyone, it’s Sorey himself.”

Sergei sputtered, trying to find the words to answer.

It didn’t seem to matter because Alisha was faster, the princess stepping away from the table. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think Sorey would do this. But I don’t think Mikleo is at fault either.”

Rose shook her head. “You can’t say that, Alisha.”

“I can say that I’m not sure who is at fault. But that doesn’t seem to be the important problem.” Alisha sighed and looked back at Sergei. “You said that there was going to be a war.”

Sergei nodded, glad to be back on a topic that he had a good grasp on. It helped that the seraph had stopped glaring at him and had circled back to the far side of the tent. He gave her a wary glance before looking back at the humans. “Sorey has been pulling the army back to Pendrago and he fully intends on starting another war. As far as I can tell, he intends on wiping out any resistance in Hyland.”

Rose cursed, Sergei surprised to hear the sound coming from the Shepherd. If she noticed, she didn’t bother to call him on it, she seemed more focused on the map on the table. Alisha turned with her, the two of them staring at the map.

Rose was the first to turn away. She glared at him, her hand tapping at the map. “This could be a ploy.”

“I swear it’s not.”

“Prove it. Show us where he’s going to attack.”

“Rose!”

Sergei shook his head, offering Alisha a smile. “It’s alright. I assumed that when I came here. And I intend to tell you, but you have to guarantee the safety of my men, whether we fight with you or not.”

Rose glared at him before sighing and leaning back against the table. “I can’t guarantee that.”

“But I can.” Alisha was quick to step up, meeting Sergei’s gaze with a sharp nod. “We need that information if we’re going to survive.”

From the look on her face, Rose didn’t quite agree, but at least she didn’t argue.

Sergei watched her for a moment longer before stepping up to look at the map on the table. He tried to not look too hard at the positions that were marked out, instead resting his hand on Pendrago. He swallowed and twisted so he could see both Alisha and Rose. “He could have changed the plans since we left, but the idea should generally be the same. Sorey doesn’t know how to lead an army, and the generals will be too busy trying to win glory for themselves to advise him. If we get him away from them we might be able to talk him out of whatever idea he was talked into. And if we can get him away from Mikleo…”

“And what would you do if you could?” The seraph lifted her chin, Sergei surprised by her defiance.

He glared right back at her, only looking away when Alisha cleared her throat. The princess looked between the two of them before shaking her head. “It’s too early to decide what to do.”

“It may be, but I’m not risking something being decided when I’m not here.” The seraph crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at them like she was daring them to move her from the room. Sergei didn’t think he could. Seraphim were strange, immovable creatures.

He glanced over at Rose, surprised to see her with her head tipped to the side like she was listening to another conversation. Whatever it was, it was short because she looked back at them, one hand reaching behind her to play with something behind her back. “If we’re going to do this, we’d need her anyway. You’ll be running into a lot of hellions, and you’ll need me for that. And I’ll need her.”

Sergei glanced between the seraph and Rose, sure that he was missing something but he was equally as sure that no one was going to explain it to him. He looked back at the map, trying to trace out the markers that he remembered. Alisha didn’t have any on hand, but he was sure that it would be able to be explained easily enough without them.

He braced himself against the table, scanning over the map as he picked out the positions, trying to connect them in his mind before he started outline the arrangement of their troops. He tried not to think too hard about what he was doing, allowing himself to get lost in the outpouring of information.

Sergei paused to try and calculate the numbers that Sorey would have, stopping when he saw Rose come to brace herself against the table. The Shepherd gave him a nod before walking her fingers along the outside of the map. “So, do we have a deal?”

She didn’t stretch out her hand, but Sergei doubted that she would have to. He had been assured of the safety of the Platinum Knights, which was all that mattered at the moment. He was still worried about what would happen to Sorey, especially with a seraph pushing for Mikleo’s side.

Even still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Mikleo was the root of all the problems they had suffered. Even if they just removed the two of them from each other’s presence, Sergei was sure that things would be better. Until then, they would have to plan to fight out Sorey’s war, at least until they got a good enough shot to cut off the head of the whole thing. Once that happened, Sergei was sure that the rest of the army would fall apart as the generals started squabbling.

Sergei looked up from the map, giving Alisha a slow nod. “We have a deal.”

 

**END OF PART I**


	20. Part II: Calamity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, Part 2. Same warnings apply and I’ll be following the same posting schedule. Thank you all for reading and your patience with me about this fic. It’s turned into quite the monster, far more than I ever expected.


	21. Chapter 18

“For here starts war, carrion birds sing,  
and grey wolves howl.” _  
-_ From _The Flight at Finnsburh_

* * *

 

Malevolence hung low and heavy over the battlefield like a fog.

If she had a choice between the two of them Rose would have preferred the fog. It wouldn’t have been so bad, at least for her. Tactically it would have been horrible, but it could have given them the advantage. She was sure that the emperor didn’t know this stretch of land as well as they did and she doubted that he was listening to his generals. Then again, Rose doubted that his generals were even listening to each other from the way the army was deployed. It didn’t make sense with the terrain or their forces. Either no one was talking to each other or they weren’t used to the numbers that were out on the field.

Rose frowned and leaned forward, the impulse to try and work out the flow of the battle almost too hard to ignore. She had grown up around mercenaries, and it was easy as breathing to read the battlefield and figure out how and where to employ the men that they had. But that wasn’t her job anymore, as Shepherd she was supposed to be removed from all of those things, or that’s what Michael had told her.

She was sure that he wouldn’t count this, not when she had no intention of joining in the battle unless it was to chase after hellions. Judging from the way that the empire’s troops were floundering, it wouldn’t be too long before one of the generals called them back, orders from the emperor or not.

Rose was sure that the generals weren’t stupid, they wouldn’t be in their positions long if they were. The fact that the army would probably retreat didn’t stop her from feeling uneasy.

The emperor and his seraph hadn’t showed themselves yet.

She reached back to grab at her knives, glancing around the edges of the battlefield. The two of them hadn’t failed to show up before, even if it way just to stand at the edge of the battlefield and watch. Rose couldn’t imagine what they saw there, but she doubted that they were there to learn. From what she could see, the emperor was just throwing his troops into battle and letting the generals do what they want.

Rose rocked up onto her tip-toes, marking out where Alisha and the others were pressing their advantage. It might be a hard push, but at least it was a sure victory, if only for now. Then again, the tides of battle tended to change, and quickly.

She frowned and looked back at the seraphim that were standing behind her, looking to see if they had picked up something she hadn’t. Dezel had been around more battlefields than she had and Rose was sure that Lailah had been around for longer than the others had combined. But none of them seemed to be reacting to anything, aside from looking uncomfortable.

Rose drummed her fingers against the end of her knife before staking a step back. She saw Dezel’s head jerk up slightly, his attention going back to her instead of anything on the battlefield, which meant that they were fine for the meantime. Rose hummed to herself, looking around at the seraphim.

She had no intention of getting involved in the battle, save for starting to push her way through the hellions that were roaming unchecked on the battlefield. If she managed to get that number down she would have less to do later.

There was no way to really clear the battlefield just yet, not until the fighting was done. The best she could do was keep things on the level. The malevolence would always turn the soldiers who were closer to being overwhelmed and it would always attract more hellions. If she waited for too long then she would have to deal with all of them, which would be a hassle. Then again, she couldn’t just charge right out onto the battlefield, she had to watch for the right time. She wasn’t about to risk herself, not when she was the only one who could take care of the malevolence. And she certainly wasn’t going to risk the rest of the seraphim.

Dezel had been trapped in a weapon long before she had been born and had managed to escape it at the cost of his sight. He’d never said how and she had been more than willing to let the subject rest. Edna had lost her brother to the human’s weapons and Rose would die before she let the earth seraph join him. She had promised to help Edna find him when she had become Shepherd, and Brad had always taught her to honor her promises.

She glanced back over at Natalie, considering the water seraph. Natalie was the one that she knew the least about, but it had been impossible to say no when the seraph had offered her service as a Sub Lord. Rose was sure that they would need all the help that they could get with the empire on the warpath. It wasn’t much more to offer to help with Natalie’s brother, although just what they could do she wasn’t too sure.

Rose bit her lip before turning to look at Lailah. Her Prime Lord had been uncharacteristically silent for a long time. Rose would have been willing to write it off as exhaustion from all the work that they were doing, except that her gut told her something different, and she always trusted her gut.

She moved closer to where Lailah was leaning against a tree, clearing her throat before speaking. It didn’t help because the fire seraph still jumped. Rose sighed, rubbing a hand down the side of her pants. “We can’t stay here much longer.”

“No. The malevolence is getting stronger.” Lailah folded her hands in front of her, Rose noting how Lailah was careful not to look at the battlefield for too long.

Rose watched her for a moment more before making a vague motion to herself. Waiting around wouldn’t do them any good, and they could at least start with the outskirts of the battlefield.

They could stay out of the worst of it longer there, and it would give her a chance to find places to push further in. Just how they would work their way around to the hellions from the empire Rose didn’t know, they had failed on that count multiple times already. The emperor seemed to like to order his troops to march as soon as the battle was done, meaning that she would have to practically run on their heels every time they moved. But she couldn’t just spend her days chasing after the empire’s army. If she just left the battlefields unpurified then it would put the rest of them in danger from the other hellions in Hyland.

She turned to call for the seraphim to come back in her for a break when Dezel tensed. He turned to face the battlefield, Rose turning with him automatically. If something had caught his attention, then it had to be important.

Rose didn’t have to wait for long, a glint of something in the sky catching her attention. She frowned and raised a hand to shade her eyes, surprised by the way that the thing was reflecting the light and the speed it was moving at. Rose couldn’t think of anything that could move so quickly, aside from a hellion.

She dropped her hand away from her eyes, clenching it into a fist. “Dezel?”

“It’s a weird shape, I can’t get a read on it. The winds slips around it and through it…” He trailed off into a grumble, his fingers twitching as he worked at something. Rose was sure that he was tried to tweak the direction of the wind to make it more useful to him. It didn’t take him long, Dezel flinching back with a curse. “It’s the emperor.”

“Flying?”

Dezel made a sound that could have been agreement, Rose staring at him for a moment before turning her head to look at the other seraphim. Lailah looked shocked, but Edna just looked annoyed.

She rolled her eyes, reaching up to play with the stuffed toy that hung off her umbrella. “At least this will be interesting.”

“Interesting might not be the right word.” Natalie shifted, Rose watching as the seraph’s hand twitched like she was going to call on her weapon, but she stopped in the middle of the motion. For a moment, it looked like she was going to say something else but she was interrupted by a deep, rumbling roar.

Rose flinched back at the sound, automatically ducking towards where Dezel was standing. He moved back towards her, one of his pendulums already loose and at the ready.

She glanced up at the rapidly approaching shape, squinting through the glare it gave. Now that the shock of the roar was gone she could think about how strange it had sounded. It was more like an echo, something that had reverberated strangely before being let out. Rose frowned, reaching back to draw one of her knives so she could flip it over in her hand. “What the hell was that?”

She didn’t expect an answer from the seraphim, and she didn’t have to wait too long for any other kind of answer as the thing in the sky suddenly swooped downwards.

There wasn’t much raised land around the battlefield, just a small hill that the empire had managed to take control of before the battle. It wasn’t enough to be an advantage, but it was large enough for a dragon to land on.

Rose watched the glittering creature settle onto the ground, watching the dragon flick its wings out a few times before it settled them against its body again. The dragon stared out over the battlefield, lifting its head a bit higher to look over it. Rose shivered as the dragon looked at her. She opened her mouth to call on Lailah when something slid from the dragon’s back. They were too far away for Rose to get a good look at who the person was, but she doubted that there could be anyone else riding a dragon, and certainly not in red.

She watched as the emperor stepped away from the dragon and surveyed the battle. It didn’t matter much considering that all of the fighting had practically stopped with the arrival of the dragon. Rose would have thought that the empire’s troops would have been used to the sight of the dragon. Then again, the emperor hadn’t brought his dragon to any of the battles before this, which was strange. If he had wanted to take over Hyland again he could have, all it would have taken was him turning the dragon on them at any time. But he hadn’t. The empire had been conspicuously without their rumored dragon for the last four months.

Rose frowned, staring at the dragon on the ridge. Now that the awe and terror had abated a bit, there was something off about the dragon but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was the way that it caught the sunlight, Rose sure that the light was reflecting through facets like a jewel would. The entire dragon sparkled like that, making it hard to pick out its shape at time. There was also nothing individual about any part of it, the whole thing melding seamlessly together with a single color that changed at it shifted. She wasn’t even sure that she could see the wings anymore. It looked like they had melted back into the body as soon as the dragon had tucked them away.

More confusing still was the fact that she couldn’t feel any malevolence from it. After everything that Michael and Lailah had told her, she would have expected that the dragon would have brought along more malevolence. The battlefield would have been impossible to stand then, but nothing had changed.

She barked out a laugh, tucking her knife back into place. “He doesn’t have a dragon. It’s all a trick.”

“It may be one, but it’s believable.” Edna huffed and stepped up beside her. The seraph squinted at the dragon for a moment before shaking her head. “Just having it there will stop anyone from attacking…unless you want me to crack it. It should be easy enough.”

The ground rumbled slightly, Rose watching as the dragon perked up. The creature snarled at them before it lowered its head to speak to Sorey. Rose couldn’t imagine what else it would be doing, although its mouth wasn’t moving. From what she could see, it looked like the mouth had sealed shut as soon as it had closed it.

Whatever the two of them was discussing, they kept it short. Rose tipped her head to the side, about to take Edna up on her offer. Maybe if they cracked the fake dragon then it would be enough to boost morale. The soldiers would be able to do their duty without having the threat of a dragon hanging over their heads.

She nodded at Edna, feeling the ground start to rumble again. It barely got to the point where she would send up any bits of earth when the dragon cracked.

Rose recoiled, watching as pieces of the dragon sloughed off as something dark formed at the center. The dragon’s neck twisted awkwardly, the sharp cracking from it making a shiver run down Rose’s spine. The head and neck teetered in place for a moment before the whole construct shattered, shards of ice raining down around the emperor and the back lines of soldiers. Rose heard some of the soldiers scream, not sure if it was because of the ice raining down on them or because of the drake that was unfolding itself from the ruins of the fake dragon.

She swayed in place at the increase in malevolence, but she didn’t dare look away from the drake that was spreading his wings open. It wasn’t a dragon, but that didn’t mean that it was any less dangerous.

Rose licked her lips. “L-lailah?”

“We can handle it.” Rose wasn’t sure what to think of the relief that she heard in Lailah’s voice. She turned her head to look at the seraph just in case.

Lailah was clutching at her pin, not taking her eyes from the drake, but she did nod sharply. “It will take all we have, but we _will_ be able to handle it. A drake we can purify.”

“And maybe that will be enough to get him away from that human.”

Rose nodded in response to Natalie’s statement. She didn’t quite know what to think about the conflicting stories she was getting from Sergei, Alisha and Natalie. Lailah had cautioned her to be careful and not to jump to conclusions, but Rose wasn’t sure that she had the luxury of that time. What they needed now were quick decisions, just enough to keep their heads above the water until they got the lucky break that they needed.

She took a step forward as the drake shook itself off, the drake’s attention dropping back to the battle. The intelligence that she had seen in the dragon construct was gone, Rose shivering as the drake growled. It hopped awkwardly forward, its head swinging from side to side before it dropped down from the hill.

The emperor didn’t try to stop it as it crashed down into the back of his own lines. Rose flinched when she saw the men scatter, the drake following them for a moment before it dropped its head.

It was impossible to see what the drake was doing until it lifted its head again, its jaws closed tight around a squirming hellion. The tiger roared and clawed at the side of the drake’s face, the hellion’s frantic motion cut off when the drake bit down. The tiger squealed before it went silent, the drake tossing its head back to swallow the hellion down.

Rose felt her stomach twist as the hellion slid down the drake’s gullet, the drake already eyeing the others. Rose could just stare, marking out the positions of the other hellions that were practically clawing over the other soldiers to get to the frontlines to fight, or to get away from the drake, Rose couldn’t tell and it didn’t matter.

The emperor wouldn’t stop the drake, which meant that it would rampage through the hellions. It didn’t matter that they were tainted, there was still a chance that they could be saved rather than going to feed a drake. Besides, the more it ate, the stronger the drake would get.

She flinched as the drake snapped up another hellion, swallowing the second one alive and still screaming. For a moment, she thought she saw the drake’s scales ripple, the drake pulsing oddly before it remained as it was. The drake shook its head, its wings snapping out as it roared.

The whole thing was strange, but she didn’t have too much time to think about it. If they wanted to be able to really set the empire back they would have to snatch the emperor’s drake right out from under his nose, and before he had the time to decimate their own lines or grow stronger itself. Rose didn’t want to have to try and fight a dragon in the middle of a battlefield.

Rose rolled her shoulders, taking in the battlefield before turning to look back at where Natalie and Dezel were standing. “We’re going to have to do this quickly, and without lot of finesse. But don’t hesitate to speak up if we need to do something different. We don’t have the luxury of making too many mistakes.” She paused long enough to see them nod before she turned her attention to Natalie. “I’m going to need your help first.”

The water seraph nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Right.” Rose reached down to play with the glove, touching some of the fraying strands before shaking her head. There was no reason to be so worried, not when they weren’t going to be charging right for the drake. The first thing that had to be done was to clear the route for retreat for the army so they could clear out and for them in case the drake became too powerful for them to tackle.

She shook her head and dropped her hand away. The Shepherd was needed, so she couldn’t hesitate any longer. “Teleroi Feorhhyrde!”

Rose expected the shiver than ran down her spine when Natalie retreated into her. She was more used to Lailah’s warmth than the coolness of water. Rose took a deep breath, feeling like she was ducking under the surface, but then the feeling of pressure was gone, leaving with it a different kind of awareness. There was water in the clouds, beneath their feet and rushing past somewhere in the distance. They reached out towards each source, a test of their ability before focusing back on what was ahead of them. They curled their fingers around the shaft of their naginata, getting a good grip on it before they rushed forward.

It was easy enough to get the attention of the hellions. They all turned to look at them, some of them even turning away from the battle to rush towards them, but they didn’t get far. The hellions were locked in place by earth, diverted by wind or consumed by blue burning fire. They followed with their own arte, a wave of water called up from the earth and directed with a motion of their weapon.

The wave smacked into the captive hellions, the creatures wailing as the purification started to take hold. They spared them a quick glance, but they didn’t get much time. With the drake on the battlefield the hellions would come for them, simply because they were the weaker prey. It would be easier to take them down compared to the drake that was still plowing his way through the empire’s forces. The hellions would be desperate to get to them, as would the drake.

They turned, bringing down the naginata in a slash that sent the water arcing with it. The hellions gasped as they were pushed down, their forms going hazy as they were purified.

They didn’t bother to watch for full purification, there were three other seraphim to help them mop up the hellions. She could feel the steady pulse of their power just behind them, a steady brightness in the heaviness of the malevolence.

They twisted away from a flare of blue flame, sparing a moment to glance back at where Lailah was holding back a group of hellions and making sure that they could only come towards them one at a time. If too many slipped past then Dezel would take care of them. They could feel his wind blowing past them every once and a while as he guarded their back.

They shifted so they wouldn’t hit him with their next arte, their gaze moving to where the drake was crouched on the other side of the battlefield.

The drake looked up at them, some part of them searching for some kind of intelligence. The dragon construct had seemed to be intelligent but there was none of that in the drake, nothing but the instinct to devour.

They turned away, trying to focus on the problem on their end. The hellions were starting to thin out, which meant that the soldiers could start retreating. Already they could see the signal flags on their side starting to wave as the orders were spread. A few of the battalions were responding quickly, making their way back to the safety of the Hyland rear. Some of the generals wouldn’t be happy with the retreat, but it was the only thing that they could do. There was no defense against a drake and it certainly wouldn’t stop with the hellions. It would just eat its way through whatever it came across until it was full, and there was no telling when that would happen. It was better to just leave them the room to try and take care of the drake. If they couldn’t, they could at least use the time to figure out a way to take care of the drake.

They stumbled back from the group of hellions, taking a break get another read on the situation. Most of the hellions had been cleared, but the humans were unconscious and sprawled out on the ground. They had to step carefully now and push the water back into the ground so the humans didn’t drown. That wasn’t as much of a problem because the hellions from outside of the battle hadn’t come to try and push in to feast on the malevolence and the bodies of the dead. The drake was probably enough to scare those hellions away.

They turned to glance at the drake again, watching as blood and a slow drip of malevolence came from its jaws. The drake stared at them for a moment before growling and taking a step forward. They shivered at the pressure of the malevolence that came from the drake, the pressure increasing as it moved forward. They tightened their grip on their naginata, ready to defend themselves when the drake was distracted by a great werewolf hellion charged at it. The drake roared and turned to snap at the hellion, its attention distracted for the moment. They would be stupid to waste the moment.

They glanced around, taking in the heavy hazy of malevolence. It would continue to sit over the battlefield until the drake left and took the majority of the malevolence with it. Until then, it would remain and slowly infect the other humans with its presence, but there was something that they could do about that.

One part of them perked up at the thought, hesitating a moment before peeling away. It was easy to separate, Natalie stepping out of her. The seraph was already turning as she stepped down, bringing her naginata into a defensive position.

Rose hesitated long enough to be sure that Natalie wouldn’t immediately be overrun before reaching out for where Dezel was practically pressed against her shoulder.

By the way that he jumped, he hadn’t been paying attention to her, trusting her to watch his back while he focused on everything in front of him. She squeezed his arm, the touch enough of a warning of what was coming for Dezel to prepare himself. “Lukeim Yurlin.”

Armatizing with Dezel was slightly more comfortable than armatizing with Natalie, but that might have been the time that she had spent with him. It wasn’t a rush of wind, just a light breeze that seemed to move through her before setting into place. They flexed their fingers, readjusting to the sudden dimming of their vision. It didn’t matter, because they could feel the wind as it knocked against and moved around things. It was just enough to make up for their vision, and there were the others. Edna and Lailah had never let them down before, and Natalie was steady, far steadier than either of them would have expected after everything she had been through.

They turned their head over to where Natalie was steadily tearing through the hellions. They could track her movement through the vague shadow she had become and feel the way she moved against the wind. They pulled her attention away from her, focusing on the hellions. It was the only thing that they would have time to think about until the emperor recalled his dragon or the resistance finished retreating. As soon as that was done, they could worry about what to do next. After all, Brad had always told them that battles were won and lost as much in the mind as on the battlefield, and they couldn’t lose this one, not if the emperor was desperate enough to finally use his drake in battle.

It had taken months, but the emperor had finally decided to stop biding his time, which could only mean that they didn’t have much left themselves.

* * *

Sorey picked his way through the battlefield, trying not to look down too often. He would get the numbers of how many that his side had lost soon enough, along with the lamentations of his generals at the wasted opportunity, but that was the point.

He shivered and curled his fingers more securely in the cloak that he was carrying. He was only out on the battlefield for one reason, and then he could leave. He didn’t want to linger too long, not when his throat still felt clogged by the malevolence that had hung over it, and not when the knot of malevolence in him still beat in time to the clash of swords. Sorey shivered and kept walking. The sooner he found what he was looking for, the sooner he could leave.

It wouldn’t be hard to find what he was looking for, he could hear the growls and snarls of the drake just ahead. Sorey looked up, quickly finding where Mikleo was half crouched on the ground.

The drake was worrying at something, shaking whatever he had in his mouth. Sorey was too far away to hear if bones cracking, and he was glad of that. It had been bad enough to stand and watch when all he wanted to do was shout at them all to stop. He had let it get too far to have that work.

The generals were sure of themselves now, even with the losses that they had taken. It had taken all the excuses he could think of to leave them while they were congratulating each other and him for what he had done. Sorey was sure that it would turn around as soon as he got back, because then the numbers would be back in and the generals would be horrified by what he had allowed, never mind that he was giving them free rein to run the campaign as they thought best. Still, it was something that he had gotten used to over the months dragging the army back and forth over the border.

Sorey sighed and pulled the coat a bit further up his arm as she stepped over the bodies. He glanced around, looking for hellions. The tended to sneak out onto the battlefield after the humans were gone. Sorey was seen them roaming around and nosing at the corpses. He’d never seen them eat any bodies, save for those of other hellions. If they weren’t doing that then they would just wander around through the corpses until a larger hellion came along. Then again, one of those wouldn’t be coming with Mikleo still crouched in the center of the desolation.

He looked up at the drake, watching as Mikleo lowered his head to gnaw at something. He almost didn’t want to approach because that would mean seeing what Mikleo was working on.

Mikleo was the one hellion that didn’t seem to have a problem eating humans as well as his own kind. Sorey watched as Mikleo tossed his head back, seeing something that looked like a torso before Mikleo swallowed it.

The drake froze with his head up in the air, staring at Sorey. Sorey made sure to stand still, waiting Mikleo out.

The drake slowly lowered its head, watching him from that position before turning his head to the side. Sorey wasn’t sure if Mikleo recognized him or not, and it always took the span of one horrible moment to figure it out.

Mikleo considered him for a moment before walking over to him. The drake didn’t seem to notice the snap of bones under his feet, but Sorey winced at the noise. He heard Mikleo snort, feeling his hair move with the force of it. He tipped his head back to meet Mikleo’s gaze. The drake growled, but didn’t move.

Sorey swallowed and shook out the coat he had brought with him. The drake shook open his wings, Sorey not sure if it was a threat or not, but he didn’t have the time to worry about that. Mikleo had been a drake for far longer than they had practiced before, and Sorey didn’t want to test their luck.

He took a deep breath, holding the coat up. “Mikleo, it’s time to come back.”

The drake hissed and took a step back, Sorey afraid that he would fly off. “Mikleo!”

Mikleo dropped his head and roared, Sorey staring at the drake’s open maw. He could see bones and the sparkle of armor. Sorey shuddered and jerked his gaze away from Mikleo’s mouth and back to his eyes.

The drake didn’t seem to like that. Mikleo took a step back, shaking his head. He flapped his wings, lifting up from the ground slightly before crashing down. Sorey jerked forward like he would be able to catch Mikleo. He pulled his hands back when the drake convulsed, biting his lip as the hellion shuddered and started to warp. Sorey didn’t have to watch the drake twist for long before it collapsed into a blue light and started reforming.

He breathed out a sigh of relief when the light turned into a human shape. He stepped forward to drape the coat over the shape. Sorey crouched down to adjust the folds of the coat, smiling with the light peeled away to reveal Mikleo. The seraph shivered, drawing the coat more closely around him. Sorey edged closer, wrapping his arm around Mikleo. He was relieved when Mikleo leaned into him instead of pulling away. Sorey pressed his face into Mikleo’s hair, taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He repeated the motion until he heard Mikleo’s breathing match his.

Sorey nuzzled into Mikleo’s hair, dropping his arm down so he could rub his hand up and down Mikleo’s back. “You’re okay, beloved. You’re back. You’re with me.”

Mikleo took a shaky breath and turned in his arms, nuzzling his face into Sorey’s neck. Sorey remained still as Mikleo scented him, relaxing when Mikleo leaned further into him. He tightened his hold on Mikleo, holding him close for a moment longer. Then he stood up, pulling Mikleo up with him. He kept Mikleo tucked against his side, guiding the seraph through the battlefield.

It took them until they were almost out of it for Mikleo to speak up. “Did we win?”

“I don’t know. It wasn’t much of a win or lose battle. They retreated when they saw you.” Sorey heard Mikleo huff, laughing at the sound. He turned his head to kiss the top of Mikleo’s head. “I saw the Shepherd.”

“What?”

Sorey nodded. “On the other side of the battlefield. They went into action as soon as they saw you. I didn’t see more than that.”

“Then what was the point of me doing that? Unless you wanted to see me naked?” The corner of Mikleo’s mouth twitched up, but it still wasn’t right. There was still some part of the seraph that was lost to the drake, Mikleo’s last comment still had too much bite to it to be anything else.

He kept stroking his hand up and down Mikleo’s back, not quite sure if the touch was doing anything to help, but he didn’t want to let go while he was still allowed. They had agreed that it would be useful to bring the drake out every once and a while, but the practice that they had done getting Mikleo to transform and then calling him back hadn’t prepared Sorey to see it in action. He had been sure that some soldier would decide that the emperor’s dragon was doing more harm than it was worth and try to kill him.

Sorey shivered at the thought, fixing his gaze on the ground. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what he would do. He knew all too well that he would have killed the soldier without a second thought and the idea revolted him.

He glanced up as they got closer to the fires of the camp. They hadn’t retreated far, something that his generals had insisted on. They weren’t willing to give up their hard won land, not that it was anything to be proud about. Then again, Sorey was sure that he would hear all about it.

They were bound to demand to know why he hadn’t told them about Mikleo and to take him to task for letting him lose on their own men. Sorey didn’t care, because it had thinned out the growing number of hellions on their side. Although, he regretted the decision now.

Alisha had hinted that there had been someone who could take up to take the mantle of the Shepherd, but he hadn’t heard anything about it since Alisha had left. But there was no reason for him to have been informed, not when he was openly the enemy of Hyland. Still, he wished that he had put more effort into learning about anyone that could do that duty, because then he could have saved those lives. Their deaths were on him, just like the deaths of all the soldiers on the battlefield.

He ducked his head, tightening his hold on Mikleo’s waist. Mikleo hummed, leaning closer to him. The presence of the seraph was a little bit of comfort, but Sorey was just relieved that Mikleo spoke up, dragging his attention to a different subject.

“So they have a Shepherd? Then we can start funneling hellions back towards them instead of me. They give me indigestion.”

Sorey smiled, sure that it didn’t look right, but Mikleo wasn’t looking at him to call him on it. He ducked his head, keeping his voice low. “The hellions and the seraphim.” Mikleo stiffened in his hold, Sorey quick to trail his fingers lightly over Mikleo’s side to soothe him. “We have to. We can’t do them ourselves.”

“But where would they go?”

“The Shepherd will take care of them. We’re too far to send them back to Lohgrin anyway.” It was the only solution that he could think of, especially considering that he had pushed Mikleo in the hopes of taking care of the growing number of hellions since there was no other way to deal with the problem. But he’d seen the Shepherd; it was the only explanation for what he had seen and the blue flames. He hadn’t gotten a close look, but that hadn’t mattered. There was something there, something far better than feeding hellions to Mikleo and hoping that the seraph would hold.

From the way that Mikleo shifted, he wasn’t quite comfortable with the idea, but he didn’t argue. Sorey squeezed his waist in apology. “Do you want to do something else?”

“No. It’s better than leaving them in the weapons.” Mikleo rolled his shoulders, but it wasn’t to push Sorey away. “We’ll have to do something about that then.”

“We’ll have time for that tomorrow. The generals will want to stay and regroup and we have to bury the dead.”

“So they’ll want to yell at you.”

“They’re going to do that anyway.”

“Then I won’t let them.” Sorey jumped as Mikleo’s arm wrapped around his waist, quickly settling back into the touch. He had gotten used to having Mikleo be open with his affection, but not so soon after coming out of being a drake. He glanced down at the seraph, watching as Mikleo drew himself up. The seraph’s usual look of indifference snapped into place. Sorey squeezed Mikleo’s waist, lifting his chin slightly as they reached the edge of the camp.

The guards on duty snapped to attention as they walked past, their gazes lingering a little too long on Mikleo. Sorey scooted closer to Mikleo, growling low at them. Mikleo wasn’t theirs to stare at. Besides, the guards should have been used to them coming and going at odd hours. The two of them had been going out to scout and, more recently, to test the drake to be sure that it could be controlled. Sorey was sure that the guards thought that they were sneaking off to fuck. He couldn’t disabuse them of that idea, not when it gave them their privacy and they had precious little of that.

He steered Mikleo towards his tent, not surprised to see the generals standing in front of it. His first instinct was to grab Mikleo and try to go around them. They would have plenty of time over the next few days, but that wasn’t what the emperor should do.

Sorey braced himself as the generals rushed over. He flinched and tightened his hold on Mikleo, letting go of him quickly when Mikleo made a warning sound. He stepped away from the seraph as his generals reached him, scanning their faces even as they all started talking at once.

“Where was your guard, your highness? You can’t just wander out on your own.”

“What was that?”

“I thought we agreed that you would leave the planning to us.”

“Was there a reason to use the dragon?”

“Reason?! It ate through half of our back line. We were holding the hellions in reserve for the right moment.”

“They could have turned the tide.”

“What do you expect us to do now that we don’t have the advantage?”

“How could you let them get away?”

“If you’re taking command, what’s the next move, your highness?”

Sorey looked between his generals, not sure which one to answer first. He had a feeling that it would be better to ignore all of them, but he doubted that he would be able to do that for long. From the way that all of them were focused on him, they would follow him around until he was forced to answer them.

It wasn’t that they didn’t deserve answers, he just didn’t have the presence of mind to give them the right ones. Sorey wasn’t even sure that he had the answers that they were looking for. The generals were looking for a great victory, like the ones that all the other emperors had brought to the empire. And they would be disappointed.

Sorey sighed, trying to summon up some sort of answer, just to win himself breathing room. He couldn’t think of anything but the call of his bed and the hope that he wouldn’t have to think about what had happened for a while longer.

He glanced to his left as Mikleo slipped out from under his arm. The seraph gave the generals a long look before giving a smirk that was all fangs. “I was hungry.”

The generals recoiled at the statement, Sorey quick to touch Mikleo’s arm. He didn’t grab onto the seraph, but the touch was enough to keep Mikleo from continuing to push.

Sorey stroked his hand down Mikleo’s arm, resisting the urge to grab onto his hand and hold it. That was too intimate for the emperor and his weapon. He let his gaze linger on Mikleo for a moment longer before turning to look at his generals. “You can’t expect me to let my dragon go hungry.”

From the glares that the generals gave him, they expected something like that. But none of them seemed willing to argue with him about it. None of them had been old enough to witness the last dragon that the empire had commanded, but they had all heard enough. They would just have to deal with not being happy about it.

He thought he heard Mikleo laugh, the seraph walking back to their tent with his head held high. A few of the younger generals watched him go, but the older ones seemed content to glare at Sorey.

He sighed and shook his head, hearing the men start to grumble at that. He curtailed their anger somewhat as he motioned to his tent, walking after Mikleo. It didn’t matter that they were on the move, a few of the generals rushed up to him, vying for his attention.

“I understand that you’re used to a smaller force, your majesty, but we just can’t adjust as quickly as the Platinum Knights can.”

Sorey flinched at the mention of the Platinum Knights, almost relieved when the general was pulled away. He didn’t bother to look back as another one approached him. He did see the man bow out of the corner of his eye, the general quickly straightening up even as he began to talk. “Your majesty, if we’re going to be staying here then let’s at least scout out the area. We should try to plan ahead of the rebels, or try and come up with a way to stop them in their tracks.”

“Why?”

The question was almost worth hearing the general sputter. Sorey glanced up at his tent, reaching out for the flap in the hopes that he would be able to slip inside and not hear anything else about the problem until the next day, but the general recovered faster than he would have liked.

“My lord, we’ve managed to secure the border, but we can’t really call that a victory. It’s what we’ve had for centuries and it won’t look good to the people”

Sorey curled his fingers around the fabric of the tent flap, resisting the urge to look at the general or back towards Pendrago. He had learned that much while on campaign. He had to remain implacable or else they would use that to try and nudge him one way or the other. The last time, they had tried to convince him to turn Mikleo over to them to better use the dragon. His hand shook at the memory, Sorey gritting his teeth before forcing his shoulders to relax. Snapping at them would do nothing but complicate matters, and Sorey was tired enough as it was.

He turned slightly, looking over the group of generals before giving them a partial nod. “Fine. We’ll use this time to bury the dead, regroup and search out the resistance’s base. Do you have a lead?” From the way that the men were shifting, they didn’t, which was all for the better. Sorey gave them a lazy wave. “Then find that. If I understand you correctly, you want progress, and that should be enough.”

“And if it isn’t?”

Sorey stared at the older general, watching as the man picked as his beard. The general frowned off into the distance, Sorey not surprised that the man wouldn’t meet his gaze. The generals had started doing that more often, something that Sorey was relieved about. He didn’t think he could lie to their faces.

The general was quiet for a moment longer before he shook his head. “It might not work, but I’m sure that attacking Ladylake will. If they really do consider themselves to be the remains of the Hyland government then they will defend their capital above all else.”

Sorey tensed, turning to look directly at the man. “Ladylake is ours though.”

“It may be ours, but it’s filled with the people of Hyland. If they want to them stay alive, they would come running to save it. But that’s only one plan.”

“Come up with others then.”

The generals snapped off salutes, Sorey noticing that some of them shot him resentful looks. He knew that he should have to deal with that as soon as possible, but he was too exhausted to worry about it. They would mutter and threaten, but none of them would move against him because he had a dragon. Or at least until they were sure that they had a better shot at him. Sorey was sure that it wouldn’t be anytime soon, not while he was still giving them something that they wanted. They were pushing closer to Hyland with every day and the fact that he was so inexperienced and incompetent would give them a chance for glory.

Sorey watched as they walked off, noting the ones who were talking to each other before pushing it out of his mind. He would catch up with them soon enough, there would be hours of the next day devoted to those plans and he’d listen to the same complaints again.

He groaned and slipped into the tent. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He heard a laugh from the far side of the tent, only opening his eyes when he smelled a familiar fragrant smoke.

Sorey looked back towards the back of the tent where Mikleo was sprawled out on their bed. The seraph hadn’t bothered to put on any more clothes or cover up from where the cloak had fallen open and away from him. Sorey swallowed swayed in place, watching at the corner of Mikleo’s mouth twitched up around the pipe

Sorey stepped forward, his gaze lowering to where Mikleo patted the bed in an invitation. Sorey sighed and took the offer, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. He didn’t lean in, not just yet. He needed the time to get his head back into the right place instead of the same circle of thoughts about how to keep the generals in check and just how long that the war had been dragged out. It was enough to make him want to curl up in bed and just never leave, anything to stop what he was doing.

He shivered as he felt a hand stroke down his back. Sorey turned his head to look at Mikleo, unable to stop a smile from crossing his face. He leaned into the touch, watching as Mikleo took another drag from his pipe. His gaze lingered on the ornate designs that ran along the stem, tempted to reach out and trace his fingers along the design. Sorey was sure that he could make a guess at the era that it had been made, no matter how rusty he was. Then again, he doubted that he would be allowed to get anywhere close to it. It was part of the small group of possessions that Mikleo had brought with him, all of them tucked neatly into a bag inside Sorey’s trunk. Sorey hadn’t gotten the chance to look at them, and he hadn’t tried. It was something for Mikleo alone, and he would give the seraph his privacy.

Sorey turned, swinging his legs up onto the bed. He leaned back onto his elbows, surprised when Mikleo swung a leg over his. Sorey reached up to steady the seraph as Mikleo settled onto his lap. He settled his hands on Mikleo’s waist, watching as the seraph shifted into a comfortable position. It took a bit longer than it should have, but the smirk on Mikleo’s face told him all that he needed.

Sorey huffed and gave Mikleo a quick squeeze as a warning, not that Mikleo seemed to recognize it as one. The seraph took another drag from his pipe before leaning forward to set it on the chest to the side. Sorey leaned back slightly to give Mikleo the room to move, not surprised when Mikleo didn’t bother to sit up again. He tipped his chin up, meeting Mikleo’s gaze as he let the tension slip out of him.

The battle was done for the day, which meant he wouldn’t have to deal with the press of malevolence and the strange, twisted ideas it brought with it. The generals had been put off until the next day, which meant that he had the room to breathe. By all rights, he should have been concentrating on what their next move would be, but he didn’t want to focus on that. He was tired of the long, slow grind of war.

Sorey sighed, tipping his head up when Mikleo slipped two fingers under his chin. Mikleo considered him for a moment before turning his head to the side to breath out the smoke. Sorey watched it for a moment before rocking up slightly to catch Mikleo’s lips in a kiss. He swallowed Mikleo surprised noise and the last bits of smoke. It didn’t take long for Mikleo to return the kiss in kind, Sorey’s eyes fluttering shut as Mikleo pushed him back into the bed.

* * *

Alisha cupped one hand around the taper as she made her way around the map. She couldn’t help but glance down at the markers that were set out, checking them over even as she walked around to where the lantern was. Alisha was sure that she didn’t even have to look at the map to know where the markers were, she had spent the past few months staring at it and helping move the markers herself.

There had never been a council of war as such, there had just been generals who had come out of retirement to help or soldiers who had found themselves pushed into the role. Alisha was almost relieved for that, at least until they had started to through their weight around. It was never as much as Sorey’s council had, but she wasn’t quite ready for all the restrictions that they had placed on her. Every battle had to be watched carefully before she was allowed to ride in with her soldiers, simply because they had deemed that she was too important to be lost.

Alisha huffed, quickly sticking the taper into the lantern as the flame guttered. She waited patiently for the wick to catch, pushing back her annoyance.

She was a princess of Hyland, whatever power that still held. She held that position because of all the work that she had done for the people. And they wouldn’t think as kindly of her if they knew that she was staying away from the battles, especially when it was this important.

The empire had invaded Hyland again. It didn’t matter that it had been nothing more than a few skirmishes along the old border and, if they did march into Hyland, it was never more than a day. The fear was still there. There were old soldiers with her who remembered fighting back against the rolling tide of General Heldalf and the sword that had held Maotelus. Alisha was sure that they had managed to convince themselves that it was different now, at least until Sorey had shown up with his dragon.

Alisha shuddered, not caring that the fire went out on the taper. The lantern was lit, throwing shadows over the inside of the tent. Alisha glanced around at them before sinking into one of the camp stools set up around the table. She dropped her head into her hands, trying to ignore the way that they shook. She was sure that anyone would forgive her, she had been out on the front when the dragon had appeared.

She had thought that dragons were firmly in the realm of myth, if only because they were so difficult to control. She had ready plenty of stories about the tale of the last dragon of the empire and how it was slain. It was probably because of those stories that he had been able to shrug off the rumors that the emperor had a dragon. She had thought that it had just been rumors, because she’d seen Mikleo and he’d been a seraph. But there was no denying what she had seen on the battlefield and there was no way to think that it was a seraph.

It just left her with the horrible conclusion that Sorey must have done something to Mikleo. But that was an impossible thought to wrap her head around, especially after she had seen the two of them and how Sorey had talked about freeing the seraphim.

It made her wonder how desperate he was getting.

Alisha lifted her head from her hands, staring at the table. She pushed herself off of the camp stool, staring down at the arrangement. Alisha reached out to walk her fingers along the agreed route of retreat, trying to count the miles and not think too hard about how fast a dragon could cover it. If the dragon was there, then there would be no chance of running.

She ducked her head, taking a deep breath. What would be easier would be to kill the dragon entirely, but they didn’t have the soldiers for that, not unless they were desperate.

Alisha reached back to undo her ponytail, wrapping the tie around her wrist as she combed out her hair with her fingers. The motion calmed her down a little bit. Her mother had always combed out her hair before she had gone to bed. It had always been a moment of peace between the two of them without the haughty glares of the council or the rest of the royal palace. It had been their old little world.

She sighed, playing with the ends of her hair as she stared at the stack of reports. She was tempted to start working through them, but the pull of exhaustion was getting far too strong to ignore. They would need her in the morning, especially if Rose was still out purifying hellions. The Shepherd would need the break, especially after the heavy malevolence that had settled over the battlefield with the coming of the dragon. Rose would be working hard all night, and the soldiers would need something to keep them going, which was where she came in.

She might not be able to give them Ladylake or Hyland, but she could at least play the part of their princess.

Alisha looked up as the tent flaps opened, smiling when she saw Shiller and Sergei duck into the tent. From the looks that she got from them, neither of them had expected her to be there. Sergei immediately bowed to her, but Shiller just gave her a lazy salute before going to sit down on a camp stool. Sergei moved out of his bow, Alisha watched him wearily for a moment before motioning to another camp stool.

She waited until he had sat down to give him a smile. “We don’t stand on much ceremony here.”

“I know.” She thought she saw a blush cross Sergei’s cheeks, but it was hard to tell in the dim, flickering light. Sergei shifted in place before he reached up to scratch his cheek, Alisha noting the way his fingers went to the scar on his hairline. “It’s a hard habit to break.”

“They keep you on a short leash in Pendrago?”

Sergei seemed to struggle with Shiller’s question for a moment, Alisha not sure if it was the question or the fact that Sergei was being treated as part of their group.

The Platinum Knights had been kept a bit further away than the rest of the soldiers, for practical reasons at first. It wasn’t that Alisha didn’t trust them, it was just that everyone was cautious. The news that Rose had brought back from Gododdin had rolled through the camp, which made everyone question why the Platinum Knight had deserted. Alisha had heard many whispered conversations about how the soldiers agreed with what the Platinum Knights had done, but they were still suspicious that they would have been able to sneak away from the capital so easily. After all, the emperor had killed innocent villagers and controlled a dragon. There was every reason that the Platinum Knights should have died on the way out of Pendrago. It was a logical line of thought, but it was one that Alisha had hoped would fade away after four months of working together.

She was pulled abruptly out of her line of thoughts when Sergei made a sound that might have been a laugh. “The Platinum Knights have always been in service to one emperor or another. Formality is what we are trained for…”

From the way that he trailed off there was more to it than that, but Alisha didn’t think that it was a dangerous thing. It was one of the many sad things that came with Sergei, and she wasn’t about to pry into them. And, from the way that Shiller was nodding, the woman felt the same.

Shiller sighed, glancing back over at her. She leaned forward, gesturing lazily at the map. “Ian and the others left to scout the area and get as close to the emperor’s camp as possible. The generals want to start moving away since he’s so kindly given us the time.”

“Back towards Ladylake?”

“No. I heard that they were thinking about skewing to the side to try and meet the emperor on our terms, but nothing has been decided. Everyone is focused on the dragon.”

Alisha heard Sergei curse at that, shoot him a glance. The man met her gaze, a serious look on his face. “The only way we’ll be able to get to it will be on the battlefield. Sorey won’t give up any other chance and seraphim don’t have to sleep.”

“Seraphim?” Alisha turned on her camp stool to face him completely. “But it’s a dragon.”

Sergei shrugged. “But it turns back. Don’t ask me how or why, it’s beyond me. But I’ve seen it. Sorey can call him back.”

Shiller whistle. “A dragon that’s not always a dragon. What a weapon.”

Alisha could only nod, sure that her relief was showing plainly on her face. Of course they would have to talk to Rose and Lailah for the particulars, but it was enough that they wouldn’t have to kill a dragon. There was a chance that they could just incapacitate Mikleo as a seraph, which meant that they could keep him alive. Even better, it prove her point that there was a chance of convincing Sorey to be their ally. Maybe if they took him away from the influence of his generals or from whatever malevolence Mikleo had with him, then they could bring him to their side. It would certainly save them a lot of lives, and maybe even spare Rose. They couldn’t lose their Shepherd, not now.

She drummed her fingers against her leg. “We’ll bring it up in the morning when Rose is here. We can get a better read on the situation then.”

“We might also be able to get away with sending her to clear ahead.” Shiller shrugged. “It might be better for everyone that way.”

Alisha hummed, not quite willing to give into that idea. They needed the Shepherd in case Sorey used the dragon tactic again. Beyond that, she worried about sending Rose too far ahead of them.

All of her family was with the resistance and Alisha couldn’t imagine not having Rose around. Rose was extremely practical and clear headed, which was a relief then the others started to panic. It was probably the authority of the Shepherd, but Alisha didn’t care either way. Besides, there was something soothing about having the seraphim around, even if they only tended to stick close to Rose.

Her silence seemed to be enough of a signal for the two of them, both Shiller and Sergei standing up. Sergei was the only one to bow to her, giving her an apologetic smile when he seemed to realize what he had done.

Alisha just waved him on, glancing towards the stack of reports. She leaned forward, catching Shiller’s gaze with the move. She fully expected the slightly exasperated look the woman gave her. “Princess…”

“I know. But I just need to know the numbers.” Alisha moved her arm slightly, wanting to dig through the stack of papers. Until they met tomorrow, the numbers were the only thing she had to judge their success or failure on, especially after such an indecisive battle.

Shiller crossed her arms, not letting up with her stern look. “We don’t know. It’s hard to calculate casualties when the Shepherd is still working.”

“Another thing for tomorrow?”

“Do you want something for today?” Alisha nodded, not surprised when Shiller didn’t give in. “And if I give it to you what will you do?”

“Shiller…”

“The resistance wouldn’t be together if it wasn’t for you. They’d all be fighting for their own reasons.”

“They do that with us anyway.”

“Yes but, to many of them, you’re Hyland.”

Alisha wanted to refuse that, but she couldn’t She knew that was one facet of her position, but she didn’t like it. She had never been close to enough to the throne to be bothered with, so she wasn’t prepared for so much to be put on her. Still, it was better on her than anyone else. She knew that she could carry this whether she liked it or not.

She reached back to pull her hair into a ponytail again, using the moment to look between the two of them. Sergei was easier to read than Shiller, but she doubted that he would come down on her side, deference or not. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

She snapped her tie back into place before giving Shiller a curt nod. “Fine, I’ll go to sleep. But I expect the numbers tomorrow.”

“Of course, princess.” Shiller flashed her a smile. “Have I ever let you down?”

She didn’t want for Alisha to comment, Shiller leaning forward. “We don’t have the exact numbers from our side, but we have more deserters from the empire. Tal and Clem have been filtering them in since the battle ended. We have the Platinum Knights helping to sort them out, but more just keep coming in.”

Alisha glanced over at Sergei, watching as the man nodded. “They aren’t from any specific company, and no one we know personally, but they all say the same thing.”

“The emperor’s gone mad.” She didn’t have to wait for Sergei to nod to know it was true. It was the same reason that had been hearing for the past few months.

Deserters weren’t too rare in war, but the fact that they were fleeing to the other side was. Alisha was sure that there were some soldiers that were just running back into the empire, but what they were seeing was unprecedented. If she had been willing to risk the scout to check on the other army, she would have had them go and count the numbers, because there couldn’t be many left. The once mighty army of the empire was crumbling and streaming over to their side. Alisha was sure that it was because they had heard that Sergei and the Platinum Knights had done it, and that they were still alive. She was equally as sure that their fear of the emperor outweighed everything else. Alisha had even heard that some of them were afraid that Sorey would turn back around and start attack their families. Part of her wanted to scoff at the idea, but she couldn’t ignore what Sorey was doing.

If he was as far gone as everyone was telling her that he was, then there was every chance that he would do exactly what they feared.

She clenched her hand into a fist before she let it go. There wasn’t anything she could do about it without speaking to Sorey directly, and she was sure that no one would let her do that. She would just have to bide her time and come up with something so that, as soon as she got a spare moment. She could try to pull in another ally, or at least make sure that there was no way that Sorey would help them. But that would be something for another day.

Alisha looked over at Shiller, giving the woman an exhausted nod. She had gotten what she wanted, and she was sure that Shiller would just pester her until she finally made good on her promise. Alisha played with the end of her hair, considering her options before giving in. She glanced over at Sergei, giving him a nod. “Keep working through the deserters, we need to have a better idea of what they are willing to do, or any information they have. Shiller, I need you to organize a guard for them and inform the general’s aides about them. We can have them swear their loyalty to them. And make sure to mark down their names and homes.”

Shiller gave another one of her lazy salutes, grinning at Alisha. “Already being done. We’re going to need a better way to do the rolls if things keep going like this.”

Alisha shrugged, sure that someone would come up with something. For now, the rolls worked. How they were going to pay them, Alisha wasn’t sure. That was another hurdle to tackle the next day, and it was enough to make her wish that she had taken notes during their conversation. Then again, she was sure that Shiller would have snatched any pen and paper right out of her hands.

She stood up from the camp stool, following the two of them out of the tent. Alisha used the chance to look over the camp, watching the bustle of soldiers and workers. From what she could see, everything looked like it was running well. More importantly things were calm. Alisha had learned that it was better to have moments of calm then to be constantly rushing. Then her soldiers would be rested and everything prepared.

She gave the camp one last look over before she walked over to her tent. Alisha could feel Shiller’s gaze on her back, careful not to turn around or flinch. She was going to her tent as requested, but that didn’t mean that she would sleep. There were a few things that she wanted to get done herself, things that wouldn’t involve her running around the camp. Besides, she wanted to wait up for the Shepherd to come back. Her night never felt right without a talk with Rose.

Alisha paused at the front of her tent, glancing around for a flash of blue flame, but there was nothing. She supposed that it was good, because it meant that the empire wouldn’t know where Rose was, but that didn’t assuage her worry. There had been a lot of malevolence, which would mean a lot more hellions, both created and drawn to the battlefield. Still, she was sure that the seraphim wouldn’t let anything happen to Rose, but that wouldn’t stop her from waiting up for at least a few more hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the true names, I made two of them up using a combination of the ancient tongue cypher from Zestiria and Old English, which looks just as suitably ancient and mysterious. I can’t promise the words mean anything in the way that I arranged them because I am not an expert in Old English. Natalie’s true name, Teleroi Feorhhyrde, means Natalie the Protector.
> 
> More art done for this fic by Nami can be found [here](https://twitter.com/i/moments/830330522718998529) and [here](https://twitter.com/i/moments/863593458069495813).


	22. Chapter 19

“In the morning, all of us  
march towards our work.  
The we dig under the searing sun,  
But our mind yearns toward our home.

Homeward, homeward everyone yearns  
to the parents, wife and children,  
some chests are widened by a sigh,  
because we are caught in here.” _  
-_ Peat Bog Soldiers

* * *

 

Boris jolted awake as someone grabbed onto his arm. He twisted, reaching for his sword before he really woke up. It was only when he had his hand wrapped around the hilt that he realized what was going on. He just stopped himself from drawing the blade, staring at the wide eyed child that was crouched beside his cot.

The child flinched back, glancing between Boris and the sword. He made a squeaking sound, Boris not sure if it was excitement or fear.

He seemed to inspire the same fear in all of the people that were in the old tower. He supposed that it came with the way that he had appeared, stumbling out of the hellion infested Zaphgott Moor with two wagons of seraphim. Boris was sure that the people had never seen so many seraphim, especially with the group that was already occupying the upper reaches of the tower, let alone any soldier.

Lohgrin had been out of the empire’s wars for a long time. The old kingdom had been one of the first casualties of the Long War. It hadn’t put up much of a fight as it had been used and then dropped. Boris supposed that it made sense considering that the desert had slowly spread beyond Camelot Bridge, ruining what arable land they had and the merchant caravans changed their routes to avoid the hellions in the desert. It was a wonder that the group of people in the old tower survived, but Boris was sure that they would keep on going for a good few decades yet. The people that lived on the moor were tough and the seraphim seemed to have been making a difference.

It was in the little things. The way that the gardens had gotten more bountiful, the way that the wells had suddenly gotten deeper, and the winds didn’t blow as hot. Boris was sure that it was part of the blessing that the seraphim extended, although he couldn’t imagine why the seraphim would purposefully help the humans. If he read them right, the seraphim had no intention of staying. Then again, they had stayed for nearly two months now and showed no sign of wanting to move, but Boris was sure of their reasoning for that.

There were still seraphim trapped in the weapons, the ones that they hadn’t managed to get out on the way to Lohgrin. The crates were all piled up in one of the upstairs rooms of the tower, far from him and any of the other humans. Boris assumed that things were going well, but he was sure that he would never know, and it was annoying him.

He had promised Sorey and Mikleo that he would look after the seraphim until they were safe. Boris assumed that it had only extended to Lohgrin, but he had intended to make sure that _all_ the seraphim were free from the weapons before considering them safe.

He shook his head and looked back at the child, watching as he edged forward to touch the scabbard of his sword. The child traced over the design along the side before jerking his hand back. “I-I’m sorry Sir Boris.”

Boris waved off the apology, sitting up on the edge of his cot. He took a moment to glance outside of the tent, trying to gauge the height of the sun. Since coming to Lohgrin he had adjusted to the schedule that the locals kept, which meant that he was up early, awake late, and then spent most of the hot afternoon sleeping. From what he could see, the sun was behind the walls of the old tower, which meant that it would be close to sunset.

He ran a hand through his hair, giving the child another look.

The child bowed again, throwing in an awkward salute that Boris didn’t have the heart to just wave off. “One of the seraphim asked me to help her find you, sir. She said that one of the Great Lords were asking for you.”

“A Great Lord?” Boris stared at the child, trying to work out just what would make one of the Great Lords talk to him. Then again, that depended on many factors. Boris stood up, having to bend practically in half to keep the top of his head from brushing against the top of the tent. “Which one?”

The child shook his head. “She didn’t say.”

Boris nodded, not surprised that the child was quick to dash off. He probably had chores to do and he didn’t want to stay too close to the strange knight from the empire. Boris had heard whispers of the rumors connected to him. All of them were far-fetched, like he was a soldier on the run from the empire or scouting out Lohgrin to retake it. He supposed that his continued presence was enough to reassure them that he meant them no harm, but it was hard to convince them that he was nothing special considering how many seraphim he had brought with him. He supposed that, to them, he was something out of a legend.

He didn’t feel much like a legend, especially since he had been left at loose ends. There wasn’t much he could do except for chase hellions away long enough for caravans to come in, and there had been few of those.

He stepped out of the tent, looking around the rough congregation of buildings. It didn’t take much to spot the seraph, Boris not too surprised when Melody waved at him and jogged over. Out of all the seraphim that he had travelled with she had been the one who had spoken to him the most, although it had only been about Mikleo. Still, it counted for something because the other seraphim hadn’t bothered with him.

Boris gave her a partial bow, surprised by her giggle in response. “You don’t have to be so formal. We spend weeks on the road together. I think we’re pretty well acquainted.”

“Travel has a habit of doing that.” It was almost second nature to come back with a teasing response, Boris not sure that he regretted it as soon as he had said it. He cleared his throat, settling for just nodding. “You wanted to see me.”

“Well…Lord Maotelus does.” Melody tipped her head in the direction of the stairs, Boris following her gaze.

He knew that the seraphim had taken over the upper levels of the old tower, mostly because there weren’t enough people in the tower to warrant using the upper floors. It kept them separated, which seemed to be enough for the moment, although Boris didn’t want to imagine what would happen to Lohgrin when the seraphim decided that they wanted to be further away from humans. He was sure that Lohgrin was managing to hold on longer just because the seraphim were here now. Boris was sure that the unexpected bounty wouldn’t last. It would all disappear when the seraphim moved on.

He sighed and looked back at Melody, watching as she played absently with a fan that was hanging by her waist. She seemed to sense his gaze because she looked up and smiled at him. “It wasn’t an order as such, but more of a request.”

“What does he want from me?”

“I don’t know. The Great Lords don’t tell us much.” From the look on her face, Melody didn’t like it and Boris couldn’t blame her. This wasn’t the time to withhold information, there was too great a chance that both people and seraphim could die because of it.

He drummed his fingers against his sword before undoing his sword belt. He braced the scabbard against the wall of the tower, aware that Melody followed his every move.

The seraphim were always jumpy when he had a weapon and, after everything that had been done to them, he didn’t blame them for it. If he was being taken to meet Lord Maotelus, then it was better to leave his weapon behind. Besides, he doubted that anyone would take the sword. Boris doubted that any of the people living in Lohgrin knew how to use a sword. Anyone with that ambition had either gone to the empire or had died fighting the hellions on the moor. In any case, they seemed to think that he was some kind of mystical being, which might keep children from attempting to play with it while he was gone.

Boris turned, motioning to Melody to lead the way. The seraph smiled at him and started towards the stairs that ran around the wall of the tower. Boris trailed behind her, glancing back over at the collection of tents. There weren’t many people roaming between the tents. Many of them had probably gone to where the sparse gardens were or were risking rushing onto the moor to gather what they could from there. The few that had remained were staring at him in awe. After all, it wasn’t every day that the seraphim invited a human to speak with them.

He hummed to himself and looked ahead again, surprised to see another seraph waiting by the end of the stairs. The seraph was fiddling with something, Boris seeing a flash of white in the seraph’s hand. Then, ask quickly as it appeared, it was gone, the seraph shoving it into the pocket of his long, black coat.

Boris couldn’t help but flinch as Eizen looked up at him. He was sure that he would have gotten used to having Eizen glare at him, considering that he had spent weeks sitting under it.

Eizen looked him over before clicking his tongue and headed up the stairs in front of them. Boris watched him, trying to figure out what would set the seraph off before shrugging. It was probably nothing more than any of the seraphim were afraid of. He was a soldier, there was no denying that, and none of them had many good experiences with soldiers.

He focused on the central part of the tower as they climbed, trying to pick something out through the gaps in the stonework. He could see something that looked like a garden, Boris surprised to see plants growing. He would have thought that the people of Lohgrin had abandoned it after the seraphim had come to the tower.

He tensed, Melody seemed to sense it because she turned slightly on the landing. She gave him a sad smile before looking at the central part of the tower. “They mostly grow flowers in there, and I know that some of the earth seraphim are sticking close to it and the soil is getting better. But…” she bit her lip and stepped close to the railing to look down at the people below, “Zenrus always talked about the times when humans and seraphim worked together, but that was long before anyone in Elysia existed. I can almost see it here.”

Boris stepped up to the rail with her, glancing over the humans before looking back at her. “Do you believe it though?”

“I…I don’t know.” Melody flicked at a loose bit of stone. “I haven’t gotten the best view.”

Boris hummed and pushed away from the railing, looking up where Eizen was impatiently waiting for them on the next landing. He tried to wave the earth seraph on. Eizen narrowed his eyes but didn’t move, Boris fully expecting the seraph to start tapping his foot in impatience. He turned to look back at where Melody was contemplating the humans, tempted just to stay by her. There was a chance to learn more about Mikleo there, something that he could maybe use to his advantage in the future, but there was probably no point in keeping the Great Lord waiting.

Melody seemed to come to the same conclusion. She shook her head and pushed away from the railing with a laugh. “That’s all in the past now.”

“Is it?”

“Well, according to what the Great Lords are saying, we’re going to find a place without humans to wait this out.”

“Then why did they ask to meet with me.”

“Not all of them did. Only one.” She turned away before he could ask her a question, continuing to speak as she climbed. “I’m sure it has to do with the other seraphim.”

 “The other seraphim?”

Boris stared at her, watching as she shrugged and continued on. “A handful came in overnight, but Lord Maotelus immediately holed up with them. All I know is that they hadn’t been bound to any weapon. Everyone has been talking about it though, saying that we can just go to wherever the others have been hiding. The most we’ve gotten is Lord Maotelus telling us to find you.”

He frowned, trying to work out what the Great Lord would want with him. He didn’t have any knowledge about the world outside of Glenwood, because it had never been his focus. The only other thing of use that he could do was tell them if there were any other stashes of seraphic weapons, and even that knowledge was a little shaky. The generals had been careful with what they had hidden and, as far as he knew, they hadn’t left any records. If anything, they would need Sorey for that knowledge, but that would come at the cost of weeks of travel.

He looked up from the stairs as they reached the next landing, staring at the door on one side. There were two seraphim on guard, both of them giving him equally annoyed looks. The fact that Eizen and Melody were with him didn’t seem to make a difference.

Boris rolled his shoulders, trying to look as unaffected as possible, but he was sure that he felt a flicker of heat from the seraph on his left. Boris took a step to the side just in case. He could feel their gazes on the back as he moved into the room, breathing a sigh of relief as the door shut behind him.

He didn’t have long to linger on it, a choked noise making him look over at Eizen. The seraph wavered in place before striding forward. Boris only had to process that Eizen had swept past him before the seraph was storming up to one of the seraphim at the end of the room. It was easy to tell which one because the wind seraph perked up.

The seraph grinned, standing up from the table. “Well, look what the cat dragged in. It’s been a while Ei-”

He didn’t get a chance to finish what he was going to say before Eizen grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him towards the back of the room. Boris saw Eizen shove the seraph up against the wall but, with Eizen’s back to him, he couldn’t tell what was going on between the two of them. He heard something that might have been a conversation, but it was at odds with what he could smell from that part of the room. It was a heady mix of alpha scents, Boris wrinkling his nose and stepping back further.

He glanced over at the table to distract himself, watching as Melody sat down in one of the unoccupied seats. She glanced at where Eizen and the wind seraph were, a sly smile crossing her face. Boris didn’t get much time to try and pick out what he could from it because she flicked open one of her fans and held it in front of her face. When she met Boris’ gaze, she just shook her head.

She flicked the fan in the direction of the head of the table, Boris glad for a further excuse to look away from the two seraphim. He turned to look at the seraph at the head of the table, surprised to see a young man sitting there.

Lord Maotelus was nothing like he had expected. Boris had thought all of the Great Lords would be mysterious, or at least would look much older than himself. The seraph didn’t look any older than Sorey, but he did look worn down. There were dark circles under his green eyes and his blond hair was dull. The Great Lord looked worn out, and it made him nervous.

He’d heard all of the stories about what had happened during the first conquest of Hyland, about how General Heldalf had gone to Camlann and had taken Maotelus back by binding him into a sword. How he had used that sword to raze the village to the ground. How he had turned the weapon against Hyland and brought it back under the empire’s control. And then, he’d heard nothing else except that the weapon had been lost, and certainly nothing about Maotelus escaping. Except, looking at the seraph now, it had been a close thing.

He lingered by the back of a chair, looking the great lord over before bowing. “Lord Maotelus.”

“So you’re Boris.” The Great Lord looked him over before leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. “The seraphim you brought from Pendrago speak highly of you. I would have invited you up here sooner, but the others weren’t so eager. They’re a bit touchy when it comes to humans. But I just needed the right excuse…”

Maotelus winced and looked back over at Eizen and Zaveid, the seraphim pressing a hand over his mouth and nose before slamming it back against the table. “Stop it, Eizen!”

Eizen growled, Boris sure that he could feel the low rumble through the earth itself. He grabbed onto the edge of the table, instinct telling him to slink away. He wasn’t in the mood for dealing with an angry alpha, especially not when it was a seraph. Boris dropped his hand to his waist, curling his fingers in the fabric. It didn’t matter that he didn’t have his sword, he was sure that he wouldn’t be able to win against Eizen, not after he had lost so soundly the first time.

He rubbed at his jaw, watching as Eizen and the wind seraph peeled away from the wall. He thought he caught sight of a bruise on the wind seraph’s neck, but it was quickly covered when the seraph rubbed his neck with a laugh.

“Take it easy on him, Phi. It’s been years.”

Maotelus huffed, Boris sure that it wasn’t agreement. He was inclined to agree with the assessment, especially when Eizen sunk into the chair right beside the wind seraph, one arm disappearing somewhere around the back of the chair.

Boris jerked his gaze away quickly, preferring to watch Maotelus. He was sure that it was the safer bet in the end.

Maotelus shook his head and sat back in his chair, giving them all a steady look. His gaze lingered on Boris the longest, Boris not sure what to make of it. For a moment, he thought he saw Maotelus smile but then it was gone. The Great Lord reached up to push some of his hair out of his eyes before sighing. “I’m sure the word will start spreading soon no matter what the others will say. There nowhere safe for us to go.”

“What?!” The water seraph at the table stood up, although he immediately looked sheepish about it.

Maotelus didn’t seem to care, the Great Lord just nodding and motioning towards the wind seraph. “Zaveid.”

Zaveid gave Maotelus a lazy salute before leaning back into what Boris suspected was Eizen’s arm. “Me and the others have been doing a little island hopping over the years, trying to find a place to settle down, but we haven’t managed that. Every time we do, we have the time to set up the blessing before the malevolence in the world becomes too strong. The last time we tried, the domain didn’t last more than a day before it broke. So we came back hoping that there would be more of you, and maybe that would be enough to hold a domain. But Maotelus here tells me that there aren’t enough seraphim up to scratch to hold themselves together, which makes this a problem.”

The water seraph sat down at the table. “So there’s nowhere to run to. What will we tell them?”

Boris looked back at Maotelus, glad that the Great Lord seemed ready with an answer. He wouldn’t even know how to begin to address the problem, not when he didn’t know why he needed to be there. The only reason he could think of was to send the news back to Sorey. Even then he wasn’t sure what help he could promise the seraphim.

The council and the people of Pendrago had forced Sorey’s hand, and Boris was sure that he was too late to stop the war. He was just as sure that the war was the cause of the increase in malevolence. It had always been simmering over the continent in one form or another, but he was sure that the war was what had made it boil over.

He shifted in place, sure that Eizen was glaring at him for that reason. Boris chose to focus on Maotelus instead, relieved when the Great Lord nodded slowly. “The truth. It’s the best we can do.”

“That will kill them.”

“The truth without a solution will, but I intend to offer a solution.” Maotelus lifted his hand, Boris watching as silver flames danced over his fingertips. The seraph held them up for a moment before shaking his hand out. “Once I’ve freed and purified the seraphim that Boris brought with him, we can set up a domain that will allow the seraphim and the people of Lohgrin to prosper. Their prayers have helped, but we can’t keep leeching off of them without returning something. It’s that or offer the seraphim the chance to choose vessels for themselves, but I doubt that they would want that after being trapped in some for many years.”

Boris saw Melody shiver out of the corner of his eye. He curled his fingers more firmly into his shirt to resist the urge to reach out and touch her in comfort. He doubted that it would be welcomed, especially with the subject at hand.

Maotelus drummed his fingers against the table, keeping up the pattern before giving up with a shrug. “As soon as the seraphim are taken care of I can work on purifying the land, but I won’t be able to do it alone. It’s been too long and the earth is soaked with it. We need to take measures to try and carve it away before it gets too much worse. I already know of one Shepherd working, and she should be close to the center of what is generating the most malevolence. But she’ll need help, which is what I’ve come to ask you for.

“Boris will eventually return to Rolance and that’s a chance that I will _not_ let slip by. If we have two Shepherds working to thin out the malevolence, then maybe we have a chance to be able to return to the way that we have lived before. If not, our only choice is to do what Zaveid and the others were doing, which is to keep moving to avoid the malevolence. If we do that, then I’m afraid we’ll quickly run out of options.”

Maotelus crossed his arms over his chest, looking at all of them. If Boris didn’t know better, he would have said that the look resembled on that Sergei would give him. Then again, Maotelus probably shared the same burdens as his older brother. Maotelus might have four other seraphim to share the load, but it sounded like the five of them rarely agreed on anything.

He glanced at the other seraphim, expecting immediate refusal and not the careful consideration on their faces, especially from Eizen. Boris looked away when the earth seraph glanced at him, using the time to think over the question.

He vaguely knew the duties of a Shepherd, there had been plenty of stories about it. He supposed that it was possible, especially when it would help the cause. The empire would crumble apart if things continued the way they were, and that would be bad for the people. But Boris had never really considered the malevolent side of things. Malevolence was just a part of his life and always would be as far as he was concerned.

Boris took a deep breath, relishing the way that the air was cool and didn’t catch in his throat. He’d never felt anything like this, and it was a shame that others couldn’t. Even if he didn’t live to that point, it would be enough to start pushing the malevolence back. Besides, he had sworn to protect the people of the empire and it would be remiss of him to ignore any chance that he was given.

He nodded, trying not to look at any of the seraphim aside from Maotelus. “I’ll do it.”

“Your willingness isn’t enough. You’re going to need help.” The last was leveled almost as an accusation at the other seraphim around the table.

It took more than he thought it would not to follow Maotelus’ gaze around the table. Boris swallowed and sat back, staring down at the wood of the table as he worked out his own plan. If there weren’t seraphim ready to help him in Lohgrin, then he was sure that he could find others. There was something distasteful about asking them to help him in return for their freedom, but Boris was used to using underhand methods if he had to. After all, he was sure that the ends would justify the means.

Boris stood up, ready to march down to the ground floor when he heard Zaveid laugh. He looked over at him as the wind seraph waved him down. “You can’t expect to rush out there on your own. Calm down for a moment.” Zaveid shook his head. “Look, I already said that I would help. Why are we going through this song and dance?”

“For the sake of the others.”

Melody groaned and stood up. “You didn’t have to do this. I would have agreed anyway. Natalie and Mikleo are still there.”

Eizen leaned forward in his chair, giving Boris a long look before turning his attention back to Maotelus. “I’ll go. I have someone to look for too.”

Boris turned to look at the water seraph, expecting the seraph to be thinking things over. He was surprised when the seraph leaned back with a sigh. “I miss my home and you said if we don’t do this then I’ll never see it again. So I’ll do it too.”

Maotelus grinned, Boris struck by how childlike the expression made him look. The seraph rocked forward like he was going to stand up from his chair, but he stopped himself, bracing himself against the table. “Then it’s settled. I’ll grant you the powers you will need and you’ll be clear to head back to the empire. I’m sorry I can’t offer you more help than this, but I don’t think we have the time for anything else.

He cleared his throat and held out his hand, Boris watching it shake. He was tempted to reach out and hold Maotelus’ wrist steady but he remained in place as he saw the silver flame flicker to life on the tips of Maotelus’ fingers again. The Great Lord took two deep breaths before speaking in a steady voice.

“Oh son of the wandering west wind I impart the gift of purification upon you and your chosen Shepherd to use to cut through the malevolence and those who wander this earth. I impart the gift of purification to the Sub Lords that will follow you and stand as pillars of purity in a dark world.” The silver flame flickered for a moment, Maotelus squeezing his eyes shut. He swayed in place for a moment before steadying himself with one hand on the table. The other hand he swept outwards across the table.

The flames dancing around his hand flowed out, the tongues moving alone the table without burning it. Boris fought back the urge to move away from them, watching as the flames curled around his wrist. He felt warmth, Boris waiting for it to increase to burning, but it never happened.

He swallowed and looked up at the others, staring at the silver flames that encircled their wrists. Melody was the only one who returned his gaze, the seraph grinning at him before her expression went serious again. That was enough for Boris to turn his attention back to Maotelus.

The Great Lord had his eyes closed, a frown creasing his forehead. “Prime Lord, Sub Lords, it is your duty to help guide the Shepherd as they bring the world to balance. Shepherd, it is your duty to bring the separate worlds of seraphim and humanity together. Together, it is your duty to protect this world and stand against the malevolence that soaks it. Now,” Maotelus opened his eyes, nodding at all of them. “If you would be bound by this pact, give the Shepherd your true names.”

Zaveid pushed up from his chair, throwing Boris a grin. “Wirukun Zavie.”

Boris blinked at the name, trying to sound out the syllables. If this was part of the ceremony then it was important and he had to remember it, his own difficulties with the ancient tongue or not. But the name wasn’t slipping out of his head, it was cemented there and echoing in the corners of his mind.

He swallowed and looked across the table at the water seraph. The seraph nodded at him, holding out an arm wreathed in silver flame. “Wrecca Langmód.”

Boris didn’t have the time to look at Melody before she was speaking. “Æledléoma Hlúttre.”

“Ufemew Wexub.”

Boris twisted slightly to get a glimpse of Eizen as he felt the name settle in place with the other three, all four of them bright pinpoints burning into his mind. He frowned and glanced down at the silver flame on his wrist, watching as it flared blue for a moment before disappearing, not that it felt that anything had changed. It still felt like the flame was touching him, running through his veins with each beat of his heart.

He looked back at Maotelus, watching as the Great Lord spoke, but he couldn’t hear the words over the pounding of his own heart. He leaned forward, bracing himself against the table as his legs felt weak.

It helped a fraction, Boris digging his fingers into the wood as he tried to focus around the heat that was taking over his body and the fuzziness in his head. It must have been what omegas in heat felt like, Boris almost tempted to laugh, but the situation was too serious for something like that. What he was doing was important, it would be something that could save the world. It would be something that could help save Sorey, Sergei and the Platinum Knights.

He leaned slightly against the back of his chair, trying to get his focus back. It was hard when his stomach felt like it was rolling and his vision was going dark around the edges, but he needed everything that Maotelus was willing to give him.

He saw the seraph take a deep breath, Maotelus seeming to have reached the end of his briefing, which meant that he had missed all of it. Boris started to his feet, regretting it a moment later. He scrambled for a better hold on the table as he legs gave out, Boris hearing one of the seraphim call for him, but it was lost in the pounding of his heart. Boris gritted his teeth, forcing himself to look up at Maotelus.

The Great Lord looked sheepish, Maotelus standing slowly from his chair. “I should have warned you before. With the power comes a high fe-”

Boris didn’t hear what else Maotelus had to say, his head spinning with the heat. He lost his hold on the table, falling unconscious before he hit the floor.

* * *

Mikleo gave the last general to leave the tent a toothy smile, trying not to laugh as the man rushed quickly through the flaps. He got a glimpse of the other generals waiting, all of them glancing back at him. He met their gazes, watching all of them shudder before heading off to follow their orders. They looked uneasy, something they deserved after wasting most of their morning going over the same argument. It was almost like the council, except that Sorey had been an active participant in that. This had just been the generals arguing among themselves without ever talking to him or Sorey. He wasn’t surprised that the men hadn’t bothered to take him into account, but he thought that they would have talked to Sorey.

He tapped the end of his pipe against his knee, tipping his head back to look at where Sorey was braced against the table. Sorey had been like that since the first five minutes of the meeting, only speaking up when the generals had allowed him the space to talk. Mikleo stared at the arch of Sorey’s back before shaking his head.

They would be back as soon as they finished their tasks, and Mikleo didn’t know how long that would take. Considering how the other days had gone, he and Sorey wouldn’t get more than a few moments to themselves.

He sighed and stood up from his chair, walking over to the map on the table. He scanned it over, just checking to see if anything had changed during the rapid-fire discussions that had been happening.

Mikleo had intended to follow along, but it had been hard when he hadn’t been included in the conversation and the generals were always coming close to him. He’d behaved and kept himself from growling, because he wasn’t about to startle them away. If he did that, then it would be harder the next time that they came back, or they would order him out of the tent. They‘d probably heard the many rumors that had spread about what happened to the council. Mikleo had never paid much attention to that, there had been more pressing problems to worry about.

In any case, he was not going to be shunted away. The moment he did that, it would prove that he could be moved and then he would lose the protection that his careful act gave him.

He tightened his hold on the pipe stem, his fingers finding a scratch in the lacquer. Mikleo rubbed his fingers over it for a moment before shaking his head. “They’re not wrong.”

“I know.” Sorey’s fingers curled more tightly around the edge of the table, the movement the only clue into his thoughts. “And I know what I have to do to make this look real. But I thought that we would have more time. If I could slow things down…”

Mikleo took a drag off the pipe, holding the smoke in his lungs for a moment before breathing it out. He watched Sorey carefully, sure that he could feel the pulse of malevolence that was a tight knot in the center of the emperor. He wasn’t sure if that was pulsing in time with his own malevolence or the malevolence that still hung over the battlefield. Then again, it didn’t matter.

He swallowed, trying to ignore the thick, cloying taste of malevolence at the back of his throat. Mikleo took another drag off of the pipe, trying to chase the taste away with the fragrant smoke. It didn’t work perfectly, but it was the only thing that would work to get rid of most of it. It would at least keep him from tasting hellion and human for weeks on end. Before, he might have had the time to let the taste fade, but he doubted that he would get that rest, not with what the generals had said.

Mikleo leaned over the table, walking his fingers over the distance between their camp and to Ladylake. He tapped his finger against the city, stopping when he saw Sorey shift out of the corner of his eye. “They’re idiots if they think you’re going to rush right in.”

“It’s good strategy.” From the way that Sorey said it, he didn’t quite believe it himself. He pushed himself upright, staring at Ladylake. “Alisha will want to protect it, but she’ll suspect a trap immediately. They only think that she won’t because she’s young and they place importance on cities and not people.”

“Alisha is too much like you for that to work.” He frowned when he saw Sorey flinch, Sorey’s gaze sliding away from him. Mikleo watched him for a moment before pushing away from the table. “Sorey-”

“We’ll have to find another way.”

“Sorey.”

“If the patrols are right, Alisha and the others are moving. And now that we know they have a Shepherd, we’ll have to be even more careful.” Sorey turned away, ruffling through some of the papers set to one side. Mikleo suspected that Sorey wasn’t really looking at them.

He huffed and turned the pipe over in his fingers, letting the ashes drop onto the ground. It didn’t take more than a thought to summon a drop of water to drown the embers. Mikleo set the pipe on the table before stepping up into Sorey’s space.

Sorey reacted as he expected, the human leaning away before falling back close to him. Mikleo closed the distance between them, pressing up against Sorey’s side. “You and Alisha are alike, so use that to your advantage.”

“We’re not. I’m-”

“You’re not completely gone. There’s more than enough of you left.” Mikleo turned so he could kiss Sorey’s cheek, enjoying the way that Sorey blushed. He smiled to himself and leaned forward to study the map more carefully. He did keep some of his attention on Sorey, watching as the human shifted.

The blush didn’t last long, nor did the small smile on Sorey’s face. Mikleo frowned at the map. Sorey’s smile wasn’t lasting as long, and it annoyed him for reasons that he couldn’t even began to comprehend. He curled his fingers on the table.

The silence between them stretched on, Mikleo glancing over at where Sorey’s hand was resting. He was tempted to reach out and take it, but Sorey seemed to be pulling further back into himself. It had been happening the longer they were on campaign, and Mikleo hated it. He swallowed and took a step closer so their shoulders bumped together.

Sorey leaned into him for a moment before leaning forward to rest his fingers on a spot on the map. “I was hoping that they wouldn’t be pushing so much. If I had time then I would have gone after this.”

He tapped the map, Mikleo leaning forward to stare at the spot. It didn’t have a marker assigned to it, but it didn’t look too important. Then again, it didn’t have to be marked to be important. Sorey was keeping a lot from his generals. Mikleo didn’t think Sorey would survive the generals realizing what he was actually doing.

Mikleo slid his hand closer to the spot, stopping just short of touching Sorey’s hand. He studied the space a little longer before looking back at Sorey.

It was getting easier to ignore the quick flutter in his stomach was Sorey smiled at him, but it was harder to ignore the pleasant feeling of warmth that flooded through him. It was easier just to smile back and lean a bit more heavily on him.

Sorey took his weight without complaint, Mikleo sighed when Sorey leaned their temples together. It was tempting to turn his head for a kiss, but he stopped himself. They had matters of business to talk about and they couldn’t get distracted, not while they were tight on time. It was enough to make him wish that they were back in the palace where they’d had more places to hide themselves away.

His fingers flexed on the map, Mikleo jumping when Sorey moved his hand to rest over his. He thought he heard Sorey make a calming noise, but he was too busy watching the way that their fingers slotted together. He swallowed and curled his fingers to hold Sorey’s hand tighter, trying to concentrate as Sorey started speaking in a low voice.

“I’m not sure, but I think that there should be a stash of seraphic weapons there. There was a general who was stationed in that area who didn’t respond to the call to send the weapons back. I have his previous records and I assume that the number is about the same.” Sorey sighed, Mikleo shivering as the breath moved across his cheek. “I was hoping that the others would leave us alone long enough to look into it. It wouldn’t hurt to check, even if it’s nothing.”

“We still can.” Mikleo used his free hand to trace it along the line of a road. He swallowed when Sorey leaned forward, their previous contact disappearing as Sorey concentrated on the map again. He squeezed his fingers around Sorey’s, not wanting to give up that point of contact. He dragged his attention back to the map, looking at the small space. “If you convince them to move along the border, we can still check in on that place. It will take us the long way.”

“But there’s a point we can move directly to Ladylake.” Sorey nodded, his thumb rubbing against the outside of Mikleo’s hand.

Mikleo shivered, wanting to turn his head to nuzzle into Sorey. He could feel the tight knot that he had wound himself into start to loosen. The malevolence was still a temptation, especially with the camp full of people that made his skin crawl, but it was easier to deal with when Sorey was so close. The smell of old books and dust didn’t quite drown out the entire camp, but it was something that he could sink into.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, refocusing on the map. Mikleo looked over the route that he had traced out, trying to find a point where they could swing close to the place that Sorey pointed out. It was possible, but they would have to bring the whole army with them. The army might have been smaller than when they had started out, but it still was large enough to be a concern. Besides, if the generals figured out that there were seraphic weapons, Mikleo was sure that they would jump at the chance to use them. They had kicked up a fuss when they had first realized that the weapons wouldn’t work and had blamed it on the reworking. Mikleo was sure that they had dodged something worse since none of them had seemed to connect the failure with Sorey, but with their own impatience and push to fix the weapons. Leading them right back to the seraphic weapons would be stupid, especially since they were desperate.

Hyland wasn’t winning, at least not visibly. But there was still a sense that the might of the empire was being defeated because they hadn’t had a decisive win and because of all the deserters. The generals were desperate for anything to help them win the war and keep their reputations, and Mikleo was sure that the rest of the empire was waiting for the news.

He huffed and leaned a little closer to the map, considering the distances before shrugging. “We’ll need to send a small group to retrieve them.”

“I was thinking of going myself, but I’ve been held up.”

Mikleo hummed in agreement, staring at the map before raising one shoulder in a shrug. “Then I’ll go. I’m not needed here, unless you want me to eat one of the generals.”

“No.” Sorey shook his head. “No. I think I can keep them at bay a little longer.”

“Then I’ll go out and meet you when you march out.” Mikleo traced the route back to the road that the army would be marching along. “If you’re sure about the Shepherd, then I can send the seraphim that way. A single stash should be small enough that I can help them on their way. Then you can focus on everything here. Then sooner we get this done, the sooner we can complete our pact and go home.”

Mikleo felt Sorey stiffen, realizing how it had sounded the moment Sorey pulled away slightly. He tightened his grip on Sorey’s hand, holding onto it like it would be enough to keep Sorey in place.

He licked his lips, trying to come up with something to say, but his mind kept going blank. He couldn’t quite figure out the right way to say why he would be glad to get rid of the pact, only that he didn’t like to be beholden to anyone. He didn’t want his one tie to Sorey to be that. Besides, if their pact was finished it meant that they had succeeded and they weren’t tied to anything better than themselves.

“I don’t wa-” Mikleo looked up as Sorey spoke, watching as the human rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t really think of Pendrago as home. I lived there with Aunt Nadia but it never really felt like anything. I felt the most at home when I was traveling with the Platinum Knights.” He met Mikleo’s gaze for a moment before clearing his throat. “I don’t…I don’t really plan on going back to Pendrago. I don’t think they’d let me.”

Mikleo nodded in agreement. He couldn’t see the people of the empire welcoming the emperor that had destroyed everything. He wouldn’t be surprised if Sorey was barred from Pendrago. Mikleo couldn’t help the vindictive rush of approval at that, because that would mean that Sorey wasn’t theirs any longer.

He went to lean back into Sorey, pausing when Sorey leaned forward slightly. From the way that Sorey was looking at the map, he really didn’t see it, he was focused on something far off in the distance. Mikleo squeezed Sorey’s hand, smiling when he got a squeeze in response.

It took Sorey a moment to come back to him, but the slightly distant look hadn’t left his eyes. “After this, I’m going to abdicate. They’ll have someone one they’d rather have than me, and I’m okay with that. It will leave us time to travel the world. We can see everything that the world has to offer and no one will bother us again.”

Mikleo stared at Sorey, feeling horror grow in his chest. He had never really imagined too far out into the future, mostly because it had been impossible at too many points. It was easier to focus on freeing the seraphim and punishing those who had taken them away in the first place. With Sorey, there were all of the other little things that came with running an empire.

When he did think of home and after, it was always back at Elysia, because there had never been anywhere else for him. Elysia was home, and Mikleo couldn’t imagine leaving it behind for any reason, especially when his family would finally be back there with him. He had never expected Sorey, never planned for Sorey, but he had never thought of Sorey being anywhere but close. But Sorey wanted to go to the ends of the world and beyond, and that distance yawned frighteningly large between them.

Mikleo closed his eyes and leaned forward a bit, ignoring the questioning noise that Sorey gave. He took a deep breath, not caring that it shook out on the exhale. “I won’t be coming with you.” He tightened his hold on Sorey’s hand when he felt it jerk. He wasn’t ready to let go, not just yet. “I have my family to worry about.”

“And they come first. I understand.”

Mikleo turned his head to look at Sorey, not prepared for the smile that he was given. It made him want to shake his head and demand that Sorey give him more than understanding, because he wanted something more. Some part of him wanted a promise, although about exactly what he didn’t know. A promise was too much like a pact, and he didn’t think that either of them would want to be tied down again.

He let his hand relax, not surprised when Sorey slipped away from him. Mikleo was tempted to reach out for him, but he felt like the divide was a bit too wide. It wasn’t irreparable, but it was still too new. Mikleo swallowed and watched as Sorey made his way over to where his saddle bags were placed to one side of the tent. He would have been more surprised at their presence if Sorey hadn’t told him that he had been looking for a way to slip out of the camp.

Mikleo leaned back against the table, watching as Sorey crouched down by the bags. He listened to the rustle before dropping his gaze to the floor.

He almost wished that Sorey had gotten the chance to sneak out and go after the seraphic weapons himself, even if that meant that he would have tagged along as well. There was a chance that they could have avoided the conversation, but that would have been just as bad. Then again, it would have been worse if they had gotten to the end and figured out that they were going their separate ways, all the while assuming that the other would follow them. After all, one heat did not a claim make.

That thought made Mikleo itch move closer to Sorey and bite down on his neck, do something to put a mark on him. It wouldn’t be permanent, but it would be there. That and their combined scent were as much of a claim that he could get. Even with that both would fade with time, and that made everything worse.

Mikleo tightened his grip on the edge of the table. Maybe if they had ridden out to find the stash they would have had this conversation anyway, but at least he would have somewhere to run, at least until he got his thoughts in order. In the camp there were too many soldiers who watched him warily or the hellions who watched him with hunger. Having them around was just as confining as staying in the tent.

He swallowed, looking up as Sorey stood up. There was a box in his hands, Mikleo staring at it as Sorey approached him.

It was a small box, completely unassuming, which made him all the more wary. He shifted in place, looking up to meet Sorey’s gaze as the human stopped in front of him.

Sorey gave him a soft smile, his fingers tapping against the top of his box before he stopped himself. He cleared his throat and hooked his fingers over the lid. “I had meant to give you this before, but it wasn’t ready. I’ve kept meaning to do it, but it never felt like the right time. It might not be but…I don’t want to forget and have this hanging over my head when we go our separate ways.”

Mikleo swallowed around the sudden tightness in his throat. He wasn’t even sure that he could force a laugh out or anything that would allow him to deflect the conversation. He could only stare at the box that Sorey held in is hands.

Sorey shifted his hold, laughing nervously before shaking his head. “It could work as a good luck charm, or a promise for later. Or maybe it’s because…” Sorey trailed off with a blush, quickly opening the box and shoving it forward.

Mikleo stepped forward to hold the box, staring down into it. He gasped at the golden ornament inside, tempted to reach out and touch it, but he was almost afraid of what would happen if he did. It looked so delicate, so breakable.

He glanced up at Sorey before reaching out to touch the ornament, tracing the curve of one of the feathers. He could feel little indents to mark where the feathers would fan out as well as the other tiny details worked into the gold, most of them too small to see. Mikleo dragged his fingers down to where the two feathers met, running his fingers over the ridge at the end of the feathers that acted as the setting for the two blue jewels. They sparkled in the dim light of the tent, Mikleo staring at the facets in them before his gaze dropped to the third jewel at where the feathers joined with the comb. He rubbed his fingers over the setting for the stone before jerking his hand away.

Mikleo looked back up at Sorey, unable to find the words that he needed. It was impossible in the face of the look that Sorey was giving him. It was fond and soft, everything that he had always expected of Sorey, except that it hit harder now. It made him want to gather Sorey into his arms or tip his head back and bare his neck.

He was caught between the conflicting feelings before he gave up on a rational reaction. He stumbled forward into Sorey’s arms, pressing his forehead against Sorey’s shoulder. Mikleo nuzzled into Sorey’s coat, wrapping his arms around Sorey’s waist. “Thank you.”

He felt Sorey’s free hand stroke down his back, Mikleo not bothering to hide his reaction. He arched into the touch, lifting his head up from Sorey’s shoulder. “Put it on?”

Sorey nodded, twisting to set the box down on the table. Mikleo turned with him, not wanting to let go of Sorey. He knew that it would be better to pull away, but he wanted to stay close. He wanted their scents to mingle and people to know. Sorey was his for the foreseeable future and, for that time, he was Sorey’s.

He relaxed as he felt Sorey’s fingers in his hair, Sorey being careful not to undo the bun or braids. Mikleo rocked up onto his toes to get more contact. He felt Sorey’s hand tighten in his hair for a moment before it relaxed again. Mikleo shivered as Sorey turned his head, brushing a fleeting kiss across his cheek before whispering in his ear. “Hold still, beloved”

Mikleo whimpered, the low rumble that he felt in Sorey’s chest showing that he heard. He pressed his face against Sorey’s neck, taking deep breaths of his scent as he felt Sorey feel his way down one of the braids in his hair. Mikleo closed his eyes when the felt the hard tips of the comb press into his hair, Sorey careful about pushing it in. He could tell the moment that Sorey started to struggle, but he was glad that Sorey didn’t ask him to move. It felt better this way, so close and private.

Sorey finished wiggling the ornament into place with a sigh. Then Sorey swept his hand down Mikleo’s neck, Mikleo shivering at the slight bit of pressure that Sorey put at the back of his neck. He could feel the light sting of pain from the other bruises on the neck, that enough to make him smile. He returned in kind, mouthing at the skin of Sorey’s neck.

He was rewarded with a shiver, Mikleo nosing his way up to Sorey’s scent glands. He smiled at the warning squeeze that Sorey gave him, tempted to continue. He knew what would happen if he kept pushing, Sorey would lose himself and it would be glorious, but they didn’t have the time.

Mikleo grumbled, hearing Sorey make a noise of agreement. He nuzzled into Sorey’s neck before stepping back. Sorey’s hand lingered on his waist, Mikleo let his hand drop to rest over Sorey’s, holding it more tightly against his side as he looked back at the map.

He traced the route to the stash again before tipping his head to rest on Sorey’s shoulder. From what he could see, it would be a short ride out and back, the only difficulty would the hellions that they might run into and then finding the army on the move. It would be easier if he could fly, but the very idea of become a drake made his stomach twist. Mikleo didn’t know if it was because it was too soon after the last time or because the weight of malevolence. Either way, he was going to be riding out and his presence might not be enough. Besides, there was a reason that they had agreed to use the drake on the battlefield where he couldn’t be controlled. He was there to act as a check to the hellions as there were too many to control just with the promise of battle.

Mikleo hummed to himself, reconsidering the options. Any of the hellions that were left in the army were probably weaker. He might not have remembered much about what he did as a drake, but knew that he would have gone after the strongest hellions first because they were the only ones worth his time as a meal. That left a good few units comprised of only hellions that had to be taken care of and he was already going to be luring the Shepherd to the spot, so he could kill two birds with one stone.

He tipped his head up, studying Sorey’s face for a moment. “Let me bring some of the hellions.”

“Why?”

“I have a plan to use them to our advantage.” He gave Sorey a grin, expecting the long sigh he got.

Sorey closed his eyes, but he didn’t take too long to think over it. “Fine. Just…be careful.”

“When am I not?” Mikleo rocked up onto his tiptoes to kiss Sorey’s cheek before stepping away.

Sorey let him go without a complaint, Mikleo aware that he was watching him go. It was enough to get him to pause at the front of the tent to look back at Sorey, giving him a smile before slipping out of the tent.

He turned to walk forward, jerking back when he almost walked into Captain Gouldman. Mikleo hissed and took a quick step back, trying to calm the pounding of his heart even as the captain bowed. “Lord Seraph.”

Mikleo studied him for a moment before shaking his head. The captain had probably just been sent ahead to make sure that Sorey hadn’t snuck away and he was no danger. He was too loyal to try anything.

Mikleo lifted his chin, giving the man an imperious look before waving his hand off in the direction that the hellions were kept separate from the other soldiers. “Go pick out an escort from the irregulars for me.”

“If I may ask, why?”

“You may not. That’s an order.”

Captain Gouldman tensed, Mikleo surprised that it looked like he would disobey the order. But then he snapped into a bow before turning on his heel and walking away. Mikleo watched him go for a moment before shaking his head. Whatever it was, it was something that Sorey would have to deal with. He didn’t think that the generals would like him pushing in, they already looked at him strangely enough as it was.

He shuddered, reaching up to touch the hair ornament to check that it was still in place. He smiled to himself as he traced out the shape of one of the feathers. He threw a look back at the tent before moving away. If he wanted to move out before the generals figured out what he was doing, he had to leave soon. Besides, the sooner he was gone, the sooner he could return to Sorey.

* * *

Sergei held up his hand as he heard rustling in the undergrowth. He heard the six following him come to an abrupt, trying not to wince at the sound of armor shifting. He would have liked for the scouting mission to be as stealthy as possible, but neither he nor Alisha wanted to risk their soldiers like that. Light armor and the protection it would give them was better than walking in without any protection at all.

He turned his head as he heard someone move behind him, nodding as he saw Ian step up beside him. She already had her bow drawn, an arrow resting on the string. He watched her out of the corner of her eye, watching as she pivoted after the sound. There was every chance that they were just startling the wildlife, but there was an equal chance that they were stumbling on one of the empire’s patrols or worse, a hellion.

Ian tensed, Sergei seeing her weight shift back just as a three toned call rang out from the bushes.

Sergei tipped his head to the side, watching for the space of three breaths before he heard a single word whispered from the bushes. “Canteen.”

Ian relaxed beside him, although she didn’t take her arrow off of the string. She stepped forward, grinning at the woman that wriggled out of the bushes. The dark haired woman brushed herself off, not bothering with the mud that had been smeared over her face. “Ian.”

“Ganette.” Ian stepped forward to bump their shoulders together. “We’ve come to take you back. Orders from the princess.”

Sergei stepped up, expecting the sideways glance. He didn’t think that Alisha’s knights suspected him of being a traitor anymore, but it was strange to be surrounded by slight women when he was used to the sturdier men who usually made it into the Platinum Knights.

Then again, it came down to a difference in purpose. The Platinum Knights were meant to be intimidating or stand as the force to be battered against until the enemy broke. Alisha’s knights seemed to be jacks of all trades, able to be transferred to anything to keep the army running. It just made him realize how much the army of the empire had stagnated and how they were only staying in place because of superior numbers, but even that was wavering.

Ganette squinted at him before giving a sharp nod. “I don’t have much. They’ve been sitting in place, but they’ve started to make the motions of packing up. The emperor’s seraph rode out earlier today with a few hellions to the east. I wasn’t able to track them too far without giving up my post.”

Ian cursed under her breath, but she was quick to shake her head. “It’s an oversight. We didn’t think that they would split apart. What could they be doing, Sergei?”

He bit his lip, considering the question for a moment. It wasn’t a feint. Changed though he may be, Sorey was still Sorey. He would be straightforward. But he couldn’t think of many reasons that Mikleo would leave Sorey’s side, especially with hellions. The hellions were strange, save if they were being taken away for the camp for a specific reason.

He curled his hands into fists. “Either they’re feeding the dragon or they’re going after more seraphic weapons. It’s likely that there’s still stashes on the border.”

“Then this is a job for the Shepherd.” Ganette picked at the mud on her face, absently flicking it off her fingers. “How would the emperor react if we captured his seraph?”

“You’d have to be able to hold him.” Sergei hummed as he considered the question. He’d never thought about capturing Mikleo, simply because he couldn’t imagine how it could be done when the seraph could turn into a dragon. But if it was their best chance, then there was no reason to discount it, especially if there was a chance that it would help them. “But if you did…then Sorey would bargain for him.”

Ganette seemed interested in that, but she didn’t say anything else, something that Sergei was grateful for. He couldn’t guarantee what Sorey would do, but he knew that getting Mikleo back would be the priority. Just what that would guarantee he didn’t know, but it had to be better than dragging out the war for any longer. Or maybe it wouldn’t considering the lives that would be lost trying to secure Mikleo. He would just advise, it would be up to Princess Alisha and the others as to how they would proceed.

He turned to look back at the group, watching as Ganette motioned for them to start spreading out. They slipped out in groups, the Platinum Knights grouped up with Alisha’s knights. It was something that was never enforced, but it was habit by now. Besides, it was far safer to move in groups when they were so close to Sorey’s army. A line of trees was all that separated them from the open field that led into the camp, and Sergei was sure that they would be on guard. Sorey might not know how to run a campaign, but his generals did and they wouldn’t lose their chance at glory because of their emperor.

Sergei inched closer to the edge of the trees, peering out through the foliage. He could see the glimmer of lights in the distance that marked the edges of the camp, Sergei marking the guards that were making their rounds. He was too far away to see which badge they wore, but he doubted that it would matter. They would all stand as long as their generals did.

He frowned to himself, trying to count the number of soldiers that he could see. It wouldn’t be an accurate count but it was something to keep him from marching out into the open space. No one else would follow him, but he was equally as sure that no one would stop him because of the shock. Maybe that would be enough for him to get to Sorey and drag him out of the camp. It might have the same effect as capturing Mikleo, but they would be able to run further away with Sorey. Besides, Sergei was sure that the generals would stop their campaign once Sorey wasn’t there to urge them on. If anything, it was a temporary solution, but that was better than nothing.

The problem came when Mikleo came to claim Sorey. Sergei wasn’t sure that the seraph would be rational. It was better to come up with something else and just wait, even if it meant a few more months of war. Finishing the conflict for good was more important than stopping it for a short time.

He leaned his shoulder against a tree, glancing back when he heard someone walk up beside him. He nodded at Ganette, surprised when she joined him.

The woman considered him for a moment before speaking. “Do you miss it?”

“The empire? Not really. Besides, the Platinum Knights have always stuck close to Pendrago or a prince.”

If that had been the answer that Ganette was looking for, she didn’t comment on it. She just crossed her arms across her chest, staring out into the enemy camp. “I don’t understand it sometimes. Alisha talks about him like he’s some kind of saint, but I’ve seen nothing like that. Was it all just an act?”

“No. That was the way he was before.”

Ganette clicked her tongue, Sergei not sure if the sound was thoughtful or one of disproval. Her attention was still on the distant camp. The only motion that he could see was the intermittent tap of her fingers against her arm. Ganette seemed more than content to just watch the camp, and Sergei was willing to let her. They were only looking for anything worrying, and they had found it when she had reported that Mikleo had ridden out. Even then it was still worth watching the army, just in case Mikleo’s departure was a sign of a larger plan.

He shifted against the tree, pausing when he saw Vanya move closer to him. The man gave him an awkward salute before motioning back into the woods.

Sergei frowned at that, glancing over at Ganette. She seemed to be occupied by looking back at the camp, which left him free to go wherever he was needed. It was strange to be left drifting, but he was becoming accustomed to it.

He pushed away from the tree, striding over to join Vanya. The man nodded at him, speaking in a low voice. “We intercepted more deserters.”

“Send them on.”

“I would, but I thought you would be interested in what they have to say.”

Sergei considered him for a moment before nodding back towards Ganette. “We should bring her along as well.”

He slipped back into the clearing, his eyes widening when he saw the large group of knights clustered in the center. They had all brought their armor and weapons but, more importantly, they were wearing some kind of white on their bodies and they all had their hands pressed against the tops of their heads. From what Sergei could see, there was no reason for them to make that motion because none of Alisha’s knights or the Platinum Knights had weapons drawn.

Sergei glanced around at the soldiers that surrounded the knights before turning his attention to the man at their head.

He only had a moment to process the semi-familiar scent before Captain Gouldman stepped closer to him. Sergei recoiled slightly at the strong scent of the alpha, watching as Gouldman gave him a grateful smile. “Sergei! I hoped I’d find you.”

Sergei cleared his throat and took another step. “Gouldman. I never thought that I’d seen you like this.”

Gouldman gave him a confused look, swaying forward like he was tempted to cover the distance. Sergei carefully kept his face blank, not wanting to encourage anything. The two of the snarling at each other wouldn’t do either of them any good, not if Gouldman was serious about his intentions.

From what Sergei could see, it looked pretty serious. If it had been a trap, Gouldman probably would have come on his own instead of bringing all of the Blue Storm Knights. The sheer effort that would have taken, especially with all of their equipment, implied that this was not a trick.

Sergei turned his head to look at Ganette as she stepped up beside him. The woman looked over them before huffing. “You look more like an invasion force than knights ready to surrender.”

Gouldman bristled at that, but he didn’t make any move towards his sword. “I’m not leading my men out into hostile territory without weapons. Especially when the guards are reporting more hellions circling the camp.”

Ganette hummed, before relaxing. “So, you sought us out instead of taking your men somewhere else.”

“Everyone has heard about what the Platinum Knights managed to do. There’s a lot of us considering this as an alternative to the war.” Gouldman shook his head. “The emperor doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s letting himself be led by that seraph of his. You saw how he let it loose on his own men a few days ago. And now he’s purposefully feeding it soldiers.”

Gouldman looked down, Sergei seeing the man’s hands clench. “I know that they’re hellions or that they’re close to losing their humanity. But I also know that there was a way to change that. These are soldiers, people who just got caught up in this and they shouldn’t be blamed for what the empire is doing. Or they should be judged as humans. They shouldn’t just be fed to a dragon.”

Sergei was quick to look away when Gouldman looked up at him. The decision wasn’t his choice. He was just there to vouch for the soldiers that ran from Sorey. The real decision rested with Princess Alisha and her representatives. For now, that was Ganette.

The woman pursed her lips, staring off into the forest before shrugging. “So, why not stop him yourself? You could just kill him while his dragon is away.”

Gouldman recoiled, Sergei sure that he did the same. Gouldman puffed out his chest, trying to glare Ganette down. “That’s just inviting trouble. If the dragon doesn’t kill us all when it comes back, then one of the other generals will use the weapon it is bound to for the same purposes. I’ve read enough of my history to know what happens then, and I will _not_ risk my men in that. It’s bad enough that a few of them were already sent off with the dragon.”

He took a few breaths before turning to look at Sergei. “That’s why I talked them into coming here instead of just returning home. If I can trade information about the empire’s plans and offer our support, then maybe you can save those who are hellions. Anything is better than becoming food for the dragon.”

Sergei shifted in place before glancing back at Ganette. He was sure of Gouldman’s sincerity. It may have been years since they had trained together, but he doubted that Gouldman had changed too much, and he was offering them hostages. If he and the others were lying, then the other Blue Storm Knights would just be fed to Mikleo.

He shivered at the thought. Of all the ways to die, he couldn’t think of a worse one.

Ganette seemed to reach the same conclusion, because she nodded. “We’ll take you back to camp and let you speak to the princess. We’ll see what we can do about your men, but it’s hard to control hellions.”

Gouldman didn’t look happy, but he nodded. The motion was enough to get the knights behind him to relax, Sergei watching as they started to mill around. A few of them started to talk the Platinum Knights that had come out on patrol, although they still stayed away from Alisha’s knights. Sergei was sure that would change soon enough. Gouldman wasn’t stupid enough to allow rifts to form in the group. Although, there was some part of Sergei that wasn’t keen on including Gouldman into their group. He didn’t have a concrete reason for it; all he knew was that instinct was telling him to keep distance between them, especially with the way that Gouldman kept smiling at him. Sergei was sure that he caught the scent of a very interested alpha, but he turned his head before he could make any sign of acknowledgement.

It was neither the time nor place. There were more important things to do, like escort the Blue Storm Knights back to the camp and to corner Mikleo before he could return to Sorey. If they could do that, then they could save Sorey.

Sergei turned to look back in the direction of Sorey’s camp, only distantly hearing the orders that were being past quietly around. He was unsettled by that thought in a way he hadn’t been for a long while.

He’d led the Platinum Knights to safety while fully intending to try and save Sorey, because it was obvious what was going on. If they removed the dragon then maybe there was a chance that Sorey could return to the way that he had been. If they did that, then maybe there would be a chance to stop the disaster of a war before it got worse. He still held on hope for that being the eventual end, but everything he was hearing from the soldiers made him question even that.

From everything that he had been told, he wasn’t even sure that there was enough left of Sorey to save.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the true names, I made two of them up using a combination of the ancient tongue cypher from Zestiria and Old English, which looks just as suitably ancient and mysterious. I can’t promise the words mean anything in the way that I arranged them because I am not an expert in Old English. The two introduced here are Melody’s - Æledléoma Hlúttre meaning gleaming, bright, clear fire – and Uno’s - Wrecca Langmód meaning patient exile. For Zaveid’s true name, I went with the one that was used in Zestiria over Berseria simply because this fic takes place in the Zestiria era.


	23. Chapter 20

“Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”  
-Mathew 6:34

* * *

 

It was deceptively quiet on the road, the clatter of the horse’s hooves the only sound. Mikleo frowned and looked around, completely expecting an ambush. It would have been foolish to assume that their army wasn’t watched, and that no one would be sent to follow them. Mikleo was sure that someone would come, especially since he had left the camp with such a small escort. It was an obvious break with his usual pattern of behavior, and something that should have attracted attention.

Mikleo frowned, keeping his gaze forward, trying to ignore the silence on the road and the hellions at his back. Taking them with him had seemed like a good idea at the start, but he had assumed that the Shepherd would be lingering close. Maybe some part of him had expected the Shepherd to spring out of the undergrowth and accost his guard like he and Sorey had planned. In hindsight, it was a silly thought. If the army was moving then the Shepherd would go with them to clear the way, which left him with a group of hellions.

He sighed and got a better hold on the reins, watching as the horse tossed its head. The animal wasn’t happy with him, nor with the hellions that were marching with him. It still wasn’t bad enough that the horse was shying and trying to bolt, but Mikleo was sure that that point was fast approaching. Three of the six men who had been sent with him had fully succumbed instead of just lingering on the edge of being human. Mikleo didn’t know why, and he didn’t really care. All that mattered to him was what would happen when they all turned.

As far as he was concerned, there was only one solution for it, but the very idea of eating them made his stomach churn. Even that was strange because it was paired by a burning hunger. He might not be drooling at the thought of them now, but Mikleo couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t later. Right now it was hard to think about eating too much, not when he could feel the gaze of the three hellions on his back. He was sure that they were sizing him up, as they would any prey that they would go after. The only thing that would keep them at bay was the threat that he was stronger, and he hoped that it would override the smell of seraph. If that wasn’t enough, then he would have to take action despite his rebelling stomach.

Mikleo pressed a hand to it, breathing out slowly. All of this was probably because of his feast. He had never made a habit of eating hellions, mostly because he had stayed at the top of his mountain and his presence alone had scared them away. If they were persistent, he’d been able to chase them away with his artes. The battle had been the first time he’d allowed himself to gorge on malevolence and hellions, and he was feeling it.

He tightened his grip on the horse’s mane, trying not to pitch forward. He couldn’t show any displays of weakness, not when he was sure that the three men on the edge of turning would probably jump at the chance to get him too. Mikleo was sure that he would be able to hold them back, but he didn’t want to risk it. They might attract more hellions that he was ready to deal with, and he wanted to avoid being overwhelmed at all costs. There were things that he had to take care of.

Mikleo took another deep breath, curling his fingers into the fabric of his coat before letting his hand drop away. He would survive a complaining stomach, especially for something as important as finding more seraphim. If the hellions with him started causing trouble then he would frighten them off. Mikleo doubted that they would immediately go back to the army because they were so far out. If anything they might challenge some of the local hellions, but they would eventually be taken care of. Once he and Sorey were done with the army, the Shepherd would have the time to turn their attention to the hellions. Everything would be out of his hands then, he would be back in Elysia with his family.

He frowned, shifting in the saddle before reaching up to touch the ornament in his hair. Sorey had made sure that it was secure before he had left.

There was some part of him that was confused as to why he had brought it with him when he was aware that he could be turning into a drake. He didn’t want to lose the ornament. Sorey had given it to him, and it was important.

He smiled to himself as he trailed his fingers up to the tip of one of the feathers, remembering the way that Sorey’s fingers had felt in his hair. Mikleo almost expected the jerk of his stomach was the thought, but not the longing. He wanted to take care of the seraphim, but he wanted to get back to Sorey. Mikleo rubbed his finger over one of the jewels before dropping his hand away. He nudged his horse forward, the animal tossing its head as it moved into a trot.

Mikleo heard the grumbles of the hellions that were following him as they had to jog to keep up, but he didn’t mind them. According to the briefing that Sorey had given him – half spoken and half whispered into his ear – he was getting close to the place where the stash would be. He leaned forward slightly, peering through the trees to try and pick out the buildings that he was looking for.

The general had been stationed close to one of the border towns that had died out in the Long War. Sorey had admitted that he didn’t even know how much of the town remained behind. Mikleo had been keeping a look out and there had been a few rocks along the road and trees that were twisted oddly.

He eyed a low stone wall, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a smile. There were more of them appearing out of the forest the longer they continued along the road. The sight of them made him press his lips together.

When Sorey had say that the general had been stationed at the nearby fort and had used the town he had expected something a bit different. Of course the town would be destroyed by the war, but Mikleo had been expected it to look more used. Or maybe that was the point. He couldn’t imagine anyone looking there, which made it a great hiding place.

He pulled his horse to a stop, making a vague gesture for the others to spread out. Mikleo ignored the way that they grumbled, his focus on something else. Now that they were here, he didn’t care about what the hellions did, just as long as they didn’t cause him trouble.

Mikleo sighed and dismounted from his horse, leading it over to a nearby branch. He tied his horse up, turning to walk away when he saw one of the hellions staring at him. Mikleo met his gaze, curling his lips back in a snarl. The hellion responded in kind, but slunk off into the undergrowth. Mikleo kept up the snarl for a while longer before stepping away from his horse, looking for the other five.

Two of them were skulking around the edge of the village, but they were the most human ones out of the bunch. If anything, they looked like they wanted to get back to the army. Mikleo couldn’t blame them, there was safety in numbers around hellions. The two of them ducked away when they noticed that he was looking at them. He watched them slip away before walking into the center of what had been the road.

He spotted another hellion skirting the edge of one semi-intact building, but then it was gone, its stripes making the hellion blend into the forest. Mikleo swayed after it before stopping himself.

He knew what Sorey would want, which was for him to go after the hellion. But that would take time away from finding the seraphim, which were his priority. It was better to secure the weapons than a single soldier.

Mikleo took another step forward before making his decision. He had other things to work on, and there were seraphim to protect.

He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint where the seraphim were. It made him feel strangely vulnerable, Mikleo stretching out his hand. He stopped short of calling on his staff, waiting to see if any of the hellions would challenge him. The surrounding area had gone strangely quiet, and it was enough to make his skin crawl. He almost opened his eyes and pivoted towards where the last hellion had been lurking, but he stopped himself when the small bright pinpoint of seraphic energy caught his attention.

Mikleo stumbled forward a few steps before he stopped himself. He opened his eyes and looked around, trying to pinpoint exactly where it was. He walked through the ruined town, slowing down when he passed something that looked like a cellar. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, studying it before nodding to himself.

He reached down to pull it open, staring into the darkness before taking the first steps down. The light filtering in from above was quickly blocked, Mikleo hissing into himself. He curled his fingers into his palm, waiting impatiently for eyes to adjust.

Even with the adjustment, there wasn’t much that he could see. Mikleo glanced around the dark cellar, tempted to punch holes in the ceiling above just to get some light. Then again, that might bring the remains of the house crashing down around him. He would have to stumble around in the dark and deal with what happened. He gave the square of light a quick glance to check for hellions before starting to work around the edge of the room.

The cellar wasn’t large, and it made it easy to circle around the edges and then inward. The time it took helped him adjust his eyes to the dark, but Mikleo was sure that he was ruining his vision by looking back at the entrance to the cellar. He was not about to let the hellions get the drop on him, not when he was in a place that he couldn’t fight well, either as a seraph or a drake.

He shivered, tempted to rush up the stairs and take a quick glance around the ruined village just to make sure that he was safe. Mikleo turned, freezing when he foot knocked against something.

He dropped into a crouch, feeling around until he found the edge of what felt like a blanket. He patted over it, grinning to himself when he felt out that it was wrapped around something. Even if he couldn’t feel the pulse of the seraphic energy, Mikleo would have known that they were weapons.

Mikleo ran his fingers down the blanket, catching on a rope tied around the bundle. Mikleo grabbed onto the bundle and pulled it into his arms, hearing the metallic clink of weapons knocking against each other. He brushed his hand over the side of the bundle, settling himself with the motion. It wasn’t the huge stash that he had been hoping for, but every bit counted. Besides, there were plenty of other places in the town to check.

He strode up the stairs, taking a deep breath as he stepped outside. He would have to drop the weapons off somewhere safe before he started looked again, because he wouldn’t put it past some of the soldiers who still clung to their humanity to steal the weapons and run. The whole army sounded desperate enough that this kind of thing would been considered a miracle to them. Mikleo shuddered at the idea. He would eat all of the hellions in the army himself to prevent that from happening, no matter how much it would make his stomach ache.

Mikleo swallowed and headed back to his horse, watching the animal closely. It would be one of the best warning systems that he had, especially while he was distracted. The horse stared at him, Mikleo watching as it tossed its head before quieting down.

He set the bundle down on top of a short bit of wall that might have been the foundation of a house. The rest of the house was long gone, probably fallen inwards and used for firewood for the fort or the people in the next village over. Mikleo couldn’t imagine anyone leaving anything usable behind, not when the war was making everything more difficult.

Mikleo shook his head and gave the rope a hard tug. Humans were always making things more difficult for themselves, and that was something that was beyond him. He was just there for the seraphim.

He flipped the blanket open, smoothing it out as he stared at the weapons. He expected the sudden lurch of his stomach at the scent of the seraphim, saliva gathering in his mouth. Mikleo swallowed and looking away, taking deep breaths until he could control himself. Almost immediately after the low rumble of his stomach came the uncomfortable twist at the thought of eating anything. Mikleo groaned and leaned against the wall, panting for breath.

Some part of him was angry with himself for this kind of weakness, because he had been the one to agree to all of this in the first place. He had told Sorey that he could handle this and he didn’t want to go back on his word, but it was looking like he would have to or at least cut back. It wouldn’t be the end of all of their plans, but it would mean they’d have to adjust things heavily and the war would drag on.

Mikleo shuddered and reached up to touch the hair ornament in his braid. He fingered the dips and details, using the patterns to calm himself. It wouldn’t do any good for him to chase the same idea in circles. He just had to keep moving forward, because it was the only way. He and Sorey had pushed too far to give up now.

He dropped his hand, resting in on the flat edge of one of the swords. He traced his fingers along the runes carved in there, searching out cracks with his fingertips as well as with his eyes.

The weapons seemed to be in good condition, which made him suspicious. The general might have hidden others, or he had sent back the weapons in the worst condition to Pendrago on the off chance that they could be fixed. Whichever it was didn’t matter much, the ones back in Pendrago had been taken care of and the ones in the village would be sorted out soon enough. Sorey had written out the words for him, all he had to do was say them and stand back.

Mikleo frowned and concentrated on the weapons, trying to pick out the weaker seraphim. If he was going to set them free now, then he would need one seraph to entrust the others to. He’d also have to give them the horse in the hopes that they could get to where the Shepherd was without running into more trouble than they could handle. It would be a long walk back for him, but that wouldn’t stop him. He had to save them.

He shivered and pulled his attention back to the weapons. He was wasting time and he didn’t have much of that. Sorey and the army would be on the march and getting further away from him. Mikleo was confident that he would be able to beat the slower pace of the army but he didn’t want to leave it for too long.

Mikleo gave the sword one last pet before lifting the corners of the blanket. He tucked the edges in before tying the rope back around it. He hefted the bundle, about to move it closer to the horse when the animal jerked its head up from grazing. It kept still, grass hanging out of the side of its mouth. Mikleo tensed, watching the horse as it stood still for a moment before whinnying.

He turned to stare into the forest. The horse wouldn’t have called for a hellion, only for another horse. Mikleo didn’t think that there would be anyone just riding this close to the border, not unless they were a messenger. Even then, the important question was which side were they on. It didn’t matter much to him, save for what they would decide to do. Mikleo couldn’t imagine anyone letting the emperor’s dragon go.

He snarled and took a step back towards his horse. His other choice would be to haul the horse into the forest and wait for the other person to leave. It would be risky, but he didn’t want to lose his chance to pull the rest of the seraphic weapons out of the town.

Mikleo clutched the bundle close to his chest, glancing between the horse and the road down the village. He nodded to himself and strode back to the horse. He’d risk putting more distance between him and Sorey to keep the seraphim safe. He could make up the distance easily enough. He had no other choice, even if it meant that Sorey would be fretting for a while. He dug his fingers into the bundle before forcing them to relax. They knew what they had been going into, and they’d just have to bear up.

He took a few deep breaths as he walked over to the horse. The faster he moved, the faster he could get back to Sorey and the army. He didn’t want to leave it all for too long, there was no telling what the generals would do without the threat of the dragon hanging over them.

Mikleo reached for the reins of his horse, the animal shying away from him and whinnying again. Mikleo cursed under his breath and snatched at the end of the reins, fumbling with the knot with one hand, the managed to tug it free when he heard the sound of hoofbeats. Right on the heels of that sound came the scent of seraphim, Mikleo tensing and looking back over his shoulder.

For a moment, he thought that he had pinpointed another bundle of seraphic weapons and he was ready to change his plan. He wanted to rush after the weapons and grab them. It might lead him into one of the ruins and keep him from being noticed while whoever it was rode through. But they wouldn’t miss the horse, he was sure of that.

He stepped away from the horse, staring down the road. Before he ran he had to know if he was sensing seraphic weapons or something else. Just the chance that it could be other seraphim made his heart beat fast.

Mikleo took a deep breath, rocking up onto his toes. He froze there at a whinny, this one not from his horse. It didn’t take long for the other horse to appear, Mikleo staring at it as it cantered up.

He couldn’t recognize the rider, and she wasn’t any colors that he could immediately recognize. Anyone from Hyland would be wearing blue and the red of the empire would definitely stand out. The only thing that he could pick out was the flutter of white behind them. He didn’t get a better chance to look at it when the person pulled their horse up close to the center of town. Mikleo frowned as they gave the town a quick glance over before looking at him. At the distance that she was at, it was hard to tell what her expression was and that made him wary.

He shifted his hold on the weapons, watching as her attention snapped to the bundle in his arms before she reached around for something behind her back. Mikleo narrowed his eyes, holding himself still as the woman looked him over.

“Hey you!”

He bristled at the address, lifting his chin up slightly but he didn’t bother to speak.

If that threw her off, she showed no signs of it. She just huffed and leaned forward in the saddle. “What are you doing with those?”

Mikleo glared up at her, not daring to pull the bundle away from him. He couldn’t trust her. As far as he was concerned, there were only two humans that he would trust with the seraphim, and neither of them were with him.

He turned away, tucking the weapons more securely against his side. “You’re wasting my time.”

“Wait!”

Mikleo turned his head to snap at her when one of the hellions stumbled out of the trees. The lizard man gave him a quick glance before hissing and stepping between him and the woman. “Shepherd.”

His eyes widened at the word, Mikleo staring at the woman. She was too busy drawing a knife to pay attention to him. Mikleo flinched back at the sight of the weapon, automatically scanning it for runes, even though he was too far away to spot them. He carefully opened his fingers, gathering himself to attack. It wouldn’t matter if the hellion was in the way or not, he was not about to let himself be taken, not when he knew what Sorey would do.

He took a step back, glancing at where the hellion was twitching and hissing. It crouched, obviously ready to spring, and that was all that he needed. There were five other hellions roaming the area, which would be more than enough to keep the Shepherd busy while he ran away.

Mikleo took two steps backs before he stopped himself, staring down at the bundle that he was still clutching against him. He curled his fingers into the blanket, suddenly reluctant to let it go. He knew that he should leave it in the village, because the plan had always been to pass them off to someone who could save them. It was why they had sent the others away, because keeping them in weapons would have been torture but freeing them in malevolence would have been worse.

He clutched the weapons wrapped in a blanket close to himself before setting them on the wall. It took more than he thought it would to step away, Mikleo fighting back the urge to snatch them up and run. He let his hand hover over them for a moment longer before shaking his head and striding away.

Behind him, he heard the hellion roar and then the sharp sound of another weapon being drawn. Above anything, that was his cue to run. The Shepherd could handle the hellions and then there would be six more men free to join the Hyland side, and six more lives that wouldn’t sit so badly on Sorey’s conscience.

Mikleo flinched when he caught the scent of seraphim, the smell stronger now. If that wasn’t enough to get him moving, the sudden hunger was. The hellions might have upset his stomach before, but that didn’t stop him from _wanting_. He licked his lips, just barely catching himself from turning around. He didn’t have time for that, not if he wanted to take full advantage of the distraction that the hellion would offer.

He snatched up the reins, ignoring the way the horse tossed its head. It probably wanted to get away from the hellion and he would let it. Mikleo scrambled for the stirrup, hauling himself inelegantly into the saddle.

The horse was already in motion, the animal turning away from the Shepherd and hellion. Mikleo took the moment to right himself, gathering up the reins even as he glanced over his shoulder.

The hellion was stumbling away from the Shepherd, clutching at his arm and hissing. The Shepherd didn’t seem too bothered by it, Mikleo seeing the grin cross her face. Then again, she had two seraphim flanking her. That alone was almost enough to make him stop, but he didn’t have the time.

He gathered up his reins, kicking his horse forward even as another seraph materialized out of the Shepherd. Mikleo caught sight of a familiar face, but his horse was already tearing down the road at a full gallop and he didn’t trust his balance. Mikleo winced and leaned forward until his face was nearly pressed against his horse’s mane, but that didn’t drown out the sound of Natalie shouting his name.

“MIKLEO!”

He gritted his teeth, knotting his fingers into his horse’s mane, holding tight to it as he fought the urge to turn back around. As much as he wanted to go back for her, there was no safer place for her than with the Shepherd, no matter how much it hurt to leave her behind again. Besides, he had his own promises to keep and he had come too far to back out of them now.

* * *

Sorey breathed out slowly as he came to a stop, staring out over Glaivend Basin. From his position he could just barely see where they would enter the maze of canyons and ridges. Sorey was sure that, if he was higher up, he would have been able to point out the exact path they were going to take. In fact, he was sure that he knew all the roads along the border by this point. It felt like he’d done nothing but ride at the head of his army and stare at the map. Sorey didn’t know if he was expecting something else to happen or just trying to distract himself from the empty space at his side. Staring at the map had seemed like the better alternative.

He raised a hand to shield his eyes. They had pushed to the fort just outside of Glaivend Basin, the only place where the ground was stable enough to build a fort. The canyon walls were prone to collapse, which was another worry that he would have to keep in mind. He could send scouts up on the ridges, but he wasn’t sure how much success that they would have. The basin was an ever changing piece of ground, but it was their best bet at moving into Hyland quickly and getting to Ladylake faster. Although just how they were going to do that he didn’t know, and Sorey doubted that his generals did either. They were probably expecting him to change his mind, but Sorey couldn’t come up with anything to delay them further.

All of his staring at the map had gotten him nowhere. All he had done was trace their route out and the closest town. That and try to calculate exactly when Mikleo would get back.

He bit his lip, straightening his back in an attempt to keep him from turning around. Mikleo was fine, the seraph could take care of himself, but that didn’t stop Sorey from worrying, especially the longer he turned it over in his mind.

Their pact was the only thing keeping them together, and Sorey knew that but that didn’t keep him from wishing otherwise. He’d gotten used to having Mikleo by his side. He enjoyed it. He didn’t want it to end, but it would have to. They both wanted different things.

Sorey ran a hand down his face, tipping his head back slightly. It was his fault for assuming that Mikleo would be there with him. He’d just thought that Mikleo would want to get away, because the malevolence wouldn’t go so easily. Besides, his family would be in Lohgrin and Sorey had always intended to go to the old kingdom. He’d just never thought that he’d go out from Lohgrin alone.

He let his hand drop to his side, staring out into the countryside. He’d never expected to be loved or welcomed back for what he was doing. He expected to have his throne and title stripped for him. He had expected to be ordered to abdicate or slip off into the night. He had never expected to be alone.

Sorey couldn’t think of a time he’d really been alone. When he had been younger, he’d had his aunt and his tutors, no matter how he had tried to dodge them. When he had left Pendrago he’d had the Platinum Knights. Now, it was just him and Mikleo and the world had never seemed wider.

He shivered and tried to get his mind to focus on something else. He glanced back at the path they would be taking, trying to gauge the distance. If he pushed the army, they would be able to make the march in a day, but he wanted to wait for a while. He didn’t want to go too far and leave Mikleo behind. He couldn’t do that, not when missing Mikleo was growing to be more like a physical ache.

Sorey sighed and rubbed at his eyes, feeling exhaustion weigh on him. He could almost hear what Mikleo telling him to go to bed before he became useless, but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t just the sex, it was the scent and the presence of Mikleo. It was having someone by his side. It hadn’t mattered so much before, because there had always been others. But now it that was only Mikleo, and Sorey felt like he was floundering.

He slumped, taking a deep breath before turning away from the basin. Sorey glanced at the fort, not bothering to linger on it. The generals and their staff had taken up residence there along with whatever unit had been given the honor of guarding him. Sorey doubted that they would last long, none of the guards did because of how close Mikleo stuck to him. After all of the threats and the show of the real drake, Sorey doubted that anyone would want to stay close. If not that, then the rumors that he heard bits and pieces of spreading through the camp would be enough.

The men had grown bolder since Captain Gouldman and the Blue Storm Knights had left. The generals had muttered to themselves and made plans for punishing the group and how public they would make Gouldman’s execution, but Sorey didn’t care. With Gouldman and the Blue Storm Knights gone, it would be easier for the others to flake off. Already there were rumors that Gouldman and the others hadn’t deserted, but had all been eaten to satiate the hunger of the dragon. Others were talking about how the other deserters hadn’t made it away alive either for the same reason. All of them seemed to believe that Mikleo was away chasing deserters to feast on.

Sorey didn’t care either way, he just wanted them to run in the end. The army falling apart like that was far better than it slogging onward under the command of one general or another. It was just a matter of getting the generals to break.

He looked away from the fort, scanning over the camp without really seeing anything. He would walk through it eventually, but he didn’t feel like it now. He needed a moment to breathe.

It was getting harder with every battle, Sorey sure that it was a consequence of the malevolence that stuck close to the army now. He’d heard the soldiers talking about it in different ways; the battle sickness, war air, battle fog, all different ways to describe malevolence. It was a wonder that any of them were still human, especially if they had been pushing through this kind of malevolence for most of their lives.

Sorey rubbed at his chest, trying to work at the knot that he could feel there. He couldn’t quite get at it, the malevolence pulsing somewhere under his skin, warm and uncomfortable, but tempting. It would make things so much easier if he just gave in. But he couldn’t. He had to hold strong for just a while longer.

There were still seraphim to save and an army to turn against him. If he managed that, then the rest of the empire couldn’t be too far away. He just had to hold on for a little while longer, then he could leave it all behind.

What exactly he would do then he didn’t know, but he would figure it out, just like he would have to figure out how he and Mikleo would work. He wouldn’t be welcome back in the empire or Hyland for a long while, but he doubted that anyone would check on a distant mountain and a deserted village. Sorey wasn’t willing to let Mikleo go, at least not yet.

He let his hand drop to his side, Sorey taking a few deep breaths. That was all part of a future that he couldn’t quite see at the moment. It was more important to focus on what would happen the next day when they had to make their way through the basin. They would have to make sure that they didn’t get lost and kept watch at all times. Sorey fully expected Alisha’s troops to know the area far better than his did. None of the reports that he had skimmed over seem to indicate that their patrols had ever run through Glaivend Basin, the empire had just steered clear. For all he knew, there were traps set up and waiting for him.

Sorey narrowed his eyes, considering the risk of sending out a patrol. It would make their way through easier, but there was always a chance that the patrol would just use the chance to desert, which would mean that he would have to sit through more meetings and more lectures. Sorey wasn’t sure how long he could keep pushing his generals before they did something drastic. He might be able to defend himself, but not from the whole army if they all turned on him.

He shivered and looked away from the camp. He was tempted just to walk the edge of the ridges just to stay away from the camp, but an approaching figure in white caught his attention.

Sorey snapped to attention, staring as the person made their way over to him. He took a slow step forward before jerking to a stop, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

There was only one person in the camp that wore any noticeable amount of white. Everything else was drowning in the black and red of the empire, but there was still one person that the empire hadn’t touched.

He stared as they picked their way up to where he was, Sorey startling out of his stillness when they got closer. He stumbled into a sprint, rushing over to where the seraph was still walking up the rise.

He only got a moment to see the surprise on Mikleo’s face before he plowed into him. Sorey wrapped his arms around the seraph, tugging him close even as he tried to keep the two of them from falling over. He curled his fingers into the back of Mikleo’s jacket, pressing his face against Mikleo’s neck.

Mikleo squeaked, Sorey feeling the seraph’s hands drop to his shoulders. For a moment, it felt like Mikleo was going to push him away, which made him cling tighter.

He just needed a moment to breathe Mikleo in, to hold him close and reassure himself that nothing had happened to the seraph, because there were so many things that could have gone wrong. Mikleo might be a drake, but that might not be enough to keep the hellions at bay, especially when he hadn’t transformed. Beyond that there was the small voice at the back of his head that said Mikleo might have come to his senses. After all, both of his sisters were free, so there was even less holding him in the empire. There was every chance that Mikleo might decide that the pact between them was finished and leave, and Sorey wouldn’t be able to stop him.

It took more effort than he wanted to admit not to squeeze Mikleo tighter. He was sure that he would be shoved away because Mikleo would only allow him so much.

He relaxed slightly when Mikleo huffed, the seraph’s hands sliding down his sides. Sorey thought he heard his name, but that was followed up by Mikleo’s hands stopping on his sides. He felt Mikleo jerk slightly, but Mikleo didn’t move away.

Mikleo sighed, tipping his head to rest against Sorey’s. “You’ve lost weight.”

“I’ve been distracted and worrying.”

“The generals?” Mikleo’s low growl was almost an answer to his own question, the seraph’s fingers curling into his jacket.

Sorey shushed him gently, nuzzling his way up to Mikleo’s scent gland. He brushed his lips across it, moving away when Mikleo shuddered. He shifted in Mikleo’s arms so their cheeks were pressed against each other. Sorey felt Mikleo shudder at the touch, smiling when Mikleo leaned into him. He rubbed his cheek against Mikleo’s rubbing a bit of his scent against the seraph. He could feel the slight motion as Mikleo returned the favor but, more importantly, he could feel Mikleo relaxing at the motion.

It was dangerously domestic, something that Sorey had always seen in mated couples. And it made his heart beat a bit faster. That kind of title wasn’t his to claim, but the motion excited him because it implied some level of comfort and calmed the voice in the back of his head that said that Mikleo just wanted to leave.

Mikleo ducked his head, pressing his face against Sorey’s neck. Sorey closed his eyes as he felt Mikleo nuzzle him. He could still feel Mikleo’s hands moving over his sides, but he didn’t pay attention to them, not when he had all of Mikleo to catch his attention.

He leaned a little bit more of his weight against Mikleo, tempted to nudge Mikleo back to the fort. The generals would want to meet with him, but he didn’t care. His orders were clear enough, and none of them seemed to have any idea what to do as soon as they were across the border.

A few of them wanted to turn and take on Alisha’s army, a few of them wanted to start ravaging the country to cut off the supplies to the rebellion, and the rest wanted to camp out in Marlind or somewhere closer to Ladylake until they came up with a plan. As far as he could tell, the only thing that they agreed on was that they would have to attack Ladylake to have any chance of winning the war, it was just a matter of timing.

He must have made some sound that clued Mikleo into his thoughts. Mikleo pulled back slightly, looking him over. Sorey went to pull him back, stopping when Mikleo let go with one hand to grab Sorey’s chin.

Mikleo held him in place, giving him a serious look. Sorey wasn’t sure what Mikleo saw in his face, but it was enough to get the seraph to frown. The hard hold on his chin gentled, Mikleo sliding his hand up to cup Sorey’s cheek.

Sorey turned his head into the touch, nuzzling into Mikleo’s palm. That was enough to draw a smile from Mikleo, Mikleo swiping his thumb over Sorey’s cheekbone. He sighed and moved his hand around so he was cupping back the back of Sorey’s head. “You’ve got to take care of yourself.”

“Mikleo…”

“I don’t care if we’re at war. Please.”

He reached back to grab onto Mikleo’s wrist, holding onto it. He nodded, because there was no other answer that he could give.

Mikleo was right, he had to take care of himself or else the generals would take advantage of him and Mikleo wouldn’t always be hovering close by. He was still needed. That didn’t stop him from squeezing Mikleo’s wrist. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Mikleo huffed. “Where else would I go?”

Sorey shook his head, fully expecting the long sigh that Mikleo gave. He adjusted his hold on Mikleo, wanting to keep him close. He was relieved that Mikleo let him.

He closed his eyes, letting Mikleo guide his head down to the seraph’s shoulder. Mikleo’s fingers stroked through his hair, trailing down to the back of his neck. Sorey shivered at the scrape of nails across his skin, returning the favor by nuzzling into Mikleo’s neck. He found one of the faded marks there easily enough. He kissed the spot before shifting his head slightly to get a better angle on it.

Sorey felt Mikleo jerk slightly at the first scrape of teeth before the seraph relaxed, Mikleo tipping his head to allow him more room. Sorey took the invitation, sucking the mark back into vivid color.

He heard Mikleo’s breath catch, the seraph shuddering in his arms. His nails curled against Sorey’s scalp. “You’re going to worry yourself ragged like this. Then what use will you be?”

Sorey made a noncommittal sound, smiling at the soft laugh that Mikleo gave. He pulled his head back slightly to look at the bruise that he had left on Mikleo’s neck.

He only had a moment to study it before Mikleo gently guided his head until they were pressed forehead to forehead. The seraph smiled at him, the hand in Sorey’s hair holding him still. “I would have come back, no matter what the Shepherd did.”

“The Shepherd?” Sorey tried to startle away but Mikleo held him firm. Sorey shifted in place before giving in and allowing Mikleo to keep him still. “What happened?”

“I found the stash, but I couldn’t take it away. The Shepherd stumbled on us. I think some of our deserters passed the word along.”

“The Blue Storm Knights.”

Mikleo shrugged, loosening his hold on Sorey. It was a chance to pull away, but Sorey didn’t bother to take it. It felt too nice to pull away. Besides, it was easier to catch Mikleo in a half truth when they were this close. He could see the way that Mikleo’s gaze moved or feel any nervous motion in the seraph’s body. He hadn’t known Mikleo long enough to know all of his tells, but it was exciting to think that there would be time enough to learn them. Future distance or not, he wanted to know.

He watched as Mikleo processed the information, noting the moment when the seraph tucked the information away for later. Mikleo shook his head slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching up. “I wouldn’t have mattered. I still would have come back.”

“But-”

“Purification or not, I would have come back. We have our pact and…” Mikleo trailed off, Sorey’s heart starting to beat faster at the fond look that crossed Mikleo’s face. Mikleo sighed, his fingers stroking the short hairs at the nape of his neck. “I would have come back.”

Sorey tilted his head, his gaze dropping to Mikleo’s lips. Mikleo seemed to anticipate him a moment before he moved, the seraph rocking up onto his toes as he caught Sorey’s lips in a kiss.

Sorey was quick to press close, trying to focus on the kiss instead of the thoughts that were circling around in his head.

It mattered that Mikleo would come back. It meant the world to him. But it also meant that Mikleo would putting himself in danger again. After all, the seraph had been purified once and he had been tainted again because of Sorey. It could happen again, it would keep happening as long as their promise was in place. He would keep tainting Mikleo, and Sorey didn’t know how much more that Mikleo could take.

Sorey pulled back long enough to get a quick breath of air before he leaned back in, chasing the kiss deeper. Mikleo hummed and let him, Sorey squeezing his eyes shut. He knew what he had to do, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He couldn’t bring himself to let Mikleo go.

* * *

Alisha curled her fingers around the shaft of her spear, scanning over the open plain in front of them. She could see the lights and the darker bits of shadow that marked the empire’s camp and the shape of the fort looming over it. Alisha sighed and looked past the shadows. She couldn’t see much in the distance, not even with the light from the moon.

It was strange to see Glaivend Basin from the opposite side. She was used to walking up to the rises before making her way down into the canyons and cut outs of the basin. From the empire’s side they would be walking right into the canyons, which was to their advantage, if they even needed that advantage.

Alisha shifted in place, drawing her gaze back to the enemy camp. There was nothing worrying that she could see, and certainly nothing was out of order because Sergei hadn’t spoken up. As far as she could tell, there was no reason to hesitate, not when they had caught up to the army so easily. And certainly not when there wasn’t a looming shadow that meant that the emperor’s dragon was waiting for them. But that still didn’t stop her from hesitating for a moment more.

She shook her head at herself, quickly lifting her other hand. She didn’t need to look behind her to see the way the unit assigned her to tensed. Alisha could hear someone to her right muttering a prayer to the seraphim, sure that it was Clem. It was part of her usual pre-battle ritual, and it was calming. Besides, Alisha was sure that they would need all the help that they could get. They had been doing well against Sorey’s army, but that was before he had resorted to using the dragon. She was willing to ask anything to keep her soldiers alive.

Alisha dropped her hand, seeing a flash of light flare up at her side as Clem unhooded the lantern. The bit of bright light was only visible for a minute, the time it took for Tal to catch the tip of his arrow on fire and then pull away. The lantern was hooded again as Tal drew the bow. Tal hesitated for a moment before losing the arrow.

It arced high into the sky, too high to land on the camp, but that wasn’t its purpose. As soon as the arrow it the top of its arc, another group of pinpricks of light lit up on the other side of the camp. They didn’t stay there for long, Alisha watching as Ian led the archers in the first salvo.

She looked away from them as the first arrows started to land among the tents, watching the soldiers start to run out and try to fight the fires. They started to make headway just in time for the next salvo of fire arrows. Alisha saw a few soldiers collapse as they were hit by arrows, but the work had already been done. Most of the tents had been sent ablaze, which was just the distraction.

Alisha turned her head, meeting Sergei’s gaze. She held it for a moment before nodding, watching as Sergei bowed partially. The knight didn’t give her much time to think about the motion, he just turned to wave at the combination of Platinum Knights, Blue Storm Knights and her own personal knights onward. The mounted group charged forward with a shout, Alisha stepping slightly to the side under the rush of their horses.

She watched their initial charge before focusing on her own troops. She knew the plan well enough to not watch what Sergei was doing. Besides, she trusted Sergei. He had been just as loyal as her own troops for the past four months. He and Ganette would lead the mounted charge through the camp once before turning to continue their attack and pull down the rest of the tents. They would circle around the camp and make sure that the cavalry never got to their horses, leaving them time to march in themselves and start pushing into the army. Alisha hoped that most of the soldiers they came up against would just surrender, but this was war and she couldn’t risk too much hesitation.

There was always the chance that Sorey would call on his dragon.

She shivered and got a better hold on her spear, taking a few deep breaths before pivoting on her heel and lifting the spear above her head. “With me! If you find hellions, push them towards Shepherd Rose! For peace and for Hyland!”

“For peace and for Hyland!”

The shout rang in her ears as she turned around, Alisha adjusting her hold on her spear before she charged. The rest of her unit was close behind, Alisha nod looking back to see the sweep of blue that would follow her. It just mattered that Clem and Tal were by her side, both of them familiar comrades. Behind her, she could hear Captain Gouldman bellowing as he encouraged the others onward. A shiver ran down her spine at the sound of so many people shouting, but Alisha kept her focus on the camp and the soldiers that were turning to look at them. A few of them were starting to raise their weapons, Alisha looking over them before settling on the most threatening.

It went against everything that she had been trained in by Maltran and the others who had taken over when Maltran had been killed. She had to strike before she was struck down because she was a figurehead, the target that everyone would aim for. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it, not when there was a chance that there were soldiers desperate to get out of the horrible situation.

She shifted her spear, lowering it into position as she charged the group of soldiers standing with swords drawn. Alisha watched them form up into a rough square for defense, the soldiers barely having the time to press their shoulders together before her own force crashed into them.

Alisha twisted slightly to take a clumsy sword stroke on the shaft of her spear. It was easy enough to turn, pushing the sword away even as she pushed the butt of the spear back into the man’s stomach. The man coughed and doubled over, but he didn’t move from his place in the square. Alisha still didn’t let up, pressing in closer even as Clem followed on her heels.

The two of them pressed against their side of the square, Alisha focusing on exchanging blows and catching them on her spear or armor. It was a familiar dance, and one that it was easy to find holes in.

She rolled her shoulder forward, switching her grip to lunge forward with the end of the spear. The soldier let out a choked gurgle as she shoved her spear into his stomach. She jerked it out before it could get stuck, already moving over the man’s fallen body to continue pushing into the square. By her side Clem and Tal followed, the square of soldiers collapsing against the push.

Alisha saw some of the soldiers throw down their weapons, but most turned and ran. She flung out one arm to keep Tal from rushing after them, quick to shake her head. “Keep pushing them out. They’ll get trapped between Sergei and Ian.”

Tal fell back without a comment, Alisha feeling him knock against her side before he peeled away with a smaller group to start to push through one section of the camp.

Alisha let him go, her attention more on pushing forward through the center of the camp. She could see the rest of the troop starting to spread into a line, all of them pressed close so they wouldn’t be pushed into a corner or trapped. It was easier to move forward with the tents down courtesy of the cavalry coming through. In the distance, she could hear the thunder of hooves and the shout that came from the cavalry as they turned back around. She turned her head slightly to try and get a glimpse of them, but it was still too dark to see them especially with the light from the fires of the camp ruining her night vision.

She blinked rapidly before continuing to push forward. It was getting easier now, especially since most of the soldiers were turning and fleeing into the night. Alisha could hear a few of them scream as arrows or swords found them, but louder than that were the calls for surrender. She even saw a flicker of white of a piece of tent being waved in the air. Alisha saw some movement in the shadows, probably someone going to accept the surrender. She nodded to herself and turned her attention back to the battle.

The soldiers who surrendered would be passed along to the Platinum Knights after having their weapons taken away. They would be questioned and sworn in later. If they wanted to leave, Alisha would let them, although that would come after arguing with her generals. Then again, they were used to her ideas and it wouldn’t take long to win them over. They wouldn’t argue against more soldiers willing to fight for them, or soldiers that were willing to go home and spread the word of what was happening.

There was more than one way to win a war after all.

She stumbled as Clem knocked into her, Alisha dropping her shoulder to press it against the woman to hold her up for a moment. She heard Clem say something that could have been thanks, but it was lost in the louder shout that went up. “Hellions!”

Alisha turned towards the shout, her mouth dropping open as she saw bulky figures loping their way. In the flickering of the fire she could see the gleam of their teeth and the patterns of their coats and scales. The hellion at front was a feline, its bold orange stripes standing out in the firelight. The hellion roared and flexed its claws, Alisha feeling Tal fall back a little by her side. Then, he pulled out his bow, and arrow already nocked on the string.

She reached over to grab Tal’s arm, shaking her head. There was still a chance to save the men, and she was going to take it.

Alisha only looked away when Tal relaxed, turning her head back to her troops. “Herd them towards the Shepherd!”

She heard the orders passed along, Alisha watching them to see which way they were starting to turn. She had been stuck in the center of the line, but there was a chance that some of the other soldiers had gotten a glimpse of Rose.

The Shepherd tended to stay on the edges of the battle and Alisha had no power to tell her to otherwise. The Shepherd wasn’t to be used as a weapon, and Alisha was just grateful that Rose was with them in any way. At least it meant that they could clear the hellions.

She scanned over the camp, looking for anything that would show where the Shepherd was working, but there was nothing. Alisha frowned, turning back to nod at Tal.

Tal was quick to turn and dip the tip of another fire arrow into the flames of a burning tent. The man pivoted and fired back in the direction that they had come from, turning just as quickly to block the swipe of one of the lizard hellions that had rushed up.

Alisha cursed under her breath and lunged forward, knocking the lizard on the side of his head. The hellion hissed and lurched forward, but Alisha hit it again. The lizard hellion retreated, but another was quick to rush up to take its place. Alisha gritted her teeth, shifting to get into a better position to defend herself.

The hellions didn’t seem to be stopping, which meant that there were far more than she had assumed. Alisha had always just thought that the hellions were scattered throughout the army, not kept together and certainly not in a way that could be used. From everything she had seen from hellions, they weren’t happy to take orders, but the promise of war might have been enough to keep them loyal, or whatever counted as loyalty for them.

She bit her lip, about to shout another order when there was a sudden bright flare of light. Alisha raised her elbow, keeping the butt of her spear firmly in the throat of a hellion while she blocked the light with her arm. She checked under her arm, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the column of bright white fire go blue.

Cheers went up from her soldiers, the sound almost masking the roars from the hellions. Alisha smiled to herself, watching the hellions turn to go after the blue flare of fire, but the Shepherd wasn’t there.

Alisha saw a flicker of white out of the corner of her eye just as a swathe of blue flame licked at the back of the hellions. They screamed and writhed, their fellows pivoting to try and attack the new threat. A few hesitated for a moment before turning around, probably trying to get at the seemingly weaker soldiers, but the soldiers were already in motion.

She turned her spear to its side, using it to push against the hellions that were snapping at her even as she stepped forward. Alisha could hear the shouts and laughter of the soldiers started to push the hellions back. She caught a few of them singing snatches of an old marching song in time to their pushes. Alisha shook her head, bracing herself more fully against her spear to keep moving the hellions back.

Just behind the head of the wolf-like hellion she was pushing she could see the bright flare of blue as Rose worked her way through the hellions.

Alisha ducked her head as the hellion swiped at her, feeling its claws catch in her hair. They caught on a knot, tugging out a few loose strands before it was shoved back into Rose’s range.

The hellion shrieked, Alisha nearly falling forward when the hellion fell backwards into the blue flame.

She stumbled backwards, squinting at the brightness of the flame. She glanced over at the figures she could make out on the other side, smiling when the flames of purification died down.

Rose returned the smile, the Shepherd flipping her knife over in her hand. Rose picked her way through the bodies of unconscious soldiers, coming over to stand by her side.

Rose reached out to touch her shoulder, the touch light and quick before she stepped away, the woman still on alert. “I think that’s about half of them.”

“Half?”

Rose nodded, the corner of her mouth twitching up into a wry smile. “The emperor’s dragon must not be eating well.”

There was a pained sound from one of the seraphim standing at her back, Alisha’s gaze darting over to where Natalie was clutching at her naginata. She gave the seraph a quick bow, trying to look as apologetic as possible. They were talking about someone close to Natalie after all, and it was unfair to make jokes like that.

Alisha wasn’t sure that Natalie really looked at her at all, the water seraph was too busy scanning the ruined camp. She cleared her throat and looked back at Rose. “Where are the others?”

“Probably with the few that have managed to escape.” Rose shrugged. “I haven’t seen the emperor himself or any of his generals. Although, they probably got out first.”

Alisha hummed, looking back towards the fort. She fully expected to see the shape of the dragon rising up from the fort, but there was nothing. Alisha tightened her grip on her spear.

The camp was being cleared out, which only left the fort. She could risk throwing her troops against the fort and try to drag the emperor and the generals out. As it was, the army was in disarray and it would be so easy to just wipe out the emperor’s army completely. All they had to do was to secure the leaders, but that was the problem. The fort would be the hardest part of the camp to break through, especially since they’d had plenty of warning with their attack on the camp, if the generals were even there.

Alisha looked over the rises of Glaivend Basin, wishing that the fires from the camp lit up more of the night. She huffed and turned to look at Tal, making a motion towards the outside of the camp. “Go to Ian and Shiller and take over command. Have them choose a small scouting group and go into Glaivend Basin. Stick to the ridges and watch.”

Tal saluted her before turning to run off into the night. She watched him long enough to see him jump over the ruins of a tent before turning her attention back to Rose.

The Shepherd was already starting to move away from the unconscious soldiers, Alisha sure that she was already heading to the other hellions. If Rose could get to them before the army had time to join together again then they would have an easier time fracturing what remained of the army. Alisha was sure that it wouldn’t take too long, just as long as they stayed close to the army. She doubted that the empire had too many soldiers left to pull from. It was just a matter of working quickly to end it, and then the war that had been going on since before she had been born would be over.

If she thought of it like that, then the four months that she had spent chasing Sorey’s forces seemed like nothing.

Alisha sighed and motioned for Clem to follow her, the rest of the unit breaking up into smaller ones to start combing through the camp. They would continue to push hellions towards Rose, find soldiers and take care of them. Hopefully it wouldn’t take long and she could give her soldiers the time to rest. It would mean allowing Sorey’s army to get a little way ahead of them, but she was sure that they could make up for that time when Sorey’s forces would have to stop and organize themselves. Besides, there was bound to be an argument between Sorey and his generals, or she hoped that there was. If Sorey was still the man she knew, then she hoped that he would pause before continuing on, because his army couldn’t take much more.

She jogged through the ruined camp, tipping her head to the side as she heard shouts from just outside the camp. Alisha recognized Sergei’s voice leading some soldiers through an oath of loyalty. She couldn’t quite see more of the group than shadows, but she was sure that Sergei was keeping count. She would do a headcount herself as soon as they were finished for the night. She made a mental note to ask Sergei about the numbers, just so she knew how many had gone back into the empire.

Movement out of the corner of her eye made her stop, Alisha rocking forward as Clem knocked into her. She grabbed onto the knight to keep her from falling over, but she didn’t look away from the fort.

The gates of the border fort were open, Alisha staring at the fires that were burning inside the fort. She only got to see the inside for a moment before a group of riders galloped out.

Most of them had armor on, the helmets they wore making it impossible for her to make out their faces. They were moving too fast for her to study their clothing or the symbols on their cloaks. She turned her head, watching as they headed out towards the entrance to the basin. They would get there before any of their forces, because she had to prioritize securing the camp, especially now that they had the chance to get into the fort. If her soldiers could block up the gates before the rest of the troops could move out then they would have even less people to deal with later.

Alisha raised her arm, but it didn’t take much to get her troop to start rushing forward. The plan was obvious enough to anyone there. They had been offered a chance, and it would be stupid not to take it.

They charged forward, Alisha falling behind the front runners as she picked her way over a cluster of burning tents. She jumped awkwardly over the last one, stumbling on her landing. She saw a few of her soldiers look back at her before cheering and racing forward.

The empire’s soldiers were still steaming out of the fort, although a few of them were peeling off towards the camp, giving them a wide berth. Alisha wasn’t sure if they were coming to attack or surrender, but they passed them without turning, heading straight for where Sergei was with his cavalry. She frowned, trying to decide whether to wheel her unit around to protect Sergei or keep going when she saw a flicker of white out of the corner of her eye.

Alisha turned and stared as she saw Mikleo sitting in front of Sorey on a horse. The emperor and his seraph didn’t look back at her, they were more focused on galloping after the others. Alisha found herself waiting for Sorey to look back or to give her some sign that everything going on had a point, but Sorey seemed to be focused on escaping.

She gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the small part of her that called out. She didn’t have the time to think on what Sorey was doing. She had her own soldiers to worry about and her own country. The fact of the matter was that Sorey wasn’t helping her with peace between the empire and Hyland, so she had to concentrate on that first. Everything else would follow after.

Alisha tore her gaze away from the retreating emperor, focusing on the gates of the fort. She sped up to catch up with her soldiers, smiling as she heard them cheering her. She raised her spear, shouting along with them as they rushed forward.

“For peace! For Hyland!”


	24. Chapter 21

“I’m sick with longing for you!  
There is no more shattering blow that I could suffer.”  
- _The Illiad_ , translated by Robert Fagles

* * *

 

Dust rose from the boots of the trudging men and the hooves of horses. Sorey listened to a group coughing as they marched past him, trying to count them as they moved. There weren’t too many, which almost made him want to sigh with relief. But he couldn’t, not while his generals were watching.

He closed his eyes for a moment, tipping forward in the saddle slightly. He was tired, but it wasn’t exhaustion. He’d managed to sleep through most of the night before the attack so he’d had an advantage that most of the other soldiers hadn’t. He’d been lucky enough to catch up with the small group that had made a makeshift camp within Glaivend Basin and catch up on a few more hours of sleep. The soldiers that he was watching hadn’t gotten that lucky, they had either run through the night to get away from the Hyland forces or they had gotten lost in the twists and turns of the canyons in the basin.

The attack on the camp had sent the army into chaos, and Sorey couldn’t help a wry smile crossing his face. He had thought that the resistance was further in Hyland, maybe regrouping after their last battle. There had never been so quick of a turn around, not even when Sorey had gone through the motions of acting like he was going to chase after them. Alisha had acted the same way every time. That alone should have raised his suspicions, but he had been distracted.

Sorey looked away from the marching soldiers, purposefully avoiding the gaze of his generals to focus on where Mikleo was pacing along the base of one of the rises. The seraph had begged off staying close to Sorey because of restlessness, and it was plain to see now. He wasn’t sure if it was because Mikleo had been held in place for so long or if it was the situation. Mikleo had been on the run for a good few days now, and even a seraph would be tired of that.

He curled his fingers into his horse’s mane, resisting the urge to call Mikleo over. It was better to let the seraph work out whatever was bothering him. Mikleo would turn back around when he was ready for someone else to come in. As it was, it was perhaps better to let Mikleo work out his restlessness while they were still. From what Sorey could tell, they would be on the march for a long while.

Alisha might be occupied with their abandoned camp and the prisoners that they had captured, but that wouldn’t keep her for long. Nor would it keep her from sending out scouts. Sorey was sure that they had been followed from the moment they had stopped in the early hours of the morning. Besides, any time that they gained on Alisha would be lost with the time they took regrouping. In that he and his generals agreed, it was better to risk the loss of time to have all of their soldiers in one place to better repulse an attack than trying to regroup on the run.

Sorey sighed and ran a hand through his hair, turning his attention back to the soldiers. The group that he had been watching had already been reformed to one side, leaving room for the next one. He fully intended to count them too, but he was distracted as one of his generals edged up to him.

He watched the man out of the corner of his eye, watching as the general played with the reins of his horse. The motion seemed to settle him down, because the general nodded at him. “Your plans, your majesty.”

Sorey sighed and shook his head. He fully expected the annoyed huff that the general gave. It was getting bad if they weren’t bothering to be polite about it anymore, but he couldn’t blame them. He had done his best to dig his heels in at every turn. Sorey was surprised that they hadn’t forced his hand sooner.

The general remained silent for a moment more before clearing his throat. “I believe that we don’t have much time to waste. We should gather the army into a quick order and march out as soon as possible. If we can stay ahead of the rebels, then there’s a chance we can reach Ladylake before they do.”

“And if we can’t?”

“There are a few walled cities.” The general shrugged. “There’s no reason to leave our flanks unguarded. And our forces are small enough that we can fit inside the city nicely. We might as well use the land that your father conquered for us.”

Sorey tried his best not to react to the words, sure that the general was looking for something that would spur him into action. Sorey just sighed and looked in the direction of Hyland.

There was some part of him that agreed with the general, but another part of him questioned the thought that they would make it that far. They were wasting time as it was, and Sorey intended for it to remain that way.

He squinted at a dark patch on top of a rise before deciding that it was just some darker soil. “Do you know the easiest way out of here?”

From the look on the man’s face, he didn’t, which was the answer that he was expecting. It would be hard to make their way through without consulting the map. Whatever signposts there had been had probably been destroyed by one army or the other to use the basin’s natural twists and dead ends. Sorey was sure that there were plenty of reports of massacres that had happened in the basin, but he hadn’t given himself the time to read them.

Sorey sighed and looked at the men marching past. He wanted to shake his head and tell the general to forget about it, but he had to at least act the part of emperor a while longer, despite how he could feel it wearing on him.

Sorey ran a hand over his face. They just had to get to a good place to camp, but Sorey doubted that they would find something in the basin, certainly not something that his generals would agree on. Then again, the other option was to march until they reached Marlind, and that might take days if Alisha’s army dogged their steps.

He swayed in the saddle, reaching forward to grab onto the horse’s mane. He braced himself there for a moment, taking a few deep breaths before pushing himself up.

He heard the general clear his throat, Sorey glancing over at the man. He expected the interest and calculating look, because he had already proven himself a problem. It wasn’t rare for a general to decide that they knew better than the emperor or even decide to take over from them. Sorey dropped one hand from the reins, curling it around his sword. From the way the general’s eyes widened, the message was received.

The man bowed and spurred his horse away, Sorey waiting until the man was back with the others before allowing himself to slump forward. He closed his eyes, not daring to let go of his sword.

It was so tempting just to turn his back and let it happen. He was tired and disgusted with everything that was happening. He was sick of his every breath being choked with malevolence.

He just had to hold on for a little while more, hold on and close his eyes to all the blunders he knew he was making. By the last count, they had lost three-fourths of their army, and Sorey knew that there was no one left to draw from. All he had to do was chase the last of them away, either to Alisha or back to the empire. If they rose up in rebellion, it wouldn’t be for him or his generals, it would be for themselves. And then he would be done.

Sorey ignored the tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes, lifting his head to look at the last group of men that were marching in. He scanned them over, picking out the hellions that he would have to move from the main group, but that could wait. Moving the army away came first.

He turned in the saddle to look back at Mikleo, tipping his head when he saw that the seraph had gone still. Mikleo was scanning the rises, his hand lifted slightly away from his side. The seraph hadn’t called on his staff, which was a good thing, at least for the moment.

Sorey glanced up at the rises before nudging his horse over to Mikleo. The seraph didn’t bother to look at him, but the way that Mikleo leaned back was enough to show that he was paying attention. “Are we in danger?”

“When aren’t we?” Mikleo sighed, relaxing slowly. “I thought I saw...but it was probably nothing.”

Mikleo turned, holding his hand out. Sorey reached down to grab it, helping Mikleo up onto his horse. The animal snorted and jigged in place, Sorey wrapping an arm around Mikleo to hold him in place.

He tensed at the scent that he caught, swallowing at the hints of sweetness in Mikleo’s usual scent. Sorey curled his fingers into Mikleo’s coat, resisting the urge to nuzzle into Mikleo’s neck. The scent was alluring and tempting, but it was a problem.

“How long?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can you make it to Marlind?”

Mikleo laughed, his hand coming to rest on Sorey’s. “Not that long. It’ll be soon.”

Sorey cursed and looked over the assembled men. From what he could see, they were all assembled to march out but that wouldn’t help with his problem.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t planned for Mikleo’s heat, but that had been a distant worry and with the assumption that they would be in a place that the two of them could get away. Four days was a long time in the middle of a war, but he had hoped that their usual pattern would hold out. The two of them could have disappeared when they were just moving slowly along the border and skirmishing, but they couldn’t when Alisha was on the offensive. There was too much that could go wrong.

He tipped his head forward so his forehead was resting against the back of Mikleo’s head. “We’ll figure something out.”

Mikleo laughed, the sound almost enough to get Sorey to smile. “You say that like I haven’t spent most of my life on a mountain. I’ve had my heat in worse places.”

Sorey pressed his lips together, but stayed quiet. He didn’t doubt that Mikleo could take care of himself, but that didn’t ease the knot of worry in his stomach. It was just something else to juggle when he felt like he couldn’t balance anything else. It was a matter of making the right choice, but the problem was that he knew his choice.

He felt Mikleo tense in his arms, Sorey lifting his head. He halfway expected to see one of his generals bearing down on him, but Mikleo wasn’t looking at them, his attention was on the ridges. Sorey glanced around, his heart starting to beat faster when he saw blue banners appearing on the ridges. It didn’t take long for the soldiers in blue to follow, Sorey scanning over the numbers.

It didn’t take long for their small force to be outnumbered, not that he was surprised. The night before they had practically given them one-fourth of their already diminished army. Sorey had always expected some to run back to the empire, but more to turn around and grasp at the one thing that would save their families.

He swallowed and wrapped his arm more securely around Mikleo. Off to one side, he could hear the soldiers muttering to themselves, the hellions baying as they noticed the enemy.

The hellions stumbled forward, brandishing swords and claws. It was enough of a statement of intent because a shout when up from the Hyland soldiers. They beat their shields and rattled their banners, provoking an even louder response from the hellions. Sorey glanced over at his generals, watching as they made motions to calm the hellions, but it didn’t work. He could see the moment that they realized it too. Sorey almost wanted to smile at it, because the generals had once lauded them as the strong backbone of their army, especially when the other soldiers would break down. Now the hellions were going to force them into another battle before they were ready.

Sorey scanned the rise, searching for a flicker of white and black that would mark the Shepherd. If he could, he would leave the hellions and try to get the other soldiers away. They wouldn’t get far, but it would be better to keep the soldiers out of the way of this battle. The hellions could take the brunt of the attack, especially since it would be the Shepherd alone. What he would do after he didn’t know, but Alisha might hesitate to attack the soldiers with the way that they looked. If he was lucky, he might get the chance to surrender. And, considering the way things were going, he would be willing to take it.

The soldiers were worn out and the generals looked at a loss. It would be the perfect time to sneak something past them. If he bargained the right way, he might be able to get special accommodations for Mikleo. He knew that the seraph would probably be able to handle anything that was thrown at him, but that didn’t stop Sorey from wanting him safe.

He nudged his horse forward, about to order for some kind of surrender to be waved when his gaze landed on where Sergei and Gouldman were sitting on horseback. The sight of them surprised him, Sorey staring up at Sergei.

It had been months since they had properly seen each other, and it was still shocking to be on different sides. Sorey opened his mouth, ready to defend himself despite the audience and the distance. If he could get Sergei to understand, then maybe something could be done.

The look on Sergei’s face stopped him, Sorey shrinking back at the anger that he saw there. Some foolish, childish part of him had hoped that four months may have changed something, but it had been four months of war, four months of keeping up the illusion that he was as bad as every lie that had been told. He had done his job well, and he hated it.

He closed his eyes when Sergei looked away, making up his mind. He wouldn’t find a peaceful surrender here, it was better to run a bit more and give his men the chance to run themselves. The only peace he would get was if he kept running.

Sorey gathered up the reins, backing his horse up. He sucked in a deep breath to call for a retreat when one of his generals drew their sword and held it up in the air. “Hold fast! We won’t be chased by them again!”

A jeer went up from the men, Sorey sure that they weren’t pleased by the order. But it didn’t matter because their shouts were drowned up by the soldiers on the ridges.

“For peace! For Hyland!”

The Hyland army charged, Sorey watching as they came down the sides of the ridges, the leaders on top not moving. The sight sent a shiver down his spine.

He adjusted his hold on the reins, about to send his horse forward to stop the slaughter that was sure to happen when Mikleo snatched them from his hands. The horse tossed its head at the rough treatment, but it went where Mikleo steered it, the seraph taking them around the back of the soldiers. Sorey watched as his men stumbled into some kind of order, reaching forward to take the reins back from Mikleo. “We’re not leaving them.”

“I’m not. I’m getting back to buy myself some time.” Mikleo leaned forward, picking at the laces behind his back. When he didn’t get them undone, the growled and looked back at Sorey. “Help me.”

Sorey nodded and complied, glancing between the rushing troops as he worked the laces free. He didn’t bother to pull it all out, just lose enough for Mikleo to strip out of it.

Mikleo slipped off his horse as soon as he pulled his hands away. The seraph was already pulling his coat and robe free before he landed on the ground. Both articles of clothing were thrown back up at him, Sorey catching them. Mikleo bent over to step out of his boots, passing them up to Sorey before pausing. He reached up for the gold ornament in his hair before taking it off gently. He passed it up to Sorey, his fingers lingering on Sorey’s hand.

Sorey nodded, gently folding the delicate ornament into Mikleo’s robe. “I’ll take care of this.”

“Thank you.” Mikleo smiled at him before going back to stripping out of his clothes. He tossed them up to Sorey, taking a few steps back from him. “I’ll keep them busy. You just get the men moving. I’ll eat any general who tries to countermand you.”

“Will you remember that?”

“I might be annoyed enough to.” Mikleo gave him a wry smile before backing further away.

Sorey watched the seraph take a few deep breath before Mikleo collapsed on the ground. It took everything he had not to rush over to the seraph, not even when Mikleo’s form twisted before dissolving into light. The transformation always looked painful and Sorey wanted to do what he could to soothe it, except that he wasn’t sure that Mikleo recognized him when he came out of it. He was never sure that he would be able to call Mikleo back.

He licked his lips, his focus forced back to his horse as the animal squealed and bolted to get away from the shape that was spilling out of the light. It didn’t take long for the light to fade, the drake starting to pick himself up from the ground. Sorey watched as Mikleo flapped his wings a few times before the bones snapped into their proper place. Sorey winced at the sound, but he turned to look at his troops.

If Mikleo was willing to buy them time then he wasn’t going to waste it.

Sorey twisted around to store Mikleo’s things in one of his saddlebags, carefully handling the shirt that he had rolled the hair ornament in. He patted the saddlebag before turning to look back at the drake.

The drake had uncoiled itself, but it wasn’t looking at Sorey. It was looking at the hellions that were charging at the Hyland army. The drake’s mouth dropped open, saliva dripping from its maw.

It wasn’t too hard to tell what Mikleo would lunge for first, and it would cause chaos, which was just what they needed. There were enough hellions to keep Mikleo distracted and the drake would keep Hyland at bay.

Sorey turned his horse away, letting the animal canter towards the generals. The horse snorted and tossed its head, but Sorey didn’t let up his grip on the reins. He couldn’t let the horse bolt, not if he wanted to be sure that everyone else got away and retrieve Mikleo. He tightened his hold on the reins, sitting steady on the horse even as it turned in place. “Retreat!”

The soldiers stared at him for a moment, before breaking into a run. The few that remained behind were quick to follow as Mikleo roared. Sorey got a glimpse of the drake plowed into the back of the unit of hellions before his horse was sidling away again. Sorey gritted his teeth and grabbed onto his horse’s mane.

He glanced at where the soldiers were running, glad that they were at least sticking to some kind of formation. At least the time that they were gaining wouldn’t be lost. Just where they would regroup Sorey didn’t know, but that could be solved on the run. They just had to get clear of the Hyland army, maybe even go out of their way to make sure that the Hyland forces couldn’t find them.

Sorey wheeled his horse to look at his generals. Two of them met his gaze, the two men quick to salute and ride off after the men. Sorey breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look back at the rest of them.

Most of them were staring at him with an annoyed look on their faces, but Sorey was sure that they would be quick to relent. No matter what they wanted to do, it was better to run and regroup than rushing into something.

Sorey met their gazes, raising an arm to gesture towards the rest of their retreating army. “Go.”

They shifted in place, but didn’t move save for one. That general drew his sword and spurred his horse into battle. Sorey rocked forward as the man left the group, but he stopped in the act of reaching out to them. It didn’t matter what the general decided what to do, he couldn’t risk riding after him.

He pulled his horse back, gesturing back deeper into the basin. “This isn’t a battle we should fight.”

“How would you know?”

The other generals were quick to shush their colleague, one even reaching out to grab the man. The motion nearly pulled the general off the horse, but Sorey was sure that the other generals wouldn’t care. They were probably just as panicked as he was, trapped between the Hyland army and the drake, except that they weren’t as sure of Mikleo as he was.

One of the generals bowed, but his gaze didn’t shift from the battle. “What are your orders, your majesty?”

“Regroup the men and head for Marlind.”

“They’ll just follow us.”

“We can’t help that, but we can make sure that the men are protected while they rest.”

“It will be out of our way.”

“It doesn’t matter. They will know that we’re trying to get to Ladylake by now.”

The generals grumbled, but they all saluted, which Sorey took as agreement. He sighed and pulled his horse around, allowing it to trot. He didn’t want to go too far from the battle, but he couldn’t afford to get caught up in it. The hellions and Mikleo wouldn’t care about him and he was a prime target for the other army. He had to stay free for just a little bit longer.

He twisted to look over his shoulder, glancing at where Mikleo was plowing further into the line of hellions, the drake tossing one away from him. Sorey glanced up at where Sergei was sitting by Alisha on the rise, trying to ignore the chill that ran down his shrine.

Sorey jerked his gaze away, glad for the distraction when one of his generals rode up beside him. He swallowed, trying to pull his attention away from the battle. “Is there another way to get into Hyland?”

The general frowned, the expression not leaving his face as he spoke. “It will take longer, but there’s a chance we can go via the forest and Bors. It’s closer to Marlind. We can slip out from there and take the city.”

Sorey pressed his lips together, but didn’t bother to protest. “Push the men hard, at least until we’re sure that we’ve lost them.”

From the look that he was given, the general didn’t believe that would happen. If Sorey was honest with himself, he didn’t believe it either.

Alisha wouldn’t stop, not when she had the advantage. She was probably just as tired of the war as he was, and he was giving her the perfect chance to end it. But for all his distaste he couldn’t let her have the victory she rightfully deserved. He just had to push a little further and then he could stop.

“Your majesty?”

“I’m fine. Just go.”

He didn’t bother to look at the generals, trusting that they could carry out his one order. Sorey was sure that they didn’t want to stay for too long either, not when there was a chance for them to be captured. Sorey couldn’t think of anyone back in the empire that would want to ransom them, not when none of the generals came from noble families.

A roar from the skirmish made him turn in his saddle. Sorey felt his heart beat faster as Mikleo lifted into the air, shaking off a hellion that was clinging to him.

Sorey watched Mikleo rise, his gaze darting to the archer that was sitting on a horse behind Sergei and Alisha. He reached for his sword, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to do anything if the woman fired an arrow and there was no way that it wouldn’t hit Mikleo. He swallowed back a whine, his gaze locked on the drake as it twisted and bucked in the air.

The last of the hellions fell away from Mikleo, the drake trumpeting his victory as he rose further into the air. The drake circled in the air above the armies, seeming to study them for a moment.

Sorey watched Mikleo just as carefully, tensing the moment he saw the drake twist in the air in preparation for a dive. He leaned forward in the saddle, watching as Mikleo went into his dive. It was hard to tell where the drake was going. There was every chance that he would ignore the hellions for the closer soldiers, and Sorey couldn’t allow that either.

He turned his horse around, watching Mikleo closely as the drake cut close to the ridge before pulling away. For a moment, the drake looked like he was laughing, and then Mikleo was climbing up into the air again. Sorey was sure that Mikleo intended to make another dive, but the drake never got that far.

Partially through the climb, Mikleo stalled in the air. The drake hung there for a moment before it twisted to snap at its own stomach, not seeming to care that it he was plummeting to the ground.

Sorey cursed and kicked his horse forward, reaching back to slap the horse’s haunches when the animal baulked. The horse lurched forward with a squeal, Sorey ignoring the sound in favor of watching where Mikleo fell.

The drake hit the ground with a thud, Mikleo keening before writhing around on the ground. The sound was enough to get the hellions to stop their rush on the Hyland army, Sorey shivering at the way that their interest shifted. They would go for the weakest creature, and Mikleo was both the weakest and closest.

He gritted his teeth and kicked his feet out of the stirrups. He hauled his horse up, as he got closer to Mikleo, sliding off the horse before it had stopped completely. Sorey kept a hold on the reins, letting the horse snort and skitter at the end of them reins. His attention was completely on where the drake was fading away from the bright light it had become.

Sorey fumbled with Mikleo’s coat, unfolding it just in time to throw it over the seraph. He stumbled closer, dragging the horse with him as he went to kneel beside Mikleo.

It took longer than is usually did for Mikleo to pull himself together, and even then the seraph struggled to push himself upright. Sorey reached out to place a hand on Mikleo’s back, feeling the seraph shake.

He rubbed his hand down Mikleo’s back, not so surreptitiously looking back at the hellions. They were circling closer, ignoring the soldiers that were starting to press into their flanks. Sorey was sure that they didn’t care about the threat from the humans, or it was more likely that they didn’t think the humans were a threat. Mikleo was the better target, as was he.

Sorey glared at the hellions, not looking away as he leaned over Mikleo. “Can you stand?”

“I’m not hurt.” Mikleo heaved himself upright, swaying on his feet. He reached out to grab Sorey, his attention moving to the hellions. He growled, the sound petering out quickly as he leaned heavily on Sorey. Mikleo panted for breath for a moment before looking up at Sorey, his pupils blown. “Sorey…”

Sorey leaned into him, swallowing when he caught Mikleo’s scent, thick and sweet. He muttered a curse, but curled his fingers into the fabric of the coat. Mikleo had said that his heat was coming soon, Sorey had just hoped that they would have the time to get further away.

He shifted his hold on Mikleo, pulling on the reins to bring the horse closer. The animal snorted and skittered, Sorey ignoring that in favor of looking back at the hellions. They were getting dangerously close, which made the hair on the back of his neck rise. He wouldn’t let them get their hands on Mikleo, not them or the army that was following behind them.

His attention was caught and held by a flash of white and black, Sorey searching out the Shepherd’s cloak. He saw it back in the mass of hellions, Sorey shivering at the sight. Sorey turned away, nudging Mikleo back towards the horse. He held the animal steady as Mikleo clambered onto its back. It wasn’t the seraph’s usual graceful motion, it was stuttering and slow, like every movement cost him effort.

Sorey whimpered at the back of his throat, moving to the side of the horse. He swung himself up into the saddle, quick to pull Mikleo close to him even as he nudged the horse around. Mikleo wasn’t sitting astride the horse, but Sorey didn’t expect him to, not when he was curling into him. Sorey tried to secure him the best he could even as he kicked the horse into a gallop.

The animal squealed and took off, Sorey rocking forward protectively over Mikleo as he guided the horse back towards his retreating army. He wanted to just drag Mikleo off somewhere safe and secure, but he was still the emperor. There were other things that had to occupy his time, and it made him want to snarl. With Mikleo pressed so close to him, the seraph shaking as he clutched at him, it was tempting to just turn away and leave. Sorey gritted his teeth, holding himself to his course until he had caught up to the back of the group.

The general riding at the back turned to look at him, the man straightening his shoulders like he expected some kind of order. Sorey could tell the exact moment when the general realized what was going on, the man’s nostrils flaring.

The general rocked forward slightly before he remembered himself, the man clearing his throat and sitting back in the saddle. “Your majesty.”

“Spread the word, I’ll be catching up with you when I can.”

For a moment, it looked like the man would understand, but then the general shook his head. “Your majesty, I understand your thinking, but now is not the time for-”

Mikleo growled at him, the sound low and resonating. The general jerked his head back, his horse squealing and shying away. The retreat seemed to be enough to satisfy Mikleo because the seraph huffed and pressed his face back against Sorey’s chest.

Sorey nodded at the general, smoothing a hand down Mikleo’s arm. He doubted that it worked completely with the way that Mikleo squirmed in front of him. Sorey thought he heard Mikleo whimper his name, which was a warning enough. He ducked his head to kiss the top of Mikleo’s head, his gaze flicking over to the general.

The man was pointedly not looking at them, which Sorey chose to take for permission, not that he needed it anyway. He knew where his army was going, and it wouldn’t take him long to catch up, not with just the two of them. Besides, the Hyland soldiers were bound to go after the bigger prize of the army. If all else failed, he could just meet them in Marlind when Mikleo’s heat was done.

He jerked the reins, steering the horse away from his army. He didn’t have a specific direction planned, other than away from both armies. The map that he had looked wasn’t clear on Glaivend Basin. It had the usual routes through and the remains of a village on the far side marked, but everything else was a vague scribble. Sorey was sure that they wouldn’t get too far, not with the way that Mikleo was panting as his scent got thicker. They would have to stop sooner rather than later, which made his stomach twist with worry. He had to make sure that Mikleo was safe and comfortable, something that was looking impossible.

Sorey pressed his face into Mikleo’s hair, breathing him in for a moment before he looked up. He scanned the ridges on either side of him, searching out something that could provide them cover for a few hours. It wouldn’t be a permanent solution, but it might be enough to keep Mikleo satisfied for the time it would take him to find something better.

He tightened his hold on Mikleo, hearing the hitch of the seraph’s breath. He wanted to bury his face in Mikleo’s hair, but he needed to keep a look out for somewhere to stop. The heat had just started, so Mikleo would be fine for a short while, but he didn’t want to push it. Mikleo looked uncomfortable enough at is was, and the soft noises of distress that sometimes escaped the seraph were just making it worse for him.

As an alpha it was his job to make sure that his omega was comfortable and taken care of, none of which he was managing. He had dragged Mikleo out of the relative safety and comfort of the palace and out into the field, and he hadn’t even considered Mikleo’s heat until they were far away from anything that could be a comfort.

Sorey swallowed back a whimper, pressing a kiss against the top of Mikleo’s head instead. “Sh, I’ve got you, beloved.”

Mikleo tipped his head up, leaning into the kiss. His hand tightened where it was clutching as Sorey’s jacket, Sorey catching the tail end of what sounded like his name. Sorey tried to soothe him again, but he doubted that it would work for long. Mikleo was clutching at him like he was the only thing keeping him steady and every once and a while he would shudder. Sorey cradled him closer, frantically scanning for somewhere that they could stop and be safe.

* * *

Mikleo opened an eye as the horse came to a stop, barely processing what was happening. Movement and the reason for it had quickly lost its purpose to him, especially in the wake of more pressing needs.

He was sure that his coat was soaked through. Mikleo was just as sure that he would have been embarrassed by how needy he was, but he was beyond that. All he could think about was the heady scent of Sorey so close to him, and how much he ached and needed.

Mikleo couldn’t remember a time that it had been this bad, he’d always been able to take care of his heat as soon as it had come up. A trivial walk somewhere private hadn’t counted, those hadn’t been hours of waiting. His position in the saddle and held steadily against Sorey’s chest had made it impossible to reach down to push his fingers into himself. And, every time he shifted to try and find some relief, Sorey had been quick to pull him back into position.

What was worse was that Sorey had made no move to touch him. He’d been free to nuzzle against Sorey’s neck and drown his senses in Sorey’s scent, but the alpha hadn’t touched him beyond what was needed to keep him on the horse.

Sorey still wasn’t touching him, Mikleo whimpering and tugging at Sorey’s coat.

He wasn’t sure if Sorey even heard him, because the human’s attention was elsewhere. He pouted and rubbed his cheek against Sorey’s shoulder, working his way closer to Sorey’s neck. Mikleo pressed open mouthed kisses on Sorey’s skin, feeling Sorey shiver against him. He grinned against Sorey’s neck and went to press his advantage when Sorey pushed him away completely.

Mikleo whined, trying to pull Sorey closer only to have him dismount from the horse. He rocked backwards, catching himself on the cantle of the saddle. He braced himself there, glaring down at Sorey.

Sorey was still holding the reins of the horse, but he was facing back the way that they had come. Mikleo frowned and twisted to look behind him, trying to focus on anything that wasn’t the ache between his legs. He licked his lips, staring out at the ridges and dusty canyon. There was nothing there to hold his attention, not like the human that was standing by the horse’s shoulder.

Mikleo turned his attention back to Sorey, carefully uncurling his fingers from around the cantle. He reached out, trying to keep his balance even as he sunk his fingers into Sorey’s hair.

Sorey responded immediately, closing his eyes and leaning into the touch. It took him a moment more to look up at him, Mikleo feeling his throat catch at the sign of Sorey’s blown pupils. It made him want to bare his neck and spread his legs, anything to offer himself to Sorey. He was sure that Sorey would respond in kind, everything he was doing said as much.

Mikleo licked his hips and tilted his head back, just far enough that his intention was clear. He could still see Sorey’s reaction, which was the entire point. There were words for this, but he couldn’t figure them out. It was far easier to just go through motions. He saw the moment Sorey understood, Sorey swaying forward for a moment before he shook his head and stepped back just enough that Mikleo’s hand slid out of his hair.

Mikleo leaned after him, stopping before he could fall off the horse. He stared at Sorey, trying to make sense of what was happening. Sorey had always been receptive, even when Mikleo hadn’t been looking for company during his heats. It had been impossible to miss with the scent that Sorey had put out. But Sorey had never outright refused him.

He swallowed around a whine, trying to get out any other sound that wouldn’t sound like he was begging. Mikleo took a deep breath, whatever tirade he had started to cobble together dying when Sorey reached up to touch his leg. Mikleo shuddered at the touch, letting his head fall back as Sorey’s hand inched up his thigh. He let his legs fall open, hoping that would be enough of an invitation. Sorey’s hand slid a little bit further up, Mikleo feeling the moment when Sorey reached where the slick had leaked down his thighs. He shuddered as Sorey dug his fingers into his thigh, having to scramble for a better hold on the saddle to keep from falling off completely.

He jerked his head up as Sorey abruptly let go, growling as he sat up. Mikleo wasn’t even sure he managed to get a coherent word out before Sorey took a step closer.

Mikleo paid close attention to where Sorey rested his hands, frustrated when they were nowhere near him. The closest was in the horse’s mane, Sorey’s fingers curled into the strands. It was tempting to reach over, pick them free and drag them over to him. _In_ him.

He shivered, snapping his eyes open when Sorey spoke his name low and breathy. Mikleo focused on Sorey, trying to hold Sorey’s gaze as the human nodded. “I’m going to help you down. There’s something over there,” Sorey jerked his head to the right, but Mikleo didn’t turn to look at what he was gesturing to. His whole attention was focused on Sorey while he talked. “Go in. I’ll follow, just let me secure the horse.”

Mikleo nodded, pushing away from the saddle and sliding down from the horse. Sorey was quick to catch him, Mikleo not sure if it was by design or accident that Sorey held him close enough that he slid against Sorey’s body all the way down.

His eyes flickered shut, Mikleo leaning his forehead against Sorey’s shoulder. He took a few deep breaths, trying to center himself long enough to walk to whatever Sorey found, but it was hard to drag himself away now that he was so close. Mikleo turned his head, meeting Sorey’s gaze before rocking up on his tiptoes to kiss him.

Sorey made a muffled noise of surprise, but he was quick to reach up with his free hand to cup Mikleo’s cheek. His fingers skated along Mikleo’s cheekbone, Mikleo tempted to lean into the hand, but that would interrupt the angle of the kiss. He pressed forward, hoping that Sorey would open his mouth and allow the kiss to go deeper, but Sorey was quick to gently push him away.

Mikleo went without an argument, choosing to nuzzle into the hand that Sorey still had against his face. He pressed a kiss to Sorey’s palm and then Sorey was moving away.

He swallowed, watching as Sorey led the horse away. He reached down to pick at his coat, glancing down at where the laces were trailing against his skin before tugging the coat closed. It hardly mattered, not when Sorey had seen everything already, but it at least gave him the illusion that he was holding himself together.

Mikleo shivered, trying to ignore the feeling of more slick leaking out of him. He swayed on his feet, taking a moment to focus on what Sorey had been talking about when he had said that he had found something for them.

It was easy to miss, Mikleo mistaking it for part of the ridge. It was only when he started to stumble forward that he saw that something had been carved out of the canyon wall. He frowned, tipping his head to the side.

From what little he could pull together, no one lived in Glaivend Basin, but he could be wrong. All that mattered that it was out of the open and deserted.

Mikleo felt his heart speed up. That was the important part. It was just him and whoever he invited to join him.

He picked up his pace, breathing a sigh of relief when he stepped into the shade of the room carved into the rock. Mikleo spent a moment taking deep breaths in the center of the room before he started to pace around it.

Distantly, he was aware that there were decorations on the walls but they didn’t matter. What mattered was that the walls were secure and that the building made him feel safe. He reached out with one hand to touch the wall, breathing out slowly at the cool stone. Mikleo sighed and leaned forward to rest his head against the stone, hoping that it would cool him down. It worked for a moment, but then the want was back.

He huffed, pushing away from the wall. Mikleo gave the room a quick glance, grumbling in annoyance. It wasn’t Sorey’s fault that the place wasn’t as comfortable as it could be, but there was still some part of him that complained. He’d already been made to wait and he wanted to be comfortable.

Mikleo paced a quick circle around the room, part of his mind working on how to make the room more comfortable before he gave up. The situation was unsalvageable and he couldn’t ignore the ache between his legs any longer.

He leaned back against the wall with a whine, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. He tipped his head back, resting it against the stone even as he let go of his coat. Mikleo glanced at the door, biting his lip. Sorey had said that he would be back quickly, but Mikleo wasn’t sure that he could wait that long.

He whimpered and slid his hand down his stomach. His fingers lingered at the base of his cock before Mikleo slid them further down. He shifted against the wall, spreading his legs as his fingers dragged over his hole. Mikleo shuddered, biting his lip as he circled his fingers around it. He only allowed himself a moment of teasing, his patience breaking down quickly.

Mikleo gasped as he pushed two fingers into himself, bearing down on them to feel the delicious pain-edged burst of pleasure as he stretched himself. He shifted slightly, trying to get a better angle so he could bear down further and push a third finger in, but all plans of going further jerked to a stop when his fingers brushed across something inside him that made his whole body shudder.

He bit down hard on his lip as his hips jerked, a whimper escaping him as he came. He closed his eyes, still rocking on his fingers as he sought out a knot, moaning when he wasn’t able to find one.

Mikleo opened his eyes, staring at the shape that blocked the light from the door. He took a deep breath, shivering when he recognized the scent of old books. He pulled his fingers out of himself, shifting so he could get up and go to Sorey.

His fingers weren’t enough, not anymore, and not when he was like this. He needed something more. He _craved_ it.

Mikleo rocked up onto his hands and knees, expecting Sorey to come rushing over to him. He could smell Sorey’s interest, and he was already hard again from it.

For some reason Sorey didn’t immediately rush for him. Instead, Sorey looked around the room. Mikleo groaned and rocked back onto his knees, having to reach back to brace himself against the wall.

He kept his gaze on Sorey, tipping his head at the saddlebags that Sorey placed in a corner before his attention was abruptly grabbed by the bedroll that Sorey carried.

Sorey shook it out on the floor, staring at it for a moment before taking a step back and moving his gaze away. It was an invitation and one that Mikleo wasn’t too interested in. It was a nod to their comfort, he could see that and appreciate it, but he didn’t care, not when Sorey was standing there.

He pushed away from the wall, stumbling over to the bedroll. For Sorey’s sake it prodded at it for a bit before dropping down onto it. The bedroll under him felt better than the stone floor, but that was a distant thought, especially when Sorey got closer. Mikleo smiled and rubbed his cheek against the bedroll, writhing around on it until he was in the right position. He paused to look back over at where Sorey was standing, glad when Sorey got the message.

Sorey kicked off his boots, stepping close to him. Mikleo closed his eyes, shivering when Sorey ran a hand down his chest. He arched up into the touch, his eyes fluttering open when Sorey stopped, putting pressure on his hip.

He glanced down at himself, staring at the come that had splattered on his stomach. Mikleo dragged his gaze over to where Sorey’s fingers were curling around his hip, Mikleo shivering at the pressure as Sorey leaned over him.

Mikleo gasped when he felt Sorey’s tongue traced the shell of his ear. His hips jerked, Mikleo not able to move far before Sorey dragged him back. He wasn’t tucked against Sorey, which just made him wiggle more. Mikleo whined when Sorey purposefully held him away. When he glared at him, Sorey just smiled. “You started without me.”

“D-did I?”

Sorey didn’t answer his question, just dragging his fingers down from Mikleo’s hip and along the outside of his leg. Mikleo leaned up with the motion, awkwardly catching Sorey’s lips in a kiss.

It didn’t last long, Mikleo breaking away when Sorey trailed his fingers back up Mikleo’s leg and then around to his ass. Mikleo leaned into the touch before giving up and rolling onto his hands and knees. He heard Sorey such in a quick breath before he was pushing the coat further up his back.

Sorey’s hand lingered on the small of his back, his fingers working in small circles that made his stomach twist delightfully. Mikleo dropped his head, presenting himself the best he could while he was shaking.

He heard Sorey suck in a quick breath, and then his hand was gone. Mikleo huffed, turning his head to see what Sorey was doing. His mouth went dry when he saw Sorey shucking off his pants, not bothering with the rest of his clothes. Mikleo licked his lips, shifting so his position was more stable, and then Sorey was pulling him back.

Mikleo ducked his head, grinding back against Sorey. He felt Sorey’s hands squeeze his hips, a little bit of encouragement to keep going and Mikleo was so tempted. But it wasn’t enough. He needed Sorey closer, _deeper_.

Sorey seemed to come to the same conclusion as he did, because Sorey arrested his slow rocking motion. Mikleo sucked in a quick breath at being held still, quivering in anticipation.

He wasn’t kept waiting for long. Mikleo practically sobbed as he felt Sorey press against him, leaning back to try and get Sorey into him faster. He heard Sorey whimper before he pushed all the way in.

It was too much too fast, Mikleo rocking forward on his elbows with a choked off sound. He felt Sorey hesitate for a moment, Mikleo suddenly aware of how loud their breathing sounded in the small room. It was distracting, but not enough to pull his attention away from the feeling of Sorey inside of him. Mikleo pressed his forehead against the bedroll, squeezing around Sorey. He grinned at the breathless curse that he heard from behind him.

He didn’t get to linger over his victory for too long, Sorey pulling out of him slowly. Mikleo curled his fingers into the bedroll, biting his lip to keep from making a sound. He was prepared to do something to encourage Sorey to keep going, but he didn’t have to do anything.

Sorey thrust back in, Mikleo scrambling to keep himself from sliding forward. The breath that he had been holding escaped him in a gasp, his eyes fluttering shut as Sorey repeated the motion.

The state of the room and the rush didn’t matter when Sorey was thrusting into him hard enough to make his toes curl. Mikleo shifted up onto his elbows so he could push back against the thrusts to keep Sorey deeper. He thought he heard a growl from Sorey, but it was quickly muffled as Sorey curled forward over him.

One of Sorey’s hands stayed on Mikleo’s hip, but the other skimmed over his shoulder and down his arm. Mikleo lifted his head slightly, only able to hold Sorey’s gaze for a moment before he had to close his eyes again.

Everything was magnified, every brush of skin, every thrust. It all rode the edge of too much.

He jerked as Sorey kissed his shoulder, distantly hearing the mutter of Sorey’s voice, but that was nothing compared to the feeling of Sorey’s lips moving against his skin. Mikleo moaned and arched his back, trying to drive himself further back. Sorey’s thrusts were becoming shallower, nearly a slow grind that meant that he was close. Mikleo gasped, seeking out Sorey’s hand even as he felt the slight tug of a knot.

“Sorey…Sorey…”

Sorey rumbled out something that could have been words, but Mikleo felt the sound in Sorey’s chest more. He arched his back, leaning up into where Sorey was draped over him. He regretted that Sorey hadn’t taken off his clothes, but that would have taken more time, and Mikleo couldn’t think beyond that, not when he had Sorey so close and just where he needed him.

He gasped out Sorey’s name on a long grind, Mikleo shuddering as he came. He closed his eyes and squeezed Sorey’s hand as another orgasm was wrung out of him so close to the last one. He felt Sorey squeeze back before Sorey jolted forward slightly, Mikleo shouting as he felt Sorey bite onto his shoulder. Mikleo couldn’t help but shiver as he felt Sorey come, smiling at the shudder he felt run through Sorey.

His moment of bliss only lasted until Sorey slumped against him, Mikleo grunting as he took all of Sorey’s weight. The sudden shift nearly tipped him onto his face. He let go of Sorey’s hand to try to balance himself, awkwardly bracing himself for the time it took Sorey to come out of his daze.

“Sorry.” The word was partially slurred, but Sorey sat up, dragging his hands up Mikleo’s sides.

Mikleo closed his eyes, breathing heavily at the touch. He should have been satisfied, but the touch made him shake. He was willing to blame it on spending so much time being denied what his body needed, and more than willing to ignore it for the meantime. It was more important to catch his breath and try to settle.

He was already feeling better with the knot, the pleasant fullness making him want to just relax even with the small part of him that was clamoring for more. That would be satisfied soon enough, because they were tied for a good while. Even if they had to move, Mikleo was sure that Sorey would delay until the edge was taken care of. It would be torment for the two of them otherwise.

He grumbled when he felt Sorey tug on him, opening one eye as Sorey tipped them to the side. Mikleo let go of his tight grip on the bedroll, letting Sorey roll them to their sides. He shuddered as he felt the knot tug at his rim, Mikleo holding his breath until they were settled.

There was always a moment that he was afraid that the knot would come loose, and then he would be left empty and aching. Mikleo huffed and leaned back into Sorey, clenching around him to try and steady himself. He tipped his head back as Sorey dropped an arm over his stomach. Mikleo reached down to hold Sorey’s hand, tipping his head slightly so he could watch as he played with Sorey’s fingers.

He sought out the callouses that he knew were there, all of them from a long life of work with a sword or in villages. They weren’t the hands of a prince, and Mikleo was very glad of that. He wouldn’t have been out of a vessel if Sorey was just another prince. Besides, the callouses felt good on his skin; they were grounding.

Mikleo smiled as he felt Sorey nuzzle into his neck, reaching up with his free hand to thread his fingers through Sorey’s hair. He didn’t guide Sorey closer, he still felt a bit too sensitive to encourage more love bites. Even the nuzzling was almost a bit too much, but he didn’t want to pull Sorey away, not when Sorey was settling closer and more comfortably. It was far better than their first heat spent together, when the two of them had just fallen wherever they had stopped.

He must have said the last part out loud because Sorey chuckled, Mikleo shivering at the puff of air against the back of his neck. “Sorry, should have done better.”

Mikleo made a noncommittal sound. It was true, but there was nothing they could fix about that. All that mattered was that they were doing better, although not by much.

He glanced around the room, giving it another look over. With the heat calmed slightly he could take in his surroundings better, and he still wasn’t impressed. He missed the comfort of his own room back in Pendrago, if only because he felt safer there. It was hard to feel safe when he was distantly aware that there was an army that could be coming after them.

Mikleo shuddered and glanced at the entrance to the room. Sorey must have noticed his distraction because he shifted slightly, curling protectively around him.

Sorey was quiet for a moment before he sighed. “We’re safe. They’re not after us.”

“For now.”

“For now.” Sorey agreed, practically purring as Mikleo dragged his fingers over his scalp. Mikleo smiled at the sound, wishing that he could turn around and see Sorey’s expression, but he was too comfortable. It was more than enough to feel Sorey curled around him and the soft rumble in his chest as Sorey spoke. “No one will come here.”

“Someone obviously did.”

Sorey hummed and sat up slightly, Mikleo reluctantly letting the hand he had in Sorey’s hair drop away. Sorey didn’t move too far away, Mikleo relieved that the tug on where they were joined never came.

He was jumpier than normal, and he didn’t quite know why. He could blame it on the delay in satisfaction but he couldn’t imagine why that would affect him so much. The stress of the situation might have done it, it was certainly enough between the war and keeping the delicate balance that made everyone think that he and Sorey were on their side.

He sighed as Sorey settled back down, Mikleo smiling when Sorey snuggled back against him. Sorey brushed a kiss against the back of his neck, Mikleo shivering at the light touch. He felt Sorey open his mouth, sure that Sorey would continue and let the thread of their conversation die, but he just paused there before sighing.

Sorey lifted his head slightly, speaking in a low voice that was practically a whisper. “This was probably an anchorite’s chamber.”

“Hm?” Mikleo tipped his head back slightly, smiling when Sorey shifted against him.

Another kiss was placed lightly on his neck before Sorey continued. “They probably came out here and carved this out themselves, as a place for contemplation or worship.”

Mikleo snorted. “Worship? Out here?”

Sorey nodded, Mikleo feeling the brush of Sorey’s bangs against the back of his neck. He shivered, barely noticing the apology that Sorey mouthed against his shoulder. Sorey lifted his head away, making up for the motion by pulling Mikleo closer to him. “I read that people would leave civilization to get closer to the base elements and the seraphim themselves. For all we know, a seraphim might have lived here as well.”

“That must have been a long time ago.”

Sorey made a sound of agreement. “But it could happen again, when we’re done.”

“It will be a long time.”

“Better than never.”

Mikleo frowned in the face of Sorey’s optimism, but he couldn’t fight against it, not when he could practically feel the smile on Sorey’s face. He wouldn’t be the one to wipe it out, not when Sorey was nuzzling back into his shoulder. And certainly not when he was so comfortable where he was.

Mikleo sighed, a smile creeping across his face. He trailed his fingers down Sorey’s arm before threading their fingers together. Mikleo closed his eyes, leaning back into Sorey. That was a discussion for later and Mikleo didn’t have the patience for that. He was warm, comfortable and, most importantly, sated. It was all the wanted for the moment, and he was more than happy to bask in the feeling.


	25. Chapter 22

“If he observe Law, and tread  
The righteous path God ordained,  
Honored is he; dishonored, the man whose reckless heart  
Shall make him join hands with sin”  
 – _Antigone_ , Sophocles

* * *

 

A haze shimmered over the plains, Boris not sure if it was because of the heat or the malevolence. He was tempted to ask the seraphim that were with him, but they were all resting. Or they were quiet, it was hard to tell with them settled somewhere inside of him.

Boris didn’t quite know what to do in regards to the seraphim who were traveling along with him. The four of them had seemed to come to some agreement while he was unconscious and one that they hadn’t shared with him. Boris wasn’t sure if it was because they had been discussing seraph only things or because they were waiting for the right time to share things with him. Boris frowned and twisted around in the saddle to look behind him.

He could see the top of the Camelot Bridge behind him, although he was sure that that would disappear as soon as he was done riding down the hill. Boris swallowed and looked back ahead, trying not to tug on the reins too hard. The mare was skittish enough and, therefore, not suitable to be kept for the people of Lohgrin. Boris had already had to deal with the horse shying and bolting while on Camelot Bridge, he didn’t want to be run away with while out in the open with no boundaries to stop the horse. Boris doubted that the mare would manage to avoid running herself into hellions, and Boris didn’t want that. He had no idea how to handle hellions or even what he was supposed to do as a Shepherd.

Boris dropped his hand to his sword, curling his fingers over the pommel. It didn’t feel any different from before, certainly not like the great sacred weapons that the Shepherds of old had. Then again, it fit with him because he was really a makeshift Shepherd; everything felt like it had been done in a rush. No one had bothered to explain much to him, which meant that he would have to be winging it for a while. Boris wasn’t sure if that was good or bad, but he assumed that he would figure it out. He had to or else the consequences would be dire.

He sighed and looked ahead of him. The road was clear, which didn’t make him too suspicious. The road to Lohgrin wasn’t used too often save for the caravans that went across the bridge. Boris wasn’t sure when the next one was coming, but that was part of the problem. The people of Lohgrin never knew what the next caravan was coming between the lack of any real communication network and the large distances between the settlements. Anything that might have been built up hadn’t survived the fall of the kingdom.

Boris pressed his lips together as he considered the problem. Having the seraphim there would help, but Boris was sure that the seraphim wouldn’t linger. The only thing that Boris could think of was folding Lohgrin back into the empire. Then again, if the empire took over Lohgrin it would be seen as a hostile action, and there would be another war. Boris didn’t know if Sorey would be up for that. He didn’t even know how Sorey was holding up in this war, or if his generals were giving him the chance to stop it. He shifted in the saddle, resisting the urge to kick the horse in the gallop.

The worst part was being so far away without any news of how Sorey and the Platinum Knights were doing. No one had news of the empire and certainly not up to date news. Anything he heard would be old news and it would be too late to act on it.

He took a deep breath, regretting it a moment later. He leaned forward in his saddle and coughed, trying to clear the thick, syrupy feeling that the malevolence left behind. Boris swallowed and quickly straightened up as the horse tossed her head, the mare feeling like she was ready to bolt. Boris gritted his teeth and pulled back on the reins, sitting through the crow-hops before the horse settled down. Boris sighed and patted the horse’s neck, staring down the road.

This horse was the only one he had, so he had to be careful with her. With the entire army of the empire out on campaign the supply of horses would be low. The people of the empire would already be struggling enough, he didn’t want to demand more from them, especially when he had no money to pay them with. He’d had enough to get to Lohgrin, but he had assumed that he would just rush back. It was very possible for him to live off the land until he got back to Pendrago, but Boris didn’t know what he would do then. As a Platinum Knight, his duty was to protect the emperor. But as a Shepherd, his duty was to the people.

He bit his lip, turning the problem over before clearing his throat. The seraphim had talked to him a few times, but not enough for him to establish anything. Certainly there was some kind of protocol or way to address the seraphim. They were powerful elemental beings who had been worshipped for centuries; they couldn’t just be called on without a thought. Then again, he didn’t know any other way to do it.

Boris sighed and closed his eyes to focus inward. If he concentrated, he could just focus on the strange feeling for four foreign entities at the forefront of his mind. He shuddered, the realization messing with his focus. Boris swallowed and tried to get his mind back on track. He had volunteered for this, so he had to do it right. It was just a matter of traveling with four seraphim that weren’t always physically with him at all times. Boris swallowed and played with the excess reins in his hands. “Lord Zaveid?”

He felt laughter inside his head, which was the strangest sensation that he had ever experienced. Boris shook his head to try and clear the strange buzzing. He took a deep breath to try again when he felt a brisk wind and one of the presences slip away from him. The next moment he rocked backward in the saddle as the horse shied.

Boris opened his eyes and grabbed for the reins, trying to stop the horse from bucking when he felt a jerk on the other end of the reins. He looked up to see Zaveid standing there, one hand on the reins and another on the horse’s neck. Boris wasn’t sure that it was helping with the way that the mare was trying to jerk away, but that didn’t stop Zaveid.

Zaveid patted the horse’s neck, grinning when she finally stopped throwing a fit. The horse snorted and tossed her head, but she stopped skewing from side to side. Zaveid whispered a few words to her, his voice too low for Boris to catch.

The seraph’s attention wasn’t on the horse for long, Zaveid giving the horse one last pat before looking up at him. “What’s up Sheps?”

Boris stared at Zaveid, processing the nickname for a moment before he shook his head. “What’s the plan, exactly?”

Zaveid seemed to be surprised by the question, but he just shrugged. “A lot of wandering mostly. I know Eizen and Melody have their own agendas. But, if we go chasing after them, that means charging right into the middle of the war.”

“That’s where the Platinum Knights will be.”

“That’s where the worst of it would be.” Zaveid shook his head and let go of the horse. “It would be better if we avoided it for a while.”

“We don’t have a while. We’ve been gone for four months now. Anything could have happened.”

He felt Eizen and Melody perk up at that, tasting ash and dirt at the back of his throat. Boris reached up to rub at his throat, not daring to look away from the back of Zaveid’s head in case he missed something.

The seraph wasn’t looking at him, and Boris suspected that it was on purpose. He tightened his hands on the reins, regretting the motion a moment later when the horse tossed her head. He calmed the mare down, trying to figure out what the seraph was thinking. More importantly, he needed the time to carefully think about what he was going to say. More than that, he needed the time to figure out what the seraphim were like.

He had a minor advantage with Eizen and Melody because he had traveled with them before, but Eizen had avoided him and Melody had been busy looking after the other seraphim. He hadn’t wanted to interrupt any of them, mostly because he had wanted to watch how the seraphim had acted and a little bit because he wasn’t sure that Eizen wouldn’t rip his head off. Even then, that wasn’t enough time.

He frowned as Zaveid gave him a pointed look, sure that his silence was more telling than carefully considered. He took a deep breath before shaking his head. “I have to risk it. As a Platinum Knight-”

“But you’re not.”

Boris cursed as Eizen appeared, quickly yanking his horse around as the animal squealed and tried to bolt. He shot a glare at the seraph before keeping his horse circling. It was the only thing that kept the horse from running off, and it gave him a chance to look between the two of them.

Eizen didn’t seem too willing to be patient. He let the horse circle for a moment before grabbing onto the reins and start to lead the horse onward. Boris frowned and tried to pull back on the reins, but Eizen kept going like he hadn’t felt the motion. Boris opened his mouth to demand to know what the seraph was doing when Eizen chose to speak.

“You’re not a Platinum Knight and you don’t owe anyone your allegiance.”

“But I swore-”

“It doesn’t matter what you swore before. When you became the Shepherd, you voided your other oaths.”

Boris frowned and yanked the reins free. “I wasn’t told that.”

“What did you expect?”

Boris pressed his lips together, not sure that he had an answer to that question. He had always known that the Shepherds weren’t political. There had been arguments and at least one war fought over where a Shepherd belonged in the early days of the empire. Before seraphim had been used in weapons the Shepherds had been the key to keeping the worst of the malevolence at bay. To have one was a great honor, until they became too troublesome to bother with. After all, there was no need for a Shepherd when they could use the seraphim directly.

Even knowing all of that, he hadn’t expected to give up so much. It had seemed like the right thing to do to get back to Pendrago quickly enough and to bring something essential to Sorey. Even if there was another Shepherd, the malevolence was very thick, thick enough to ruin both armies to the point where they both would be in danger. He had never intended to turn the powers of the Shepherd to any other duty other than helping Sorey. Boris was sure that he had been naïve, but he was not about to admit it. Still, it was a harsh blow to his plans.

He shifted in his saddle, considering the two seraphim before shrugging. He wasn’t willing to give in on his first set of oaths just yet, but there might have been another way to reach his goals. Boris played with the reins for a moment before huffing. “Fine. So I can’t be openly political, but I won’t stay back from the war. Sorey wants peace and the seraphim to be free, and so do we.”

Zaveid turned around, walking backwards for a moment before shrugging. “If you want to charge in, fine. But I still think that we should take things slowly. Have you ever faced a hellion?”

Boris shrugged. He had faced a few, but it had been policy to ignore them until they became too troublesome. As a Platinum Knight, he had always stuck close to Pendrago where the royal family was. Even when he had gone out to gather information it wasn’t to the front line. If anything his strategy had been to outrun them.

He sighed and sat back in the saddle, not liking the way that Zaveid gave him a big grin. “You’re in for it then. Purifying isn’t like killing. It takes more effort than that.”

“Are you saying I can’t do it?”

Zaveid shrugged. “Maotelus wouldn’t have made you a Shepherd if he didn’t think so. What I’m saying is that this has all been a bit rushed. And what I’m doing is trying to keep you alive for a bit longer. Believe it or not, we all have our own agendas here.”

“Are you going to share them?”

“Worried about us, Sheps?”

“No. I just like to be informed.”

Zaveid chuckled and stretched his arms above his head. He only spoke when he dropped his arms down again. “Fine. I just want a little place that I can stay for a while. Wandering is fun, but not when you’re doing it for hundreds of years. I’ve seen plenty of the world, I just want to stop somewhere long enough to have a few beers, woo a few babes.”

Zaveid winked over at Eizen, Boris surprised by the groan that Eizen gave him. It was annoyed, but almost fond. He looked between the two of them, filing away the interaction for later. He had missed a lot while he was unconscious.

Boris licked his lips and looked at the open country in front of him. What he wanted to do was charge off after Sorey and his brother.

The two of them had been left alone with just the generals. Both of them were strong enough to withstand them, but neither of them would think in the same devious ways. He would have to rely on Mikleo for that, but that was just a bit too dangerous. The seraph had his own agenda after all, and Boris didn’t know if he and Sorey would remain on the same page for long. It was because of that that Sorey and Sergei needed him there. But he had bound himself by an oath, and what he would be doing was just as important and in line with his orders. Sorey had asked him to look after the seraphim after all. Taking care of the malevolence and helping free the seraphim matched those orders.

He sighed and looked back at Zaveid, giving the seraph a short nod. He had made the oath to be the Shepherd in full knowledge of what he was doing, if not the fine details. Boris had a feeling that he wouldn’t have been able to back out now.

“Fine. I have a conflict of interest, and I’ll back out of the political side of my oath as a Platinum Knight.” He heard Eizen make a sound of disapproval, so he rounded on the seraph, staring at the back of his coat. “I’m bound by that oath until I can get to my superiors and ask to be released from it, which means I need to go to the front. But I don’t see why you would complain, you want to go there anyway.”

Eizen grumbled for a moment before he rolled his shoulders in what Boris assumed was a shrug. “He’s got a point.”

“He’s got a death wish.”

Boris snorted, fully intending on lecturing Zaveid on just what he was capable of. He understood why Zaveid was wary. From what he had understood from Maotelus, there were only a few people that would be willing to take on this duty, and even fewer seraphim that could help. They were right to be worried about such a limited resource, especially since there was no other way to get rid of malevolence other than appealing to Maotelus himself, and Boris was sure Maotelus wouldn’t be able to clear all there was in the world. He had his own private worries about whether or not Maotelus would be able to clear much malevolence at all, but that wasn’t the primary problem.

He was a trained soldier, he had earned his place in the Platinum Knights. He wasn’t stupid enough to go charging into the battle without taking stock of the battlefield. He knew how to avoid the worst of it. He was not about to throw his life away on this, not when there was a way to get himself out of trouble.

Boris opened his mouth to correct Zaveid when the horse whinnied. He glanced down at the mare before looking up at the horizon. There was a cloud of dust coming up the next rise, Boris seeing the shapes of carts and horses within the cloud. It was a caravan, and they were moving at a fast pace, kicking up the dust around them. There was nothing he could think of that would make them rush and possibly damage their cargo, save for natural disasters or hellions. He scanned back along the road, searching for the thing that had startled them into running.

In the haze of malevolence, he almost missed the presence that was approaching them until he saw the creature crest the rise.

The horse squealed as the hellion revealed itself, Boris rocking forward to try to keep the horse from rearing. Even with the horse acting up, he didn’t dare look away from where the hellion was crawling its way across the field. Boris almost didn’t know what was worse, the strong malevolence that came with the hellion or the sight of an ocean creature on land.

The squid seemed to be taking its time coming after the caravan, Boris not sure if it was because of the size of the creature or awkward way that the hellion had to move. It wasn’t something that he expected to see on land, and the fact that was made him want to recoil. But he couldn’t, not between the horse and the panicked caravan. He knew exactly where the merchants were going, and he couldn’t let them get caught by the hellions, not when Lohgrin would need those supplies. Besides, Zaveid had wanted him to train and he saw no reason not to start as soon as possible. There were plenty of miles and hellions between him and the frontlines, and he might as well use all of them.

He dropped his gaze down to where Zaveid was standing, halfway expecting the exasperated look on the seraph’s face. Zaveid huffed and crossed his arms. “You’re not doing this in half measures.”

“We don’t have time for those.”

Zaveid grinned at him, Boris surprised by the shift. He had expected something more serious, like the way that Zaveid had been acting before. Instead, Zaveid laughed and made a vague motion. “Come on then. Let’s see what you can do.”

Boris slid off of his horse, glancing around before quickly tying her to a nearby tree. He wasn’t sure if the animal would stay, the mare was skewing from side to side like she was a moment away from breaking free and running off. Boris gave the horse a pat, not sure what they would accomplish. He could just hope the horse would be there when he got back, or else it would be a long walk to the frontlines, if he could even get there in time.

He turned away from the horse, rolling his shoulders before pulling his sword out. It felt strange to hold it after so long. Reins sat more comfortably in his hands after months on the road, but he was sure that he hadn’t lost his touch. That didn’t stop the small bubble of nerves from rising. He knew how to fight men and kill hellions, but purification was beyond him. Boris swallowed, swaying in place as he felt Uno and Melody pull free from him. He glanced at them as they appeared, noting the way that Uno shrunk back, the seraph’s eyes going wide. Uno’s mouth worked for a moment before he shook his head. “What do we do?”

Boris had a feeling that he was supposed to be the one answering the question, but he didn’t know where to begin. He bit his lip, staring at the giant hellion before looking at Zaveid. “We purify it.”

“How?”

He winced at the question, breathing out slowly. He still didn’t know the answer to that question. He assumed that he could just push in and start slashing at the hellion, but there had to be something different that he had to do to purify the hellion. Boris glanced at Zaveid, catching the seraph’s panicked look.

Boris sighed and shook his head. It looked like they were just going to be making it up as they went. He rolled his shoulders, taking a step forward. It wasn’t the best situation, but he had been in worse. Boris squared himself up, looking over the situation before he looked over at Melody. Out of all the seraphim, she seemed to be the one who looked the least panicked. “Can you get its attention, just to get it away from the caravan?”

Melody nodded and jogged forward, Boris watching her long enough to reach back for where one of her fans was tucked up against her back. He turned on his heel, glancing at Uno before pulling his gaze away. The water seraph looked nervous, which meant that it was better to hold Uno in reserve. The one seraphim he couldn’t go without would be Zaveid, because the seraph was important. Prime Lord had to mean something, even if he hadn’t been told exactly what that was.

Boris edged closer to Zaveid. He glanced over at where Melody was sending fire raining down on the hellion. The squid burbled and turned faster than Boris had imagined it could. It considered Melody for a moment before starting after her, apparently deciding that one seraph was better than chasing after humans. Boris sucked in a quick breach as Melody held her ground for a moment longer than she would have liked. But then she was moving, jogging along just slow enough to keep the hellion’s attention.

He didn’t dare look away, watching as Melody dodged flailing tentacles. “Purification?”

“I wasn’t given the specifics. Maotelus didn’t seem to be able to say much about it. Something about seeing what’s beyond the malevolence.”

Boris frowned, but he focused on the squid. It was a great, pulsing mass of thick malevolence. He couldn’t imagine seeing something beyond it, but maybe that was the fault of the malevolence. Or maybe it was just him.

He squinted at the hellion for a moment before shrugging. “Let’s try to peel some of this away then. You ready?”

Zaveid made a sound that could have been agreement, but Boris didn’t think that Zaveid had much of a choice. Melody was already skidding to a stop in front of them, slashing down with her fan at the same time.

A line of fire appeared on the air, the sight of it enough to slow the squid down. It was the best opening that they would get, and Boris would take it.

He lunged forward, twisting to avoid some of the frantically waving tentacles to slash at the body. His sword bit into the side of the squid, Boris expecting some kind of blood or malevolence to leak out, not for blue flames to trail across the squid’s body.

Boris stumbled away, staring at the flames that danced across the squid’s body until they faded away. The malevolence lessened, but he still couldn’t see whatever lurked within the hellion. Still, that wasn’t a reason to stop his attempts. If it was breaking the malevolence away then some part of it was working. Whether it was purification or not would come later, but carving the malevolence away was better than nothing. A weaker hellion was better to practice on than a strong one.

He tightened his grip on his sword, watching as the squid patted at the injury to its side. The creature recovered faster than he expected, the hellion turning on him and lashing out.

Boris stumbled back with a curse, looking up at the hellion screamed. Melody stumbled past him, pivoting to face the hellion. She barely glanced at him, already setting herself up for her next attack. But she was leaving herself open, dangerously so.

He gritted his teeth and glanced around at the seraphim, noticing that Zaveid and Eizen were the only ones guarding each other. That was something that they would have to work on later, and it rankled him. Zaveid was right that they would be rushing to their deaths if they headed to the front, but there was no other choice.

Boris retreated back to Zaveid, jerking his head to the side to avoid being brained by the pendulum that the seraph was using. He shot Zaveid an annoyed look. “I’m not seeing within.”

“That’s what Maotelus told me!” Zaveid dropped to one knee as the squid lashed out. “Damn him!”

“Leave him alone.” Eizen took a step forward to punch a tentacle away. “He’s has it rough.”

Zaveid didn’t look too impressed with Eizen’s excuse, and Boris couldn’t blame him. If Maotelus wanted more Shepherds to clear the malevolence then he should have instructed them better. Or maybe they shouldn’t have been so impatient to leave. But it was too late for any of that. They just had to keep pushing forward until they managed something. As far as he could see, there was no other choice for them.

Boris ducked as another tentacle lashed out, glancing to the side as Uno lunged forward to drag Melody out of range. The two seraphim were too far away for Boris to hear what they said to each other, but the shocked looks he saw was enough.

He pushed himself off the ground, watching the hellion warily even as he spoke with Zaveid. “What’s Plan B?”

Zaveid opened his mouth to respond, whatever he was going to say interrupted with a curse. Boris lunged forward to cut at one of the tentacles reaching out for them. He squinted against the flare of blue flames, wincing at the scream from the hellion. He hadn’t meant to cut the tentacle off completely, but it had been a choice between the hellion and Zaveid. And he needed Zaveid.

He took a step forward, slotting himself in between Zaveid and Eizen. Boris glanced over his shoulder at where Melody and Uno were still holding their own, shaking his head at the distance between them. That was something that they’d have to work on in their training, how to work as a unit. Boris wasn’t going to lose any of them, the very thought made worry curl in his gut. He wasn’t in the habit of wanting to lose soldiers, especially when he was used to working in a small group. Besides, he was sure that there wouldn’t be any other seraphim that would come with him. More importantly he wouldn’t be able to face Mikleo or whoever Eizen had waiting for him. He knew what it was like to have someone close in the war, and how heavily it sat to know that they were in a dangerous position.

He adjusting his grip on his sword, not daring to take his eyes away from the hellion where it lashed out at the two seraphim running just out of range. “Zaveid?”

“We could try an armatus, if you can hold it.”

“I don’t even know what that is, but we have nothing to lose.”

Zaveid gave him a pained look, but Boris wasn’t sure if it was because of what he said or because Zaveid was coming to terms with the fact that they had no other choice. He remained tense for a moment before sighing and relaxing slightly. “You’ve just got to call one of our names, our _true_ name. You still remember those right?”

Boris nodded, tipping his head as the felt the sharp ping of the names in his mind. He shuffled through them, feeling the weight and power in them before his attention snapped back to the hellion. He watched it reel back, looking through the layers of malevolence. He still couldn’t see through them, but at least they were stripping away with every strike. Better yet, the caravan was moving quickly out of range.

He watched them for a moment before jerking his attention back to the hellion. That the caravan was safe didn’t meant that they could stop. Every little bit they did counted as far as he was concerned.

He took a deep breath, reaching for Zaveid’s true name. The parts of it were unfamiliar, something that Sorey would probably know, but the rhythm and pronunciation lingered in the back of his mind. Boris licked his lips, about to call out to Zaveid when the hellion whirled.

Boris stumbled back, reaching back to drag Zaveid with him. Eizen seemed to have the same idea because the seraph lunged in front of them. The hellion didn’t seem to care, it reached for Eizen just as eagerly.

Zaveid jerked in his arms, Boris letting the seraph go as he reached out for Eizen. He meant to call out Eizen’s name, but his mind as still on the singular pulses of power that were the seraphim’s true names.

“Ufemew Wexub!”

The words practically burned on his tongue, tasting like dirt and rumbling in his chest with the sound of rocks. Boris had a moment to see the shocked look on Eizen’s face before the seraph dissolved into a mass of yellow light. Boris opened his mouth, intending to do something to correct his mistake when the yellow light sunk into him. It pulsed warm and bright right under his collarbone before spreading throughout his body. He choked on his next breath, his vision whiting out for a moment before he was left staggering and trying to figure out what had happened.

He could still feel the power thrumming through him, but he was also aware of the second presence in his head. It was barely there, but it was confusing him because he could sometimes hear a faint voice but what was more distracting was the information that was filtering in from the other presence.

The malevolence was suddenly thicker, Boris struggling to breathe through it. Even with the trouble he had breathing, it was almost a boon because he felt like he was processing too much information.

As a beta, he was used to taking in scents and sifting through them with his own perspective. He had always thought that betas had it easier, but that might have been his own bias. The current situation wasn’t helping, because it was another view of the world that was strange to him and a distraction that they didn’t need.

The hellion was still there, and still important, but he was having to slog through the mixture of confusion and the recognition of the seraphim on another level he wasn’t prepared for. Uno and Melody were easier, because they were allies and someone to protect. But Zaveid was _mate_ and a rush of relief that Boris didn’t want to touch on. He had a feeling that he could if he pushed far enough, but he didn’t dare. If this was the armatus that Zaveid had been talking about, then it felt fragile enough as it was. There was an edge to it, Boris assuming that it was the point where the armatus could break. What he wanted to do was push at that point until it broke and he could figure out what he was doing, but they had lost enough time.

He gritted his teeth and stepped forward, feeling Eizen pull at him as the seraph tried to stop him. The two of them wavered on the breaking point before something happened. Boris wasn’t sure if it was him or Eizen that gave up first, it was hard to tell when Eizen’s mind kept drifting in and out of his own. All he knew was that it was better to come to a compromise now and worry about coming to a better solution later. The more fighting that they did, the more danger everyone else was in.

Boris felt the armatus shift again, taking a deep breath before Eizen’s presence rolled through him. There was a moment where he was distinctly aware of the two of them, but then there was only one.

They blinked rapidly, feeling the steadiness of the earth under them before focusing on the hellion that was trying to reach out at the three other seraphim. Melody and Zaveid were still keeping it at bay and Uno was starting to rush around the hellion to get its attention from the other side. It was a good strategy, but nothing that would hold for long. They just had to break the stalemate.

They stepped forward, feeling along the earth before finding a point where it would be easy to get the rocks to shift and not disturb the ground that the others were standing on.

It was as easy as breathing to shove a thin pillar of stone up, the stone pressing against the hellion from one side. The hellion burbled and tried to scurry away, but they were already pushing up other pillars to trap it.

One of their pillars crumbled as the hellion knocked into it, but they threw another one up, bracing against it for a moment before stepping away. They reached back to move their coat out of the way, studying the creature for a moment before deciding on their next move. It didn’t take more than a small twitch from some part of their mind before they were in motion, the power within them gathering as they charged the caged hellion.

The hellion wiggled in place, giving them a good glimpse of one eye as they jumped. The power that they had gathered spewed outward as they fumbled their hold for a moment. They gritted their teeth and focused, forcing the power down at the hellion and at a high speed. They felt the burn of the power leaking out but that barely caught their attention, not when the barrage of focused power and rocks was slamming into the malevolence and tearing it away in a blaze of blue flames. The flames were so thick that they lost sight of the hellion inside of them, but that didn’t matter because they could feel the malevolence peeling. They sucked in a few deep breaths of clear air before they collapsed back to the ground.

Their compromise wavered for a moment before falling apart, Boris looking up as he felt Eizen’s mind slip away from his. He shook his head, trying to clear it, but Eizen remained steadfastly in place. Boris felt around for the breaking point but he gave it up quickly. It was better to remain in the armatus in case they needed another attack like that, not that he thought he could do it. He could feel his arms and legs shaking and tingling from the amount of power that he had forced through them.

Boris swallowed and focused on the hellion, peering between the pillars at the remains of the squid between them. It looked normal now, although the creature was very dead. Boris assumed that it was because of the wounds that it had suffered and from being out of the water for so long. He stared at the creature for a moment more before swallowing and pushing himself off of the ground. He wavered for a moment before walking forward. Boris pointedly ignored the long coat swishing around his legs and the weight of longer hair on his head. First the hellion, then whatever the armatus had done to him.

He stumbled into one of the stone pillars, leaning on it to stare down at the squid. Blue flames still flickered around it, although they were dying quickly. Boris watched as one of the last flames died out before he turned to look at the rest of the seraphim.

The three of them were coming closer, approaching him like they were afraid that he would lash out at them. Boris groaned and rested his head back against the pillar, hearing Eizen echo his sentiments. At a loss of what to do, he tried to send something like a feeling of a job well done, but he wasn’t sure that it worked. The armatus was a strange thing, and something that he would need to practice more. But, once again, that was something for the road.

He lifted his head from the pillar, giving the seraphim a long look. Boris couldn’t see any injuries, but Melody had both of her hands pressed against her mouth. He frowned and leaned forward, stopping when his knees felt weak. He curled his fingers into the stone at his back, clearing his throat before attempting to speak. “Is everyone alright?”

The three nodded, although none of them didn’t seem to be paying attention to the question. Boris frowned, tempted to snap at them, but he didn’t have the energy for it. He looked over them carefully before looking down at himself.

Boris tried to make a surprised sound, but he was sure that it came out as a squeak. Melody laughed, but whether it was because of the sound that he had made or because of how he looked, and he couldn’t blame her on either counts. He had sounded ridiculous and he looked just as ridiculous as he had sounded.

He reached down to pat at his stomach, flinching when his fingers rested against skin. Boris dragged his fingers over to the coat, pulling it away from him to stare at the white and gold patterns on it before letting it drop. At least the coat was something substantial. Boris leaned over to look at his pants, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that he was wearing pants and boots. He trailed his fingers over the golden sections on it, trying to figure out a pattern but it eluded him. Boris looked up to meet Zaveid’s gaze. “What?”

His voice cracked over the word, Boris relieved when Zaveid just ignored it. The seraph just nodded at him, waving a hand vaguely. “It’s an armatus. I’m impressed. I thought that it would take you a while.” Zaveid looked him over quickly before giving him a wide smile. “You can let it go though. I think we got the hellion pretty good.”

Boris nodded, reaching for the weak point only to find Eizen there, already pushing on it. He let the seraph try to break it apart, concerned when all of Eizen’s mental weight didn’t budge the thing. He added his own weight, practically throwing himself on the weak spot only to find that it was studier than he expected. He recoiled slightly, trying to push Eizen away, but there was a limit to what he was allowed and he rapidly hit it. He could feel Eizen doing the same, but nothing budged.

_“The hell?”_

Boris couldn’t do anything but agree. He looked helplessly over at Zaveid, giving him a shrug. “It won’t budge.”

“Try harder?”

“We are!” Boris winced at what felt like Eizen throwing himself everywhere inside his body, but the outcome was the same. The armatus wasn’t moving. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, hoping that Eizen would calm down.

When the seraph didn’t, he opened his eyes. He shook his head. “Nothing.”

“You’re stuck?” Boris glanced over at Melody, catching her eye just as she pressed her hands to her mouth again, but it wasn’t fast enough to hide her smile.

Boris glared at her before shrugging, giving into the answer that the facts were pointing towards. “We’re stuck.”

He almost expected the laughter that came from them, because it was a humorous situation. Boris was sure that he would have been amused by it himself, but that would take a few days. First, he wanted to get out of the strange, half-fused state. But, failing that, they had to keep moving. There was a lot of distance to cover.

Boris rolled his shoulders and walked away from the pillar and back to where his horse was miraculously still in the place he had tied it up. “Come on. We’re wasting daylight.”

He heard what sounded like agreement from the other seraphim, but it was hidden by their laughter. Boris rolled his eyes but let them laugh, privately agreeing with the grumbling that he could still hear coming from Eizen.

If this was what it was going to be like to be like on his first attempt at acting as the Shepherd, Boris was almost afraid of what would follow.

* * *

Rose played with the ends of the rope on the bundle as she stared back into the camp that was being set up. It was moving along quickly, but Rose was sure that it was because Glaivend Basin was barren and they didn’t have to worry about clearing a space of wood or working out the perimeter. There were clear lines of sight from every direction. Then again, they could be letting their guard down because she and the four seraphim were close. Rose frowned, tugging hard on the rope until it went slack in her fingers. They shouldn’t be leaning on her to guard their backs, not even when it seemed like they were winning.

Their numbers might have swelled with the deserted soldiers, but Rose didn’t know if they were loyal or not. She didn’t care if they stuck with Hyland after the war, but their immediate loyalty was important. It didn’t matter if she technically wasn’t a political figure, her friends and family were in the army and she wanted to keep them safe. Besides, numbers didn’t mitigate the fact that Sorey had a drake.

Rose shook her head and looked down at the bundle. She plucked at the edge of the frayed blanket before rolling it open. The weapons inside clanked as they knocked against each other before settling on the blanket. Rose sucked in a quick breath at the malevolence that rolled out of the weapons, quashing the urge to fold the blanket back over the weapons and throw them as far away from her as she could, but that wasn’t her job. By all rights she should be helping the seraphim stuck inside. After all, Michael had always said that he was said that it was hard to pick the weapons out of the malevolence that coated the world, and she’d seen firsthand what that imprisonment did to the seraphim. She would never forget the way that the seraphim in Gododdin had looked shaky and weak, nor could she forget it when she had Natalie with her. Natalie still flinched when weapons were drawn close to her, and Rose couldn’t blame her.

She pulled a string from the edge of the blanket before leaning back on her hands and sighing. She tipped her head back to look at where the seraphim were standing along the ridge. Only Dezel was looking back at the camp, Rose sure that he was trying to determine the loyalty of the newly acquired troops or just keeping an ear out for the scouting parties that Alisha had sent out.

They were still looking for wherever the empire’s army had disappeared to, which might be a problem considering how winding and twisting the canyons of Glaivend Basin were. It was quite possible for them to hide away in some of the smaller canyons or abandoned towns that were dotted through the basin.

Rose remembered traveling through the basin when she was younger, but not much about that place other than the taste of dirt in her mouth as the wagons of the Windriders had rolled through the canyons. Rose hummed to herself before shifting into a more comfortable position.

She looked out into the nearest canyon, fully expecting just to see nothing. Sorey might not have the best strategies, but he clearly wasn’t stupid enough to risk his army after the mauling that it had received the night before. That didn’t make her feel any more at ease. She was almost tempted to call on Edna to see if she could help them out. Certainly the earth seraph would be able to feel an army moving in the basin.

Rose sat up straight, looking over at Edna. She snapped her mouth shut as she saw the seraph leaning back against a rock. It wasn’t Edna’s usual bored expression, she looked like she was using the rock to keep herself upright. Edna had her face turned upwards towards the sun with her eyes closed, looking more asleep than anything. Rose pressed her lips together, curling her fingers into the dirt.

She scanned over the other seraphim, looking closely at them. She was used to the way that Natalie seemed to drag at times, she had always attributed that to the time that the water seraph had spent in a weapon and the strain that came from the pact. After all, the other three had had years to adjust to the sharing of power and the burden that came with the work of nearly constantly purifying the hellions that they came across. The others had always seemed to hold up well, but now she was second guessing herself.

Rose twisted to look back at the weapons, staring at them even as she heard one of the seraphim walking over. She only looked up when they came to crouch in front of her. She watched as Lailah smoothed her dress over her knees before the fire seraph started running her fingers over the weapons.

Lailah frowned as she worked over the weapons, Rose watching as she jerked her fingers away a few times. Lailah wasn’t speaking, but it wasn’t hard to guess what she was feeling.

The weapons looked innocuous on their own, just another tool of war. Rose frowned and leaned forward to stare at the weapons, trying to dredge up something. She could feel little sparks that she had come to associate with the seraphim, but most of them were dull like they were asleep, or they were too far gone to even register.

Rose shivered, pulling her hand back. She knew what malevolence felt like in living beings, it was part of her job as the Shepherd. But she had never encountered malevolence like this, or anything like the weapons. The closest she had ever gotten to them was in Gododdin, and the seraphim had already been out.

She bit her lip, studying the weapons for a moment more before reaching out to spread them out. Rose glanced up at Lailah, glad to see that the seraph looked relieved that she was handling the weapons. Rose knew that she usually would have just thrown Lailah a smile and kept going, but she wasn’t sure she could manage that, not when Lailah looked a breath away from collapsing in exhaustion.

She spread the weapons out, frowning as she concentrated on the little sparks in them. Rose trailed her fingers over the blades, at a loss of what to do next. She knew that the seraphim had to be released. It would make her as bad as the empire to keep them in place, and she had the seraphim to help purify and bolster them when she released them. It was just a matter of taking her own seraphim into consideration. Out of all of them Natalie would probably be the only one she would feel comfortable asking so much from.

Rose sighed and dropped her hands into her lap. She heard Lailah make a concerned noise, but she ignored it for the moment. She was used to the stress that a war could cause, she had seen it in the Windriders and the Hyland army over the years she had spent with them. She was sure that it was half the reason that Michael had died so soon. It was hard for them to take a break, especially when they were so close to ending the war and finally chasing the empire out of Hyland. That would be a step in the right direction, but it wouldn’t be over then. They would still have to continue purifying the land and worrying about what Alisha and whoever took over the empire were doing.

By then, they would be exhausted. Rose was sure that they would find places to take breaks, but that wouldn’t be enough to recover from all the work that they had been doing. If it didn’t feel like a betrayal, she would have suggested changing the seraphim out to give the others rest. Then again, unless they tracked down Maotelus again, Rose didn’t know how she would be able to continue purifying.

She scrubbed her hands over her face before looking back over at Lailah. The seraph wasn’t looking at her, Lailah focused entirely on the weapons. It took her a while to look back up, Rose wanting to reach out and hug her like Michael had done. Even that felt like overstepping her bounds, or something that shouldn’t be done over an armful of trapped seraphim.

Lailah looked up slowly, one of her hands reaching up to play with the broach as she spoke. “What do you think?”

Rose blinked, shaking her head to clear it. She glanced around at where the seraphim were waiting before rubbing the back of her head. “I think that we need to do this further away from the army, just in case something goes horribly wrong. And that we don’t have anywhere to send them.”

Lailah frowned at that, her fingers working over one wing of the broach. “Not far, certainly not all the way to Lohgrin. And there isn’t anything here. Not even-” She pressed her lips together and shook her head. Lailah frowned and considered the weapons for a moment before snapping her fingers. “But we could ask for their help.”

“How?”

“It wasn’t unusual for seraphim to help the humans once. Although, most probably wouldn’t now.” Lailah looked troubled for a moment, her hand dropping away from her broach. “If some of them would volunteer to stay in Hyland and protect human villages in return for prayers, then maybe we could keep areas clear of malevolence.”

Rose perked up at that, reading in between the lines of what Lailah had said. She doubted that the fire seraph would ask for a break, not when Lailah knew what they were facing, but Rose could hear the request in there.

She reached back to play with one of the strings dangling from her knives. Rose tangled it between her fingers, considering the options before them before shrugging. “I’m sure we can convince a few of them to stay and help, just so long as they don’t have to live with the humans. Close is better than nothing. And it’ll give us a break.”

Rose could tell that it had been close to the right thing to say by the way that Lailah perked up. She frowned and reaching down to tap the closest sword. “Can we do this?”

“Of course we can.”

“Lailah.” Rose hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. There was no point in beating around the bush, especially when she knew Lailah. The seraph would try to slide around the conversation around as much as possible, and Rose was never sure why. She curled her fingers more securely around the string looped through them. “Can you and the others do this?”

The moment of hesitation was a better answer than anything that Lailah could have said to her. Rose leaned forward slightly, watching as Lailah tried to come out with a diplomatic answer, giving a quick shake of her head when Lailah went to speak.

Rose sighed and reached up to drag a hand through her hair. “I thought so. I’ve been pushing you guys too hard, haven’t I?”

Lailah shrugged, reaching up to play with her hair. “We all understand. Times are tough and, therefore, a Shepherd is needed. And so are their seraphim.”

“And who can take over for us when we’re exhausted?” Rose gave Lailah a long look before shaking her head. “We need to do something different, because this is going to take a while. It won’t end when the war ends, so we need to plan. Besides, I promised Michael that I’d look after the three of you.”

Lailah smiled, Rose relieved that some of the tension that she saw in her leaking away. It wasn’t enough to ease all of it, but it was a start. Rose leaned forward, looking Lailah up and down for a moment before nodding at her. “So, as my Prime Lord, what do you suggest?”

Lailah kept quiet for a moment, her fingers dropping to trace over some of the runes on the blades. “If it was as simple as increasing our numbers, then I would suggest that. But we don’t have the time to go to Lord Maotelus and I don’t know if he has the strength for that. I think we have to consider the resources we have. In that case, we need to consider Squires, like the pact Michael offered you.”

Rose hummed and glanced back towards the camp. It was a good idea, because it would mean extra hands to help with purifying. It would still essentially be the five of them working, but the work would go faster and the seraphim would have more time to rest. It wasn’t a fool proof plan, but it would stop them all from running themselves into the ground. Besides, it was never too late to start training up the next Shepherd, because Rose was sure that she wouldn’t see the end to this job. There was more malevolence than one person could clear in a lifetime. Beyond that, there were bound to me more hidden stashes of seraphic weapons like this one.

It was just a matter of choosing the right people, the ones that could hold up against the demanding work and that could deal with the seraphim’s power. Rose knew the people that she wanted, but she also knew the likelihood of getting them. Alisha was needed to lead the resistance, which left her without her first choice. Sergei was her second choice, if only because he had proven himself to be a steady. She was sure that he would take whatever was thrown at him in stride. The problem was that he would go back to Pendrago when the whole affair was settled, Sergei was a man of his word and that tied him to Rolance. Rose wasn’t sure who else to turn to.

She hadn’t exactly gone through a long process herself. Michael had travelled with them for a while before asking her to join him in a Squire’s pact. It had been a logical choice then and Rose had never really thought back on it. She hadn’t thought about becoming the Shepherd until closer to the end either.

Rose huffed and rocked forward so she could rest her chin in the palm of her hand. “So, how do we go about interviewing people for this position?”

“There’s no right way to do it. Just go with what your gut tells you is right.”

“There’s what my gut tells me and then there’s what common sense tells me.” Rose shook her head with a sigh. She wanted to take her time to consider her choices, but she was sure that they didn’t have that time. She need to prioritize in a way that would help them survive the war, and her first priority was taking care of the emperor’s drake.

So far the drake had stuck to the hellions, but Rose was sure that Sorey was running out. She had spent every spare minute she had purifying the Hyland troops and what straggling soldiers from Rolance that she could. Rose didn’t want to find out what happened when a drake ran out of easy prey. She was sure that it would turn on the humans or the seraphim next, and then the drake would truly be out of control. It was better to take care of it before it became any more dangerous.

Rose glanced up at Lailah, considering the seraph for a moment before leaning forward. “Squires would help me with the drake. But what if it becomes a dragon? Would it be worth the risk to have them if the emperor’s seraph really does become a dragon?”

Lailah stared at her with her mouth open for a moment before she snapped it shut, shaking her head. “No amount of help will purify a dragon.”

Rose cursed, leaning back on her hands. Michael hadn’t been clear about dragons, at least more than the quick explanation that he had given her. He had said many times that he hadn’t run into any dragons, which Michael called a blessing in itself. All she knew was that dragons were what happened when seraphim had become hellions, and that they were difficult to take down. But she had never known that it was permanent.

She groaned and ruffled a hand through her hair, wracking her brains for something to do. She didn’t want to go around murdering seraphim if she didn’t have to. There were already too few left for her to just charge in without thinking.

She bit her lip, trying to figure out what line of questioning she should follow when she heard one of the other seraphim approaching. She turned her head to look, jerking back when Natalie dropped to the ground beside them.

“Mikleo isn’t a dragon.

Rose heard Lailah make a soft noise, but she was too focused on the look on Natalie’s face to work out what Lailah had meant by it. Rose shifted to look at Natalie, surprised by the furious look on her face. Rose leaned forward, careful to keep her hands in her lap and in Natalie’s line of sight. “He’s not. He’s a drake.

The seraph shook her head as she gestured off to one side. “I know that, but he’s not going to turn into one.”

“But-”

“I know what it looks like, but I promise it’s not that bad yet. He can still be helped.”

Rose frowned and glanced back over at Lailah. She watched Lailah sit down on the ground as well, the seraph folding her hands in her lap. Rose recognized the position from when she was younger, the one that meant that Lailah was about to talk seriously about something that probably wouldn’t go her way. Rose bit her lip and leaned back, watching the two seraphim carefully.

Lailah didn’t let the silence linger for too long, the seraph fixing Natalie with a concerned look. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Natalie nodded, her fingers curling into her pants. “The last time I was with him he was tainted with malevolence, but he wasn’t in danger of being overwhelmed. And he still had his circlet, so he’ll be safe.”

“His circlet?”

Natalie nodded, not looking up at either of them. “When Zenrus found him he was so young. It was just after Camlann fell, and there was so much malevolence lingering that we were worried. Zenrus did his best to set up a domain to keep it all at bay, but things happen. I can’t remember who decided that we should do it, but we blessed his circlet, to keep him safe just in case the worst happened. There were so few seraphim and he was the only child that anyone had seen for centuries. We doted on him and just wanted to keep him safe. But the blessing is wearing off, he wouldn’t be able to turn into a drake otherwise. It’s only a matter of time before he…” Natalie leaned forward like she was going to bow, but she stopped herself part of the way through the motion. “We need to help him before that happens.”

Rose glanced between the two of them, fully expecting the look that Lailah shot her. She was sure that Lailah had already made up her mind, but that wouldn’t stop her from asking the Shepherd’s opinion. Rose sighed and shrugged. “He seems really close to the emperor.”

“That’s no reason to let him become corrupted! Besides, if he has the emperor’s ear, then we might have a chance to turn this around.”

Rose exchanged a look with Lailah. She was sure that Mikleo had more than the emperor’s ear considering the way he had reacted when Mikleo had faltered in the middle of the battle. Rose rubbed her nose, even though the scent of omega in heat was long gone. A long day of searching the canyons of Glaivend Basin had chased it out and replaced it with dirt. Still, that didn’t change much.

If they could sway the emperor to stop the war then they could end it all before things got worse. It would solve her problem too, because it meant that they could take it a little slower. Rose was sure that she would still need Squires, clearing the malevolence was too big a job for herself alone. The problem would then what they would do with the emperor.

Stripping him of his title was the first step, and then it was a matter of keeping him locked up until they could settle things with Rolance. Doing that would solve half of their problems with Sorey, but what they would end up doing with him would still be in the air. Their actions would be limited if Mikleo was really attached, because she couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to anger a seraph, not when he could be of use.

If worst came to worst, they could always lock Sorey up for the rest of his life.

Rose nodded slowly. “Alright. We’ll work on purifying Mikleo the next shot we get at him.”

She expected a curt nod or any of the focused silence that she had come to associate with Natalie. Instead, she got a broad smile, Natalie scrambling to her feet and looking completely revitalized. Rose watched in shock as Natalie walked away, her gaze lingering on the seraph for a moment before shifting her gaze over to where Edna was practically dozing on her feet. She almost felt worse about her promise now, because she hadn’t managed to do anything for Edna.

Then again, she could be sitting by the solution.

Rose turned her head to look at the weapons, staring at the runes on them before picking up a sword and setting it on her lap. “Lailah, can you tell who’s in here?”

“No. It’s a muddle of malevolence.”

Rose felt the corner of her mouth quirk up, but she quickly tamped down on her amusement. There was a time and a place for it. The more important thing was to get the seraphim free and healed up as much as they could.

She set the sword down on the ground before getting to her feet. Rose rolled her shoulders, shaking her arms out before drawing a knife. “Ready Lailah?”

The fire seraph got to her feet, stretching her arms over her head before letting them drop back down. Rose felt a flare of heat as her back as Lailah set up a barrier, but she didn’t bother to look back. The camp would be protected from what happened, which was all that mattered. Rose was sure that they could handle anything that was thrown at them, no matter how tough it got.

Rose raised her blade in a salute to Lailah, showing that she was ready before settling herself into place, waiting for the first snap of power that would break apart the weapons.

* * *

The sky was bright with stars, but Sorey’s attention wasn’t on them. His focus was split between the plodding horse he was leading and Mikleo’s scent.

He swallowed and refocused his gaze on the ground. They were moving along the edge of a ridge, looking for a way down. Sorey knew that they were heading the wrong way, but they would adjust their course when they got down to the lower levels of the basin. But going up to the rises had seemed like a good idea when a Hyland patrol had chased them out of the last place that Sorey had found when Mikleo’s heat had gotten too much for him.

Sorey looked back over his shoulder, trying to look through the darkness for any signs of pursuit, but he couldn’t see anything. Then again, that didn’t mean that no one was there.

He shivered and dropped his gaze back to the ridge they were following. Even if the patrol was still back there, he doubted they would be able to trail after them too far. They could follow Mikleo’s scent all they wanted, but traveling in Glaivend Basin was too dangerous to do at night. It was too easy to slip off a ridge or into one of the canyons that had opened up deep into the earth. Only the really stupid would be daring to travel at night. The stupid or very desperate; Sorey wasn’t sure which he qualified as.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the trail that he was following start to slope downward. Sorey pulled on the reins to slow the horse down, glancing around before carefully starting to pick his way down.

Sorey let the horse do more of the leading, sure that the animal would have a better handle on the terrain, even as exhausted as it was. He reached up to tangle his fingers in the horse’s mane, leaning heavily against it. His feet skidded over the loose rock and stone, Sorey gritting his teeth as he tried to get his balance. It was hard when the horse trotted down the final feet to the bottom of the basin.

The horse didn’t stop there, Sorey clinging to it as it kept trotting forward. He was about to pull on the reins to slow it down when he heard the sound of running water. He perked up, straining to see in the dark. The only sign that there was something different than the sand was a slight shimmer in the night, Sorey breathing a sigh of relief at the sight.

He let go of the horse’s reins, the animal trotting right into the shallow stream and lowering its head to drink. Sorey watched it for a moment before walking down the side of the horse, resting a hand on Mikleo’s knee.

It took the seraph far too long to look down at him, Sorey not sure if it was because of the heat making his sluggish or exhaustion. Mikleo had to be tired by now between the waves of his heat and the day before. The seraph had hardly gotten a moment to rest.

Sorey whined in the back of his throat, leaning forward to press a kiss against Mikleo’s knee. He felt the seraph jump, Sorey muttering an apology against his skin.

He reached up to run his fingers up and down the curve of Mikleo’s calf, tipping his head up so he could see Mikleo’s expression. With the seraph framed by the stars, Mikleo looked more beautiful than ever.

He swallowed harshly, his eyes sliding closed as Mikleo reached down to card fingers through his hair. The soft touch was almost enough to make him want to stay like that forever, but the pull of exhaustion was too much for him. Or was it the gnawing of the malevolence? Sorey couldn’t differentiate between the two of them, it always seemed like one of the two was affecting him. It probably didn’t matter, because he could smell the next wave of heat coming, the smell of wet earth deep and heady.

Sorey pressed his face into Mikleo’s skin and took a deep breath, feeling Mikleo’s hand tighten in his hair. He swallowed and pressed a few more kisses against Mikleo’s leg before lifting his head away. “Hold on a moment more. I need to get things prepared.”

He waited until he saw Mikleo nod before moving. He took a step towards the horse’s flanks, immediately having to reach out to brace himself against the horse as the world spun in front of his eyes for a moment. Sorey swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut, taking a few deep breaths before reaching out for the bedroll that he had hastily tied to the back of the saddle before they had ridden off again.

The knot came free easily with a tug, Sorey pulling the bedroll free before stumbling away. He tucked the bedroll under his arm, glancing back towards the stream. It should be easy enough to judge where it began and ended, but he doubted that they would find any kind of shelter where they were. Still, he could see the vague outline of something that looked like a bush that he could tie the horse to and still allow the animal to get to the stream.

Sorey spread the bedroll out on the ground before turning to come back for Mikleo. The seraph was already reaching out for him, Sorey sagging a little under Mikleo’s weight. He tightened his hold on Mikleo, shivering when the seraph slid against him. Sorey dropped his head to Mikleo’s shoulder, gripping at Mikleo’s waist. He turned his head to breathe in Mikleo’s scent, using the moment to try and get his legs to stop shaking.

He swallowed, loosening his grip with one hand so he could gently tip Mikleo’s head to the side. It was so tempting to bury his face in there and just breathe Mikleo in, or to bite and suck until there was another bruise. But there were other things to do first, and Mikleo deserved to be comfortable.

“Hey, can you hang on a minute?”

It took Mikleo a moment to respond, Sorey shivering when Mikleo dug his fingers into him. “Only a minute.”

“I promise. Then I’m yours.”

Mikleo shuddered, but let go of him. Sorey bit his lip to smother a whimper. He’d get to hold Mikleo again, just as soon as he was done taking care of the horse. They would need it if they wanted to keep ahead of the Hyland patrols and get to Marlind in time to meet with the rest of the army.

Sorey took the reins, ignoring the quiver in his hands as he led the horse over to the bush. He tied the reins loosely in place, watching the animal as it poked around at the sparse grass by the stream. It wasn’t ideal, but Sorey was sure that they had made good progress towards the forest that led into Marlind. As soon as they got there, they could afford a longer rest. The walls of Marlind would protect them for long enough for things to be put back in order.

Sorey leaned his forehead against the horse for a moment, taking deep breaths as he tried to steady himself. If there was any more pursuit, the horse would warn them, but Sorey doubted that they needed to worry about it too much. Any patrols should have turned back by now. Chasing down the emperor and his dragon wouldn’t be worth risking their lives. The Hyland army had the advantage, and they had to know it.

He sighed and pushed away from the horse, staring out past the stream. He could only hope that his own army was alright, and that the generals would hold off moving until he got back. It was a thin hope, but it was all he had.

His next breath brought the scent of Mikleo’s heat with it, Sorey turning automatically towards the scent. Mikleo was standing naked in the space between him and the bedroll, glorious and ethereal. Sorey traced the curve of Mikleo’s shoulder with a lingering gaze, snapping his attention back when Mikleo help a hand out to him.

“Sorey.” There was a command in the tone, one that Sorey was helpless against. It was his omega in heat, and the closest he had heard Mikleo come to begging.

He crossed the distance between them quickly, snatching up Mikleo’s hand with one of his own while the other dropped down to rest on Mikleo’s waist. He pulled the seraph up against him, hearing Mikleo practically purr at the contact. Sorey ducked his head to nuzzle into Mikleo’s neck, moving his way up towards Mikleo’s scent glands.

Mikleo shivered at the touch, his fingers squeezing tight on Sorey’s hand. “Sorey…”

That was a call that he couldn’t ignore. Sorey lifted his head from Mikleo’s neck, staring to move the seraph back towards the bedroll. Mikleo went without a complaint, already pushing Sorey’s coat off of his shoulders. Sorey let it fall to the ground, more focused on the way that Mikleo was working his fingers under his shirt, stripping that from him too.

Sorey waited until Mikleo had tugged his shirt off of him as well and had started on his belt before leaning in to kiss him. He felt Mikleo’s fingers stutter for a moment in their work, and then Mikleo’s hands were scrambling at his ass as he tried to pull him closer. Sorey huffed out a laugh and lifted his hands to Mikleo’s shoulders. They didn’t stay there for long, Sorey smoothing them down Mikleo’s sides until they rested on his hips. Sorey rubbed his thumbs over the sweep of Mikleo’s hip bone before shifting his grip to hold Mikleo steady as he bore him backwards onto the bedroll.


	26. Chapter 23

“‘I have been in the Valley of Fear. I am not out of it yet.’ – ‘Are we never to get out of the Valley of Fear’ I have asked of him when I have seen him more serious than usual. ‘Sometimes I think that we never shall,’ he has answered.”  
- _The Valley of Fear_ , Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

* * *

 

Alisha pulled her horse up, raising her hand to wave at Clem as the woman wheeled her horse around. Clem took a moment to respond, not that Alisha was worried about the delay; Clem had a lot to organize.

When she had gotten the news that the Shepherd and the patrol she had ridden out with had run into trouble the word that had been used was battle. Alisha had rushed out of the half packed down camp with the soldiers that were available. Sergei’s promise to follow her when the packing was done with a touch that had lingered too long for propriety, but far too short for her tastes.

Now that she had arrived, Alisha was sure that someone had over exaggerated. Skirmish might have been pushing it, but rout would have been better.

She looked over the careful lines of soldiers in the empire’s red and black sitting carefully to one side. Some of the patrol were carrying over the next soldiers and laying them out, Alisha watching the rise and fall of their chests. If they were unconscious, that meant that they were Rose’s work. Although, from the size of the group, Alisha was sure that Rose and the seraphim had been doing all of the fighting.

Alisha looked back over to where Clem was riding back and forth in front of a line of kneeling soldiers. Another two of the patrol were carefully disarming the soldiers, although none of them looked like they were going to pick a fight. Still, it made her wish that Sergei had come along with them. The soldiers always seemed to be put at ease with him around.

Her attention was pulled away from the soldiers when her horse shied at a rush of wind. Alisha rode out the spook, twisting to see the whirling column of wind settle down, revealing unconscious soldiers and Rose.

Alisha slipped off her horse, throwing the reins back at Shiller. She didn’t bother to look back to see if the woman caught them because she was already jogging over to Clem.

As she ran she threw worried glances at where the Shepherd was poking through the unconscious men. She wanted to go and check, but that was Shepherd business and secondary to the affairs of Hyland at the moment. Alisha sighed and raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked up at Clem. “I was told there was a battle.”

“If there was, I missed it too.” Clem dismounted, reaching her free hand out to clasp the one that Alisha offered. “I told Davies to warn you that we had more deserters, not to send the camp into a panic.”

“We were about ready to leave anyway. And Sergei will be along soon enough.”

“Good. We’ve got someone special here that I want his opinion of…if his shadow will leave him alone long enough.”

Alisha tried her best to chuckle, ignoring the sour twist in her stomach. That too was something for later.

Alisha cleared her throat and looked over the soldiers, noticing how many dropped their gazes down. There were a few that stared in awe, like she was some kind of salvation. Alisha shifted in place under the weight of their gazes, quick to turn her attention to making a count of the soldiers as Clem continued her report.

“We ran into them while escorting the seraphim. They didn’t look like anything more than stragglers, but we held a line just in case. Most of them surrendered as soon as they caught sight of us. It was the ones that were practically hellions and the hellions themselves that attacked, but we left that to Shepherd Rose.”

“And the seraphim?”

“Scattered off before the first surrender.” Clem shrugged. “I don’t know where they went, but Rose said that they would be fine.”

“Then they will be. Thank you, Clem.”

The woman saluted before leading her horse back towards the lines of Rolance soldiers. Alisha left her to it. Clem was more than capable of handling the situation. Besides, she could see Rose approaching out of the corner of her eye and it was impossible not to turn and greet her.

She looked Rose over, only stopping when the Shepherd shook her head. “Stop. I didn’t do anything too dangerous. If you want to check anyone for scratches, look over Dezel. He was more in the thick of it than I was.”

From the way that Rose’s gaze went unfocused, Alisha assumed that Dezel had some choice words for her. She smiled and waited for Rose to shake herself out of it before reaching out to grab Rose’s hand. She felt Rose jump in surprise before the woman gave her a wide smile. “I mean it, princess. I’m fine. It’s nothing more than what we’ve usually been handling.”

Alisha frowned, resisting the urge to look back at the group of unconscious soldiers. She had never counted the number of hellions that Rose had purified, and she almost regretted it. It didn’t matter that Rose wasn’t technically part of the army, she had been looking after it and the Shepherd for as long as she could remember. It didn’t matter that the Shepherd had changed, it was still her job to watch over the one person who could help them piece the world back together.

She startled out of her thoughts as Rose squeezed her hand before letting go. She didn’t have much time to mourn the contact because Rose moved to stand beside her, bumping their shoulders together. “Lighten up, princess. I think we’ve just gotten ourselves a victory.”

“I thought you were supposed to stay above that sort of thing.”

It took Rose a beat to realize that she was joking, Rose smirking before giving Alisha a light punch to the shoulder. “Look at you being humorous.”

“I’ve been taking lessons.” Alisha sighed when Rose’s hand rested back on her shoulder, not bothering to remove it. It felt good there, something wonderfully familiar in the midst of all the stress of the war. She glanced around at the soldiers before tipping her head to the side. “He can’t have much more after this. Between the attack before the basin and this…”

“We have him in the ropes. Whatever that means.” Alisha turned to look at Rose, narrowing her eyes. Rose shrugged and leaned into her, gazing out into the dusty canyons of the basin. “Have you really thought about what we’re going to do with him once we’ve won? Other than not put him back on the throne.”

Alisha swallowed but nodded. It would have been remiss of her if she wasn’t planning ahead. The problem was that she had never really believed that they would get to this point like this. Everything she had were vague ideas, nothing that was remotely satisfying. Then again, there was one thing that she was sure on.

“We have to settle this truce, and make sure it’s followed this time.” Alisha glanced back at Rose, expecting some kind of laugh or Rose to start to push her on the details. When Rose remained silent, Alisha swallowed and pushed forward. “I still remember some of the terms of the treaty from before, and they were agreeable terms. It might be a bit awkward because we’d have to treat with Sergei instead of Sorey but we have to get that done before we can move on anything else.”

Rose nodded. “We can’t leave the ruler of Rolance up to chance, especially after what happened the last time.”

Alisha tried not to flinch at the reminder. Rose might have written Sorey off, but she couldn’t because his behavior was so strange. It might have been easier to believe that everything that he had done in Pendrago had been a lie, but Alisha couldn’t bring herself believe that. There had been something genuine there, she was sure of it. The problem was that she had no idea what had caused the switch. As much as she wanted to search out the answer, Alisha was sure she wouldn’t get it.

She shook her head, trying to focus on the subject at hand again. “We can’t interfere with that, no matter how much we want to.”

“No interference, got it. But disapproval goes a long way, and they’ve got a lot of that coming their way. I’m pretty sure the empire will rise up if they try to go to war again.”

“We can only hope.”

Rose snorted, lifting her hand from Alisha’s shoulder. “I think you’ve won the loyalty of the most of the army as it is. If it was any other person, they would have killed them all.”

Alisha made a face and looked away. “That’s barbaric.”

“That’s Rolance.”

Alisha sighed and shook her head. She reached up to adjust her ponytail, pulling it tight again. “We shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves.”

“Right. We need Sergei to give that general the go ahead.” Rose turned to where the conscious soldiers were sitting, Alisha moving with her.

They all looked far more relaxed, Alisha seeing a few of them laughing. A few more were stripping the red and black tabards they wore and tossing them over their shoulders. It was a move that made her want to smile, but she kept herself from reading too far into it. The soldiers were just the stragglers that they had caught up to, and they were probably just tired from the long war and equally long marches. Besides, the common soldiers were often the ones who suffered the worst. They were pulled into the war and kept there despite how much they wanted to go home. Alisha sympathized with them.

She wanted something more than distant glimpses of Ladylake and her unreliable memory of the place.

After all, it had practically been twenty years since she had gone back.

Alisha sighed, looking over the soldiers. She wondered how long it had been since they had gotten the chance to go home.

She was pulled out of her reverie when Rose moved away from her, Alisha swaying into the space that Rose had left before turning her head to see what had captured her attention.

The rest of the Hyland forces were moving in, Alisha watching as the milled at the head of the canyon before they started moving off. Alisha had to squint a bit to make out who was in the lead, smiling when she saw Tal’s blond hair. They probably wouldn’t go too far off, not when there wasn’t any real destination to head towards. Their mission to chase down the empire’s army hadn’t changed, but there was still a lot of ground to cover. It would be easier with a direction, and Alisha was sure that they might be able to get something out of the general.

She gave him a quick look out of the corner of her eye before stepping forward to greet the riders that were coming their way. She wasn’t surprised to see Sergei considering that it was a surrender. If he hadn’t come away from the rest of the army she would have sent someone to find him. Alisha cast her gaze around, picking out where there were a few former Platinum Knights scattered in amongst the patrol. She saw Andrei snap to something like attention before he seemed to remember himself, then he went back to helping lay out the soldiers that Rose had purified.

Alisha sighed and turned back around. That was one thing she would miss when the war was settled. The Platinum Knights had folded into her own knights nicely, to the point where the two groups were working together more often than not. She knew that it would be strange to look across the map table and only find Rose there but she wouldn’t be able to hold the Platinum Knights back. They were bound by oath to their country and she didn’t trust anyone else to handle bringing the empire back.

She lifted her hand to wave at Sergei, abruptly jerking it back down when she saw who had peeled away from the army to follow him. Rose seemed to recognize his shadow at the same time.

“Oh.” Alisha nodded, looking back over in time to see Rose reach for her knife. Alisha groaned and reached over to grab Rose’s hand before she could pull it free. Rose jerked slightly against her hold, but didn’t try to pull the knife out. Instead, she rumbled out a low growl.

Alisha plastered a smile on her face as the two of them rode up, taking in the pleading look on Sergei’s face before looking over at Gouldman. She gave him a nod, sure by the way he reacted that he heard Rose’s growl. She knew that she should say something, but it was hard when she personally agreed with Rose. After all, they had seen Sergei first.

She let go of Rose’s wrist, stepping forward to grab the reins of Sergei’s horse. Alisha quickly shoved them at Rose, relieved when Rose took them without an argument. It was probably the surprise, but she wasn’t going to look too hard at the small blessing. Anything to keep Rose from reacting too harshly. They still needed Gouldman for a little while longer.

Alisha turned on her heel and gestured towards the general sitting with the rest of the soldiers. She heard Sergei suck in a quick breath before he walked forward.

The two stared at each other for a moment before the general dipped his head in acknowledgment. “General Sergei. I think you were the smartest out of any of us. You got out before it got bad.”

Sergei shifted in place, clearly uncomfortable with the reminder. Alisha swayed towards him, stopping herself before she could do anything more. The general looked shifty enough and it was rare that one would be traveling with a group of stragglers unless he had been aiming at getting himself caught. Then they had to be suspicious because it told them much more than the general probably ever would.

The general sighed and leaned back on his hands. “I was hoping to be found. We’ve been wandering this place all night.”

“What about the others?” Alisha jumped at Rose’s question, looking back at the woman before looking over at the horses. Gouldman was now holding both of them with a confused and longing look on his face. Alisha watched him for a moment before scooting a little closer to Sergei, watching for the moment that the man understood it. Gouldman just tipped his head to the side, Alisha sighing and letting it stand. Gouldman would figure it out soon enough on his own, there were more important things to focus on.

She turned just in time to catch the sneer on the general’s face before he smoothed his expression over. “There were no official retreat orders. The emperor had…other things on his mind. We were just told to meet in one spot, but we got lost from the main group sometime during the night.”

Rose huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Got lost or left?”

The general didn’t answer, but he didn’t shoot Rose a disgusted look. He reined himself in quickly, bowing his head slightly. “Does it matter? I’m prepared to help you end this disastrous war.”

It was Sergei’s turn to huff, the man staring down the general. “At what cost.”

“None. I would have demanded safety for my men, but I’ve heard enough rumors to know that Princess Alisha would never allow that sort of thing. Everything I give you, I give for free in the hopes that we can still save Rolance.” The general cleared his throat, Alisha raising an eyebrow at the way he straightened his back and puffed himself up. “The plan is to meet at Marlind and use the walls of the city to help the army rest. I can’t give you an exact timeline, because it all depends on the emperor. As soon as he thinks the army is ready, he’ll march out, even if the rest of it is straggling through the basin. After all, he has a dragon. As soon as he’s finished fucking it.”

The general smiled, but Alisha rolled her eyes at his crassness. She didn’t think that anyone would have missed that Mikleo had gone into heat. Besides, he and Sorey were close, so it was easy to guess that the two of them would seek each other out. From what Alisha had seen of him, she couldn’t imagine Mikleo allowing anyone else to touch him but Sorey.

Alisha glanced up at where Clem was hovering towards the back of the group of soldiers. She gave Clem a nod, stepping away as Clem rallied her patrol to start moving the conscious soldiers back to the army. They would have to send wagons for the unconscious ones, but it was far better than leaving them with a few soldiers. It would be better for them if they had their comrades close by. Besides, Alisha didn’t want to leave anyone behind in case they got lost too. Dragon or not, she would prefer overwhelming odds when she went to surround what was left of Sorey’s army.

She drummed her fingers against her leg, looking between Sergei and Rose. “Then our next move is Marlind. And quickly, before anyone else can get there. Send riders ahead to warn Marlind and tell them to prepare. Have them stay with them, just to bolster their numbers.”

Sergei nodded, motioning towards where Andrei was hovering. Alisha watched the man walk over before turning her attention to where Shiller was leading her horse over to where Gouldman was holding the other two horses. She jogged forward to take the grey’s reins, nodding her thanks to Shiller. She tossed the reins over the horse’s head, pausing to look back over at Rose. She knew what the army would do, but that didn’t guarantee that Rose would be following them.

Alisha dragged her hands down the reins, shifting in place. Some part of her wanted to urge Rose to come with them, because she couldn’t think of a better time for Sorey to attempt to use his dragon. It was completely out of character for the Sorey that she knew, but it made sense if she thought ruthlessly. If that was the case, then Alisha would have been happy to have the Shepherd along with her. There were plenty of stories about whole battalions fighting dragons when the empire still used them, but they all ended in death for both the dragon and the battalion of soldiers. Alisha wasn’t sure how much the Shepherd would help, but there were always legends about them slaying dragons. And it had to help in some way.

She bit her lip for a moment before reaching out to touch Rose’s elbow as she walked past. Rose immediately turned towards her, although by the way that she kept glancing ahead there was something that was calling her attention. Alisha sighed, sure that the motion was enough of an answer, but she had to ask. “What are your plans?”

“I was going to try and clear ahead. Marlind will have an easier time of it if they weren’t trying to fend off hellions.” Rose shrugged and looked away. “I’m not going off too far and I won’t go after them alone. The two of them are pretty far down my list of things to take care of.”

Rose gave her a jaunty salute before walking off, Alisha following after her until Sergei edged up to her side. She looked back at him just in time to catch the quick glance he threw Gouldman’s way before he settled into a parade rest. “Andrei has volunteered to go.”

Alisha shook her head. “I’ll send out a fresh patrol. Clem and Andrei have done enough today. I was thinking Bolta and Nestor’s team, just because their horses are fresh. We need speed.”

“Of course.” Sergei frowned, glancing back over at the general before rolling his shoulders. “Are you going to trust him?”

“Do you think I should?”

“He has nothing to lose by telling you the truth. I’m honestly surprised that it’s taken them this long to start to leave Sorey. He obviously hasn’t been listening to any of them.”

“That’s more like him.”

Sergei chuckled, the sound quick to die. “Maybe there is something left of him. I sincerely hope so.”

Alisha reached out to touch him, but she was quick to jerk her hand back. Sergei shrunk into himself slightly, Alisha watching his body language before letting him be. Out of all of them, he probably knew Sorey the best.

She sighed and swung up onto her horse, waiting until she had her feet settled in her stirrups before she looked back down at Sergei. “If we can beat them to Marlind, then there’s a chance that we can end this before something worse starts. And I don’t want to finish this up and not be prepared. I need you to ride with me and help me piece together the terms of the original treaty. That’s a better starting point than nothing.”

Sergei perked up at that, Alisha glad to see an interest. After all, if she had any say in who would have sway over Rolance for the next few years, she would prefer to have the Platinum Knights there. She twisted in the saddle to look at Gouldman, smiling at him before nodding over at the soldiers. “Could you look after them?”

Gouldman was quick to salute. “Of course, your highness.”

Alisha let the use of her title slide, there were far more important things to argue about. Instead, she gave him a thankful nod as she nudged her horse forward. Over the sound of the animal’s hoofbeats she could hear Gouldman shouting orders to get the soldiers organized and start transporting the unconscious soldiers back to the main group. She trusted Gouldman to work efficiently, he had never proven otherwise. Besides, he would keep a careful eye on them while she was working on the next set of problems.

After all, they were frighteningly close to Marlind, which didn’t leave her much time to plan out the rough outline of a treaty and keep a watch for Sorey’s army. It didn’t matter that they would outnumber anything that Sorey threw at them, she wanted to do this as quickly as possible. She was getting tired of the war, and it was long past the time for it to be stopped.

* * *

Sorey watched Mikleo’s face as the seraph arched off the ground, biting his lip as Mikleo clenched around him. He allowed himself one blissful moment before pulling out. He didn’t move far, Sorey grinding against Mikleo’s hip as he sought out his own release.

It didn’t take much, Sorey shivering as Mikleo clawed at his back. He gasped out something that may had been Mikleo’s name, but he wasn’t sure that he got all of the syllables out. None of that mattered in the rush of release, not that it lasted long. It was quickly replaced by disappointment of a failed knot, but it had to be done.

Sorey pressed his forehead against Mikleo’s breathing heavily. He could hear Mikleo doing the same, most of his breaths coming out on a whine. He hands scrambled at Sorey’s back, the seraph digging his nails in with a force that made him wince.

“Sorey…”

“I know.” Sorey swallowed, testing the limits of how far Mikleo would allow him to move. It wasn’t too far, not with the way that Mikleo was tugging at him. He sighed and pressed his forehead harder against Mikleo’s. “I know, Mikleo.”

“Please just…” Mikleo let go of him with one hand, groping between them. “Just for a little bit. Don’t want to feel empty.”

Sorey shook his head, closing his eyes as Mikleo arched up against him. It was tempting just to give in, to let his instincts and Mikleo’s scent take over. But they didn’t have the time.

He lifted his head, glancing around. They had managed to find their way into the forest by Marlind, which was an achievement in itself. Now they just had to find the rest of the army, which was probably easier said than done. Sorey was sure that they had managed to make better time than he and Mikleo had, but the army hadn’t had to stop every hour.

Sorey smoothed his hands down Mikleo’s side, the motion seeming to calm Mikleo down. It was just enough to give him the chance to push away from the seraph. It was hard to ignore the whine that Mikleo gave and the hands that reached for him. Sorey caught one, pressing a kiss to Mikleo’s knuckles, but he didn’t give in. They had to keep moving if they were to reach Marlind before Alisha’s forces did or before the generals gave up on him for good.

He dropped Mikleo’s hand, rolling away from him before Mikleo could grab onto him again. It was hard enough to keep himself away with the scent of Mikleo in heat. He wanted to bury himself back into the scent and hold Mikleo close until he was ready to go again. He wanted it as desperately as Mikleo, but he couldn’t, not until they were somewhere safe.

Sorey stood up on shaking legs, backing away from Mikleo as the seraph writhed on the ground. He had to look away when Mikleo rolled onto his stomach, presenting himself. Sorey took quick, shallow breaths, trying not to breathe in too much of Mikleo’s scent. He didn’t need that, not when he had to remain focused.

He took a few more steps away before turning to where they had dumped their clothes. Sorey knelt by the pile, sorting through them. He was relieved that they had left most of their layers off. Sorey glanced over at where the horse was calmly grazing at the end of its reins. He eyed the bulging saddlebags before shaking his head. He would have to unpack their things from there as soon as they got back to the camp, if only just to air out their things. Sorey assumed that they would have the time, especially if they were going to hold out in Marlind.

He was sure that they would, Sorey couldn’t see any of his generals agreeing on an immediate plan of attack for Ladylake. After that, he would have to figure out a way to make sure that the people in the city would be safe and how to avoid too much damage to his own men.

Sorey groaned and reached up to rub his temples, feeling a headache start to build. He didn’t know if it was because of the many aborted knots over the past few hours or if it was because of all of the stress. For all he knew, it was both, which just made him worry about Mikleo.

As if the thought had summoned him, Sorey felt a weight settle on his back. Sorey hummed and tilted his head back, feeling Mikleo nuzzle into his neck. He shivered as he felt Mikleo’s lips ghost over his scent glad, almost tempted to reach back and coax Mikleo into biting down. He was sure that it would calm the both of them down, because everything that they had done was highly irregular.

Heats were supposed to be done somewhere comfortable and safe. There was stress, but it wasn’t because of travel and being left wanting. He felt guilty that he hadn’t been able to provide the simplest aspects of that.

Sorey sighed and leaned his head to the side until it knocked against Mikleo’s. He stayed still there for a moment, his eyes fluttering closed as Mikleo mouthed at his neck.

“Sorey…we’re not done…”

He whined, managing to shake his head. “We have to move.”

“We’re safe. We’re out of the basin.”

Sorey opened his eyes to glance around the forest, the idea very tempting. They had made it to the forest that surrounded the Bors ruins. From there they could easily circle around to Marlind and wherever his army was waiting. But they couldn’t, because they still had to get into Marlind, and they might need Mikleo for that.

He winced at the thought, the motion enough to draw a concerned noise from Mikleo. Sorey shook his head, reaching down to remove Mikleo’s hands from his body. “We’re not safe yet.”

Mikleo grumbled, but allowed himself to be guided around in soft tugs. Sorey smiled when he could see Mikleo’s face. He slid his fingers under Mikleo’s chin, gently lifting it slightly. “We’re almost there, I promise. Then I’m yours.”

That didn’t seem to settle him completely, but some of the tension in Mikleo’s shoulders relaxed. It didn’t stop him from looking exhausted. It was enough to break Sorey’s heart. Mikleo should have been getting the chance to rest between bouts of heat instead of being jostled around on a horse. He had the chance to rectify that if they moved quickly.

He let go of Mikleo to gather his clothes from the ground. He pulled on his undershirt and pants quickly, offering Mikleo his coat. Mikleo stared at the coat before slipping it on, Sorey seeing the seraph shudder at the touch of it. It was no wonder considering how oversensitive Mikleo would be. Sorey swallowed back a whimper and turned his gaze away. Worrying about it would get him nowhere, not when there was a way to fix the problem if he worked fast enough.

Sorey got up and walked over to the bedroll, quickly rolling it up and tying it in place messily. He didn’t think that there was much hope for the thing, it would probably have to be burnt as soon as they were in camp. Still, it was better than having Mikleo lay on the ground.

He slung the bedroll onto his shoulder, walking back to the horse. Sorey glanced at where Mikleo was still shivering on the ground, giving the seraph a long and lingering look. He’d never seen Mikleo react like this, but then again he didn’t know what Mikleo was like in heat all the time. Two heats was not enough to form a pattern, not when one of them had been highly irregular. Sorey took a deep breath, trying to figure out if there was a specific reason, but everything was drowned in the scent of them.

He quickly tied the bedroll in place before turning around to face Mikleo, watching as the seraph pushed himself off of the ground. Mikleo swayed in place, looking a bit woozy. Sorey felt his stomach drop as it looked like Mikleo would fall over. He stepped away from the horse, reaching out to grab Mikleo when the seraph snapped out of whatever had made him so wobbly. That didn’t stop Mikleo from reaching out to grab his hand, snuggling up close to him.

Sorey hugged him close, sliding his hands down to Mikleo’s waist. “Ready?”

He got a groan as a reply, which he took as an answer. Sorey tightened his grip on Mikleo’s hips and lifted him up onto the horse, trying to ignore the way that his arms shook. It was getting harder to lift Mikleo, and Sorey didn’t want to think too hard about why.

He settled Mikleo in the saddle, making sure that the seraph wouldn’t immediately slide off before swinging himself into the saddle. It was automatic to wrap his arm around Mikleo’s waist, pulling him securely against him. The tight knot in his chest eased somewhat when he felt Mikleo lean back against him, Sorey finally giving into the urge to nuzzle into Mikleo’s hair. He took a deep breath to steady himself, a bit confused about Mikleo’s scent. There was something different about it, but it was very likely that it was the stress or his own exhaustion. Sorey was surprised that he could stay upright on the horse.

Sorey curled his fingers around the reins and into the horse’s mane. He just had to stay awake long enough to get close to Marlind, and that was a workable goal.

He wrapped his arm more securely around Mikleo before tipping his head up to look at the position of the sun. It took him longer than usual to figure out which direction that were going. Sergei would have been ashamed, especially after all those days spent teaching him how to navigate, just in case he had ever gotten separated from the Platinum Knights.

He glanced back in the direction of Pendrago, swaying in the saddle before shaking his head. That part of his life was done, and there was nothing ahead of him but finishing up the war. Everything else would follow, and he had to keep telling himself that until he believed it.

Sorey sighed and loosened his hold on the horse’s mane. He kicked the horse forward, swaying a bit at the halting steps that the horse took before it settled into an easier gait. Sorey smile and gave the horse an awkward pat. At least one of them was awake, and it was more likely that the horse would find the others before Sorey did. Anywhere with horses was better than getting lost roaming the forest.

He glanced ahead to make sure that they were on the right course and wouldn’t run into anything before he dropped his forehead to rest on Mikleo’s shoulder. He felt Mikleo start slightly, but the seraph was quick to relax back into him. Sorey gave Mikleo an exhausted smile, sure that Mikleo didn’t even see it, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he had Mikleo close and that they were heading to a place where he could eat and sleep in between keeping Mikleo satisfied. The generals would allow him that, he needed them to.

Sorey sighed, feeling Mikleo’s hand rise to rest on his own. Mikleo’s fingers slid between his own, the seraph holding his hand tightly, like it was his only life line. Sorey squeezed his hand back, hoping that Mikleo didn’t mind that he was holding onto him equally as tightly.

* * *

Mikleo started out of his half doze at the smell of the camp. He jerked upright in the saddle, scrambling at Sorey’s arm when it felt like Sorey would tip out of the saddle.

He felt Sorey jump, like he had been asleep the entire time too. Sorey’s arms tightened around him to keep him safe as Sorey righted himself. The motion seemed to be too much from the horse because it stumbled, floundering for a moment before it gained its balance.

Mikleo went along with the motion, too used to the sway of the horse to be annoyed by it. The animal had to be as tired at the two of them were, but at least the horse would get to stop soon. The two of them would probably have to keep going.

He growled low in his throat and looked down at the camp, his eyes immediately going to the red banners with the crest of the empire. Mikleo breathed out slowly, releasing some of the tension that he had been holding in his body. Some part of him had expected to find that they had wandered into the enemy camp. It would have been just their luck if they had. But at least they had found their way, because it meant that they would have a chance to relax and not be on the run.

Mikleo sighed and leaned back into Sorey, glancing between the camp and the impossible walls of the city that he could see off to one side. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the camp so close to the city, because he was sure that Sorey wouldn’t have wanted that. Then again, they could be trying to hold the city under siege, although Mikleo wasn’t sure how that would work.

The handful of tents and exhausted looking soldiers on guard weren’t intimidating in the least. The only part of the army that even looked ready to go was the roiling group of hellions that were kept corralled on the outside of camp. Mikleo could see a few of them raising their heads as they sensed him approaching. Mikleo knew that he should snarl at them or something, but he didn’t feel up to the effort.

He was woozy enough already, and he didn’t know if that was because of the interrupted heat or because he hadn’t gotten the chance to rest like he would have. He didn’t sleep often, but heats always knocked him out for a bit. But it was hard to sleep on a moving horse, especially when Sorey was practically slumping over him or nearly falling out of the saddle. Mikleo tightened his hold on Sorey’s arm in the vain hope that it would keep him on. It didn’t matter that Sorey was awake, it had almost happened too often for his taste.

He felt Sorey stir behind him, the human leaning forward slightly to wave as he entered the camp. To Mikleo’s relief, a soldier immediately came running up to grab a hold of the horse.

Sorey was quick to dismount, Mikleo wincing as he saw Sorey sway. He looked away, his gaze settling on the soldier that was holding their horse.

He narrowed his eyes when he saw the annoyed look that the soldier shot Sorey. He bared his teeth when the soldier looked his way with a spark of interest. The display didn’t seem to frighten the soldier off, the man shifting forward slightly. Mikleo ignored the shock of fear that ran through him, focusing on snarling. That didn’t seem to get the man to back off either, Mikleo jerking his leg away when the soldier reached out to touch him. Mikleo glared down at the man before giving up on waiting on Sorey.

Usually he enjoyed the contact that came from Sorey helping him down. It gave him the chance to tease if he wanted. If not, he just gave him an excuse to be close to Sorey. He was rapidly running out of those the longer that the generals demanded his attention. Even now Mikleo was sure that Sorey would charge off to finish dealing with his generals, despite everything.

He looked over at Sorey, watching as he staggered up the length of the horse before making his decision.

Mikleo swung his leg over the saddle, dismounting quickly. He reached up to grab the front of his coat and pulling it shut. He tensed when he heard the soldier chuckle, lifting his head slightly to pretend that he hadn’t heard it.

He stepped away from the horse, reaching out to grab the back of Sorey’s collar. It didn’t take much to make him stop, Mikleo frowning at how worn Sorey looked. He hadn’t noticed during their rush through the basin and he wondered why. He had spent a lot of time with his whole being focused on Sorey, but it had slipped his mind in the driving need. It was a wonder that he noticed now.

Mikleo shifted in place, surprised at the way his heat had gentled so quickly, but he shook it off. He was worried about Sorey, and for a good reason.

It looked like Sorey was ready to collapse, which wouldn’t do either of them any good. Mikleo could already feel the curl of worry in his gut at the thought. The generals would just take it as a chance to move around Sorey, which would be horrible for all of their plans. Mikleo wasn’t even sure what they would do to him and Sorey. He knew that he would keep them all at bay as long as he could, but he couldn’t trust himself when the next wave of heat came in. He doubted that he would be any help them. Besides, the generals would have the spell to put him into a weapon and there was no way to defend against that.

He let go of Sorey, dropping the arm around Sorey’s waist. He used the hold to pull himself close, relieved when Sorey was quick to hold him. Mikleo risked a glance over at the soldier, narrowing his eyes when the man was still leering. The haze of malevolence didn’t matter, because Sorey’s presence and his own domain had kept them all cowed, but neither of them seemed to be working anymore. The thought made him shiver, because that was all of his protection gone.

If his own malevolence and the distance he could maintain because of Sorey didn’t keep them all back, then he didn’t know how he would defend himself, let alone Sorey.

His heat was due to last two more days, which would mean two days trapped in a tent surrounded by the soldiers. Mikleo shuddered at the thought, quick to turn the motion into a snarl as the soldier leaned closer. He tightened his hold on Sorey, giving the human a tug. He wanted to get away from here before someone started taking advantage. If that happened, Mikleo would have to start ripping throats out and damn the consequences.

Sorey came away from the horse slowly, Mikleo just managing to bite back an annoyed sound as Sorey went back for the saddlebags. He stuck close to Sorey, glaring at the other soldiers that walked around them.

A few of them just walked by without paying them any attention, but most of them looked their way with various degrees of hunger. Mikleo rumbled low in his chest, swaying away from Sorey for a moment before pressing back against him. There were too many to think about stepping away, and Mikleo wasn’t sure how successful he’d be at remaining as a drake.

He scanned over the soldiers, trying to figure out what had brought on the change. He couldn’t tell if it was their own growing malevolence or something that the generals had said.

Mikleo froze for a moment before restarting his low growl. Of course the generals would take advantage of the time that Sorey was away. It was tempting to storm right into their tent and teach them a lesson, but he had other things to worry about.

Mikleo turned to face Sorey as the human stepped away, frowning when he saw Sorey shake a bit as he took the weight of the saddlebags on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm more tightly around Sorey before walking off, heading in the direction that their tent was usually set up.

It was a relief when Sorey fell into step beside him, Mikleo content to snuggle in close to him. He couldn’t properly rub up against Sorey, but the familiar scent of old books was enough to calm him down a fraction. None of the soldiers were moving, which meant that they might have the time to settle themselves. He tried to ignore the small voice in his head that said that what he’d gotten was barely enough, because it would have to be. They couldn’t keep delaying, not when Hyland was on their heels, and not when the generals would turn around and gleefully blame everything on Sorey.

He was jerked out of his thoughts when Sorey started moving away from their tent. Mikleo frowned, looking over at the large tent as they walked past the first banner. It wasn’t until they had gone past the second that he dug his heels in.

Sorey didn’t seem to understand the hint, he kept walking until he was completely out of Mikleo’s reach, leaving him standing in front of the tent on his own. Mikleo stared at Sorey’s back, too shocked by the motion to say anything.

Sorey had always kept close to him, even when Mikleo had been more than willing to just chase Sorey away from him for good. He’d never realized how he’d gotten so used to having Sorey without touching distance.

He cleared his throat and took a step forward. “Sorey? Where are you going?”

That brought Sorey up short, Mikleo breathing a sigh of relief when Sorey turned back towards him. Sorey stared at him in confusion before glancing back at the tent. Sorey gestured vaguely with one hand in the direction of the tent. “Go on in without me. I have some things to take care of.”

“Like what?”

Sorey seemed taken aback by the question, Mikleo using it as his chance to stride up to him. He caught Sorey’s arm, intending to drag Sorey back to the tent. Mikleo was surprised when Sorey resisted. He gritted his teeth and leaned back a bit. “What do you have to do that is more important?”

“The generals…”

That Sorey didn’t seem sure was a boon, because it meant that he had a chance. Mikleo shook his head, using the motion to glance around the camp. Sorey couldn’t go to the generals like this, they would take advantage of his state. And Mikleo wouldn’t be able to follow, which worried him that much more.

He took a step back towards the tent, trying to drag Sorey along with him. Sorey followed him for a step before coming to a stop abruptly.

“Mikleo, we’ve left this for too long.”

“And what do you think you’ll accomplish? They’ll take one look at you and decide that it’s not worth arguing the point. Everything here is stressed to the breaking point. Can’t you feel it?”

Sorey tensed, looking around with more life in his eyes. Mikleo watched as Sorey flinched back, not sure if it was because of the glares of the soldiers or the malevolence that was hovering over the camp. He shivered and took a step closer, Mikleo taking advantage of the move to haul him back in. He only settled when he felt Sorey’s shaking fingers skim over his side. He was quick to reach down and rest his hand over Sorey’s. “Whatever hold we had, we’ve lost.”

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Sorey nodded, feeing Sorey’s fingers curl into his side. “We have to fix this.”

Mikleo inclined his head, not bothering to argue. He wanted to run and leave the rest to chance, but that wouldn’t stop anything. The generals wouldn’t stop their war effort, and they actually might win without Sorey there to foul them up. They had an army that was practically all hellions at the moment. That wouldn’t be enough to overwhelm the Hyland army, but it would be enough to severely weaken them. After all, hellions were disposable, because they could always make more.

Sorey swayed in place before sighing and leaning against him. Mikleo expected more protests about their plan of action, but Sorey just rested against him. “I’m tired, Mikleo.”

Mikleo sighed and leaned into Sorey, hating the shaking that he could feel though Sorey’s body. He let them stand like that for a moment more before tugging Sorey backwards. “Let’s get you inside.”

Sorey followed obediently, Mikleo worrying about that for a moment. It was probably the rough ride and the stress of the heat. Sorey would be back to his old self in the morning, or close enough to it to manage the generals. It would be torture waiting for him, but Mikleo was willing to do it, just as long as it meant that the both of them were safe.

He relaxed as soon as they entered the tent, quick to drag Sorey back towards the bed. Mikleo dimly heard the thud of the saddlebags hitting the floor, but that wasn’t important compared to the welcoming sight of the bed. It wasn’t open ground or an old cell for someone praying to the seraphim in the open country. It was soft, inviting and smelled like them.

Mikleo collapsed into it with a sigh, rubbing his cheek against the pillow before rubbing himself against the covers. It felt far better than the bedroll. Mikleo stilled with a sigh, sinking back into their combined scents as muscles that he hadn’t known were tight relaxed.

He cracked open an eye to look at Sorey, smiling in response to the soft smile he got in return. Sorey twisted where he was sitting on the edge of the bed, stroking his fingers over Mikleo’s cheek. Mikleo leaned up into the touch, practically purring at it. He expected the usual rush of heat and the need to tug Sorey back into the bed, but it never came. Instead he was left with the comfortable warm feeling that he always got around Sorey, but he wasn’t about to complain about that. He hadn’t felt this good since his heat had started.

Mikleo turned his head to nuzzle into Sorey’s palm, pressing a kiss there before dragging his lips down to Sorey’s pulse point. He paused there for a moment before lifting his head to frown up at Sorey.

A lot of things were fuzzy from his heat, but he could vaguely remember the spacing. There had been a lot of stopping and traveling, but nothing like the first heat that they had spent together. Mikleo distinctly remembered being annoyed every time the servants had left food at the door, because it meant that Sorey would leave to be to collect the tray. Mikleo was sure part of his annoyance had been because he hadn’t needed to eat, but he wasn’t opposed to it, not when Sorey had been so eager to share.

He could remember that clearly enough, but nothing like that this time. Mikleo remembered the few times Sorey had offered him something while on the move, but the rolling of his stomach had prevented that. Besides, the only things that Sorey kept in his saddlebags were marching rations and he’s hardly eaten on a regular schedule.

Mikleo looked up from Sorey’s wrist, glancing at the carefully covered tray on the table of their tent. He narrowed his eyes, wondering who had put it there before pushing the thought aside. There were more important things to worry about.

He pushed himself from the bed, not bothering to reach up to hold his coat closed. It didn’t matter now that they were in private, and Mikleo was sure that he’d sense any soldier coming long before it became a problem. The whole place was so soaked in malevolence that it even turned his stomach. Mikleo sighed, rubbing at his side as he approached the tray.

He picked the cover off, staring at the food that was laid out. It wasn’t much, probably just what the generals had been served; bread, cheese, and soup, with a teapot to the side. Mikleo doubted the tea inside it was still warm, but it wouldn’t matter. He held his hand over the food, focusing on the tea and soup first. It was easy enough to push through the water and test for anything that shouldn’t be there. Mikleo narrowed his eyes when he felt nothing. He turned his attention to the bread and cheese, having to take more time to seek out the poison that could be lurking inside. Even with all of his searching there was nothing, Mikleo breathing a sigh of relief.

Mikleo dropped his hand back to the side, turning to look at where Sorey was sitting. It didn’t look like Sorey had noticed that he had moved away, his attention was on something else. Probably on the command tent and exactly how he was going to convince the generals to listen to him after what had happened.

He growled low, stopping the sound when Sorey looked up at him in surprise. Mikleo shook his head. He didn’t want to talk about the generals and the war, not with the way that they were. It was more important to take care of themselves for the moment. No matter what Sorey argued, it was better for the two of them to be at the top of their game instead of pushing themselves into exhaustion. Sorey was the one playing the game with the generals, keeping them satisfied and then making sure that none of their plans went through.

Mikleo sighed and pulled out the chair, giving Sorey a long look when the human didn’t do anything but stare at him. He made a weary motion towards the table, watching as Sorey pushed away from the bed. He staggered a bit before coming over to sink into the chair.

Mikleo smiled and ran his fingers through Sorey’s hair, about to step away when Sorey caught a hold of his waist. He was tugged to a gentle stop, Mikleo giving the bed a longing glance before looking back down at Sorey. There was no way he could resist the look that Sorey was giving to him, not when he could still feel the small pulse of warmth that was his heat.

He settled down in Sorey’s lap, nuzzling into Sorey’s neck. He took a few deep breaths of Sorey’s scent, using it to center himself. The two of them were safe, no longer running from an army who wanted to do who knows what to them. It didn’t matter that the soldiers were being consumed by malevolence and were getting restless, they could be taken care of soon enough. They had a city to take and it would be easy enough to throw hellions at the walls until they fell. He would thin out the ranks of hellions himself as soon as his heat with over.

Mikleo shuddered as his stomach turned violently, clutching at Sorey with a whimper. He regretted it a moment later when Sorey smoothed his hands over his sides, Sorey obviously searching out where he was hurt. Mikleo shook his head and shifted on Sorey’s lap. He leaned over to dip a bit of bread into the soup before holding it up to Sorey’s lips. “Come on.”

Sorey resisted him for a moment before opening his mouth with a sigh. Mikleo guided the piece of bread in, shivering when he felt Sorey’s lips close around his fingers. He bit his lip, feeling slick leak out of him.

Sorey perked up for a moment, Mikleo quick to lean out of his way. “Uh-uh. Eat first.”

“Mikleo…”

“No. I don’t know the last time that you ate properly.”

“I wasn’t hungry.”

Mikleo gave him a long look. He doubted that considering how humans were. Besides, if the two of them didn’t take care of each other then no one else would.

He dipped another bit of bread into the soup, pressing it against Sorey’s lips again. Sorey was less hesitant to accept it, Mikleo sighing with relief.

He let his head drop to Sorey’s shoulder as he continued to feed him bits of soaked bread. Sorey wasn’t reluctant in the least, Mikleo sure that the human’s stomach was finally winning him over. He still didn’t want to stop. This was the closeness that he had missed even if he had spent most of the past few days pressed up against Sorey on the back of the horse, but it hadn’t been the same. This was stillness and Sorey focused completely on him. This was a gentle touch to his side, one that was just on the edge of ticklish. Mikleo hummed and leaned a little bit more into Sorey.

Sorey accepted five more hand fed pieces of bread before he caught Mikleo’s wrist, rubbing his thumb gently over Mikleo’s pulse point. Mikleo shivered at the touch, looking down to where Sorey’s fingers rested against his skin. They weren’t obviously shaking anymore, which Mikleo counted as a good thing.

Sorey’s hand lingered on his wrist for a moment longer before Sorey let go of him to continue eating. Mikleo watched the careful motion of Sorey’s hand and arm, looking for any kind of shakiness. There was nothing that he could see, which made him sigh with relief.

He shifted slightly so his head was more comfortably pillowed on Sorey’s left shoulder. He felt Sorey’s fingers twitch against his side again, Mikleo shifting slight at the ticklish sensation. He relaxed as Sorey smoothed his fingers down his side in an apology.

He hummed his own response, his eyes closing as he snuggled into Sorey’s warmth. He wrapped one arm around Sorey to steady himself, frowning a bit when he felt how easy it was. Sorey had always been sturdier than this, but he felt thinner now. Mikleo shifted so he could tuck his face into the crook of Sorey’s neck.

He didn’t dare make a sound, not when it would distract Sorey from what he needed the most right now. Any weight that Sorey had lost through stress and the long marches could be gained back as soon as they were done.

Mikleo tried to ignore the pang of worry at the thought of the war being done. It was something that they both wanted, and it would mean the end of their pact, because Sorey had given him everything that he had promised. From there, they would go their separate ways, Sorey to disappear off into the far reaches of the continent and him to Elysia with his sisters.

Then again, there was no reason that they had to separate immediately. They could travel the same way and, maybe, he could convince Sorey to stay just until he was back in shape again. Sorey deserved to enjoy his freedom from the empire, not be struggling to recover from what the war had done to him.

Mikleo stroked his fingers along Sorey’s side, not sure if he was doing it to calm himself or Sorey. It didn’t matter, because it felt good to just stop for a moment. It was made even better by the way that his heat was a faint tickle at the edge of his mind. The need was still there, but it was patient for once, which he was glad about. All he wanted to do was to be held by Sorey and relax. He breathed Sorey’s scent deep into his lungs and let himself drift.

He startled out of his doze when he felt Sorey shift under him. Mikleo shook his head and leaned back against Sorey. “No. Not until you eat.”

“I have.” Sorey’s shoulder moved slightly, encouraging Mikleo to lift his head. “Look.”

Mikleo raised his head slightly, opening one eye to see that the bowl was empty and only crumbs remained of the bread and cheese. He sighed with relief, turning his head to kiss Sorey’s neck. “Thank you.”

Sorey huffed out a laugh, slipping his free hand underneath Mikleo’s legs. Mikleo shifted his hold to wrap his arms around Sorey’s neck, not bothering to protest as Sorey stood up. He didn’t want to leave the warmth of Sorey’s embrace, not when he was feeling relaxed and lazy.

He nuzzled into Sorey’s neck as he was carried over to the bed, mouthing at Sorey’s pulse point. He was tempted to nose his way up to Sorey’s scent glands, but there was no sense of urgency. The steady pulse of heat was missing, which was good, because it meant that he could take his time. And he wanted that badly. Mikleo couldn’t remember the last time they’d gotten to take their time. As far as he was concerned, there was no reason to rush.

They were camped in front of Marlind, ready to attack as soon as morning came. Mikleo was sure that Alisha and her army would be coming for them, but they wouldn’t reach them. They would have to push through the rest of the basin, and he was sure that they left them so far behind. Considering the pace that they had kept up the entire war, it was all the time in the world.

Mikleo smiled as Sorey lay him gently down on the bed. He didn’t bother to let go of Sorey as his coat fell open. It hardly mattered when Sorey was looking at him like he wanted to devour him. Mikleo grinned and pulled Sorey close so he could kiss him.

He was taken aback by the ferocity behind the kiss, Mikleo arching against Sorey for a moment before dropping his hands to Sorey’s shoulders. He braced them there for a moment before shoving Sorey back.

Sorey strained against him for a moment before seeming to realize what Mikleo had done. He blinked rapidly, Mikleo watching the glaze clear from his eyes. Sorey swallowed and rocked back onto his heels. He looked so confused and lost that it hurt.

Mikleo propped himself up on his elbows, smiling up at Sorey. That didn’t stop the look of confusion and dawning horror on Sorey’s face. Mikleo shook his head, reaching down to stroke his fingers over the back of Sorey’s hand. “Slowly. Gently.”

“Alright.” Sorey nodded slowly, shifting in place. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, his eyes widening in surprise when Sorey spoke. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

Mikleo sighed and reached up to cup Sorey’s cheek. He brushed his thumb over Sorey’s cheek before he moved his hand to bury his fingers in Sorey’s hair.

It didn’t take more than a gentle tug to get Sorey to lean close, Mikleo guiding their foreheads together. He held his gaze steady, smiling when Sorey finally met it. He scraped his nails over Sorey’s scalp, keeping his voice low as he spoke. “Sorey, you have _never_ hurt me.”

Sorey’s breath shook on the next exhale, his eyes slipping shut. Mikleo tipped his head up, kissing Sorey’s forehead before pulling their foreheads together.

He let them rest like that until Sorey relaxed. Then he reached down with his free hand to find Sorey’s own, gently lifting it up from the bed. He guided it between his legs, swallowing when he felt Sorey’s fingers drag against his inner thigh. He let go of Sorey’s wrist, lowering himself back against the sheets as Sorey’s fingers kept moving.

He shook as they teased at his hole, Mikleo spreading his legs wider. He arched his back slightly as Sorey’s fingers slid into him, surprised at how wet he was. Considering how lazy he felt, he had thought that it would take a bit more than a kiss and Sorey on top of him. He breathed out slowly as Sorey pushed two fingers into him, his hips twitching slightly. It felt divine.

Mikleo shuddered, jerking his gaze up to meet Sorey’s as Sorey whispered his name. Sorey held his gaze before leaning forward, stopping a hairsbreadth from his lips. Mikleo wanted to strain up to cover the last distance between them, but Sorey seemed to be thinking hard about something. His mouth opened, Mikleo dropping his gaze to Sorey’s lips as they formed soundless words. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, about to ask what Sorey wanted to say when Sorey’s fingers curled perfectly.

He lost what Sorey was trying to say as he bore down on Sorey’s fingers. Mikleo tightened his grip on Sorey, moaning as Sorey caught his lips in a gentle kiss.

Mikleo held Sorey’s gaze for a moment before he let his eyes flutter closed, losing himself in Sorey’s soft kisses and the fingers moving gently inside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be altering the posting schedule a bit. So, for next week _only_ the chapter will go up on Monday.


	27. Chapter 24

“I have had enough of the glory of war. I am sick of seeing dead men and men’s limbs torn from their bodies…”  
-Private James M. Binford

* * *

 

His family was stolen from him again in his dreams.

Mikleo twitched at the screaming and clash of weapons, almost expecting to smell the sharp ozone that meant that Zenrus was using his artes. Instead there was nothing but the combined scents of him and Sorey, wet earth and old books twined together. There was a little bit of something else, something that made Mikleo wrinkle his nose, but it could easily be ignored. There were more important things to worry about, like the soldiers that were trying to take away his family.

He wouldn’t let them, not again. He was stronger than before, he didn’t need to hide behind Zenrus and hope that the older seraph held out. He could defend himself. Better yet, he had Sorey by his side, so he had someone to watch his back. Sorey was the emperor, so the soldiers would listen to him. Between the two of them they could save Elysia from the horrible fate of being used until there was nothing left of them.

Mikleo reached back for Sorey, sitting upright abruptly when his hand fell onto empty sheets. Mikleo twisted, opening his eyes to stare at the empty space in the bed beside him. He patted at the covers, trying to process what had been dream and what had been reality. More importantly he wanted to know where Sorey was, because the bed was cold without him, especially without the steady pulse of the heat in his stomach. Mikleo shivered and reached for the coat that had been draped over the end of the bed, like Sorey had left it there in the process of getting dressed.

He wrapped in around himself, nuzzling into the fur around the collar. Sorey’s scent was still strong on it, and it was calming. Mikleo rubbed his cheek against it before pulling the coat tightly around him.

There were very few things that would entice Sorey away from him, one of them being that his generals had gotten impatient. Mikleo huffed at that, standing up from the bed. Heat or not, he was going to attend the meeting. He didn’t intend to be left out of the loop, not when the soldiers had been so obviously belligerent.

Mikleo took a few deep breaths, freezing when he could smell blood. The realization that the screaming hadn’t only been in his dream came slowly, Mikleo’s breathing spreading up as he listened to the sounds of a battle. There were only two reasons that he could think of that there would be fighting in the camp; Hyland had found them, or there was a mutiny. Mikleo hissed and stalked to the front of the tent. It didn’t matter which one it was, he was needed.

It would be easier to scare them all off as a drake. Hyland would immediately retreat at the sight of him at close quarters and he would be able to take care of the hellion in their army. Maybe, if he could remember, he would eat one of the generals, just to remind them what they were facing. Sorey would be horrified, but it was the only way that Mikleo could see that they would manage to hold out for just a little be longer. Besides, he was sure that any sign of the emperor’s famed dragon out of control would be enough to send the rest of the army rushing into Hyland’s arms or back into Rolance, and then they would be done.

He shoved the tent flaps aside, not bothering to cover himself up completely as he looked around the camp. He doubted that anyone would take the time to look at him, not when they were occupied rushing to their positions or running out of the camp. Mikleo turned his head to watch as two soldiers made a run for the edges of the camp, frowning when he scanned the rest of the army for more deserters. There weren’t enough leaving, which was worrying. Most of them were streaming towards where the generals were sitting on their horses and making grand gestures to where the Hyland army must be. Mikleo scanned the camp one last time, a growl working its way up through his throat. He couldn’t see Sorey, which could be innocent enough. But he didn’t trust anyone in the army enough to just let it go.

Mikleo felt the malevolence swell in him, not bothering to hold it back as it grew under the influence of the malevolence of the battle. It took longer than before, Mikleo bristling slightly at that. He was needed _now_ and that it was taking so long was frustrating.

He glanced down at his arm, breathing out a sigh of relief when he saw scales starting to push through his skin. Mikleo closed his eyes, pulled backwards under the sudden weight of wings starting to push out of his back. He closed his eyes, trying to push himself faster. It wasn’t that hard to soak in the malevolence that was forming or ignore the faint burning on his forehead. He had gotten used to that.

Mikleo tipped forward, digging his talons in the ground as he lost his balance. He shook himself, watching as the red coat fluttered to the ground. He snapping at it, shifting as his tail grew enough to provide balance. He lifted his head, snarling at the soldiers that were closest to him. He felt some sense of glee when they scattered away, Mikleo flicking his tongue out after them.

He could taste malevolence in the air, and it was glorious. He could feel saliva gather in his mouth, his stomach rumbling with hunger. It had been so long since he had fed properly and he was starving.

His hunger dried up the next minute, Mikleo shaking his head as his stomach rolled. It felt like he was going to throw up, but there was nothing in his stomach.

Mikleo dropped his head, shuddering as he tried to hold himself together. Everything felt strained, his legs shaking as the weight of him became too hard to hold himself up. He crashed to the ground with a roar, Mikleo clawing at the air as he turned his head to snap at his wings. He wanted to rip them off, anything that would make him stop feel like he was being crushed underneath his own weight.

He keened, managing to hold onto the drake form for another moment before it shattered apart.

His head spun from the backlash, Mikleo clawing at the grounds as scales rained down around him. His wings and tail flailed out, knocking against the tents. They caught in the poles, snapping them before they disappeared completely. Mikleo was left naked on the ground, shivering and nauseous.

Mikleo hissed and pushed himself up, watching as a soldier jumped over him without a second glance. He turned to watch the soldier run, his horror growing as he watched fur and muscle rip through the soldier’s armor. The malevolence was getting worse, which meant that Sorey didn’t have a good handle on the battle.

He took a few deep breaths before squeezing his eyes shut. It didn’t take much effort to dredge up the malevolence again, but it wouldn’t stick. Even when he could manage to gather it close enough, it was too hard to hold the form together. Mikleo felt his arms shake with the effort, giving up after a third failure.

He panted for breath trying to figure it out in his mind, but then there was a hellion rushing for him. Mikleo jerked his head up, staring at the lizard creature.

It had long since stopped being human, the increasing malevolence twisting it into something completely unrecognizable. Mikleo stared at it, an unfamiliar chill of fear running down his spine when it looked at him. The hellion cocked its head to the side before taking a slow step forward. A low growl rumbled out of it, Mikleo responding with his own.

It should have been enough, it had always been enough.

The hellion stared at him for a moment more before starting to stalk forward. Mikleo scrambled backwards, trying to point more distance between himself and the hellion. He desperately tried to work out why the hellion would decide to risk taking him on when they had always avoided him before. He was stronger, more powerful, and that had always been the deciding factor. Nothing had changed.

He threw out his hand, shoving an arte outward with more force that was needed. He felt the ground go cold under the fingers of his other hand, seeing spires of ice start to rise from the earth. Mikleo pushed harder, trying to make up for the time that he was cutting off the casting with power. It had always worked before because he’s had plenty of practice with control.

The ice spires rumbled beside him, Mikleo leaning to the side to avoid the ones that would come up around him. He felt the moment when the arte should have released but it fizzled out, the spikes of ice crashing to the ground and melting away.

Mikleo glanced around him, pulling on the water to try the arte again, but it wouldn’t come to him. It was like trying to call on the drake and the very effort of it made his arms shake.

He cursed under his breath and gathered the water in front of him, resorting to the simplest maneuver that he had learned. He went still, watching the puddle for the moment when the hellion stepped into it. Mikleo tried to keep his breathing even, almost missing the moment when the hellion decided to charge.

Mikleo flinched backwards, throwing up his hand as the hellion stepped into the water. He didn’t look over at it, the scream it gave as the water sent it into the air enough.

He rolled onto his knees, panting for breath. It took him a moment to gather himself back together, Mikleo looking up from the ground. He couldn’t see the hellion, but that didn’t mean that it was gone for good. He curled his fingers into the dirt, glancing around for more of them before rushing for where he had left Sorey’s coat.

Mikleo scrambled to pick it up, wrapping it tightly around himself. But even Sorey’s familiar scent wasn’t enough to calm the panic that was rushing through him.

He’d never had trouble with his artes. He’d struggled with them while he was learning, but never afterward. They had come as easily as breathing to him. After all of his practice he had made them _his_ and he had never thought that they would desert him.

Mikleo looked down at his hands, watching them shake for a moment before he curled them into fists. That was slightly better than feeling like everything was spiraling out of his control, even if he could still feel his hands shaking. He glanced over his shoulder at the disorganized camp before ducking back into their tent. If his artes weren’t helping, then he had no business being out there, at least not without some other form of protection.

He stripped Sorey’s coat from him as soon as he stepped into the tent, draping it over one of the chairs. He made a beeline for the saddlebag where his clothes had been stored. Mikleo dug them out, pulling them on as quickly as he could.

His frantic rush was only slowed at the sound of something metallic hitting the ground. Mikleo looked over his shoulder, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the feather ornament lying on the ground. He dropped into a crouch by it, gently lifting it from the ground and turning it over in his hands.

It wasn’t broken, something that made him sigh in relief. It was a miracle considering the rough ride through the basin but, then again, Sorey had made sure to wrap it up carefully. Mikleo curled his fingers slightly around the ornament, glancing over at where his coat was still on their bed. He didn’t have the time to put it in his hair, and he didn’t trust his ability to keep in safe in the battle, especially since he wouldn’t just be able to stand back.

He snatched his coat from the bed, carefully wrapping the hair ornament in it before tucking it in the saddlebag. Mikleo was quick to add Sorey’s coat to the saddlebag too before turning his attention to pulling his clothes on. He doubted that they would be staying outside of Marlind, not when they were sure to get caught between the defenders in the town and Alisha’s army. Just where they would go Mikleo didn’t know, and he didn’t think Sorey had any ideas. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, they would have to rely on the generals for this. He’d just have to watch them carefully, just as soon as…

Mikleo froze in the middle of pulling his shirt on. He swallowed, tugging his shirt the rest of the way on before going still in the tent.

He wasn’t in heat.

Mikleo swallowed, reaching down to grab his robe to keep his hands busy. He played with the fabric before starting to put it on, his mind running in frantic circles as he moved.

His heats were usually regular in their timing and length. It was every four months and for four days. It had been hard to keep track of the days while they had been running away from Alisha and her army, but Mikleo was sure that it hadn’t been the full four days. He tried to count them off on his fingers before giving up. He couldn’t remember, but he knew that it wasn’t right.

He tugged his robe on, securing it in front. He shook his head, jumping at a particularly loud scream from just outside the tent. Mikleo reached for his staff, summoning it without a second thought. It was only when he had held himself completely still and the scream didn’t repeat that he realized what he had done. Mikleo turned the staff over in his hands, taking a few deep breaths before shaking his head.

It was probably nothing more than stress. He’d always had the good luck that he’d been able to have his heats in a quiet place and nothing had never disturbed him before.  A war would certainly be enough stress to throw him off. What that meant about everything else, Mikleo didn’t know, but he didn’t have the time to think too much about it.

He rushed out of the tent, twisting to slam the end of his staff against a hellion that was rushing for him. Mikleo moved, dropping the staff under the hellion’s jaw before snapping it up quickly.

The hellion made a muffled sound before falling over. Mikleo shot it a glare before stepping over it.

He rolled his shoulders, loosening them up as he started towards the center of the battle. Sorey was bound to be there, and Mikleo intended to be by his side.

Mikleo swept his staff over the ground, pulling up water from there just to feel it on the edges of his mind. It was a relief that some things still worked, and he intended to push himself for as long as everything would hold out. Some part of him just hoped that the battle was done quickly, because he couldn’t imagine things ending well.

He rushed into the center of the camp, eyeing the chaos before spotting a group of soldiers that were surrounded by hellions. They were stabbing at them, not seeming to care about which sides the hellions had been a part of. Mikleo couldn’t blame them, because the hellions didn’t seem to care either. He snorted and sent concentrated shots of water at the hellions.

They had a bit more force than necessary, Mikleo frowning when he saw one of the hellion’s arms get shorn off. Still, it worked because a few of the hellions scattered and the injured one tipped over. Two of the hellions remained behind and jumped on their fallen comrade, Mikleo wincing as they tore into it. He shook his head and turned his attention towards the soldiers, not having to say anything before they bolted away. Mikleo was sure that the few of them weren’t going to rejoin either army, not with the direction that they were running. He didn’t care either way, because that was just a few less soldiers to deal with.

Mikleo stepped around the hellions on the ground, surveying the battlefield. He looked for a familiar flash of red and gold, anything that would point him to where Sorey was. He tried to ignore the panic starting to bubble up in his throat. It wouldn’t do him any good to call out for Sorey; it would draw attention to him and there was no guarantee that Sorey would hear him. He tightened his grip on his staff, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down.

His head jerked up as he heard someone shouting over the sounds of the battle, narrowing his eyes as he saw one of the generals motioning forward.

“Onwards! No retreat! Stand and fight for the empire!”

Mikleo was surprised by the cheer that he heard from the men, but less so by the way it sounded more like a series of snarls and growls. He would be amazed if there were any humans left by the time that the battle was over, which made it all the more important to find Sorey.

He turned his head when he thought he saw a flash of red and gold in the fray. Mikleo pivoted to follow it, coming to a dead stop when he saw a familiar face carving her way through the battlefield.

Mikleo followed the flash of light at the end of her naginata, an arc of water following the motion. Both plowed into the hellion, the creature writhing before collapsing in a rush of blue flames.

He shied away from the blue flames, switching his hold on his staff as he waited for the hellion to move. When it didn’t do anything but twitch on the ground Mikleo looked up at the seraph that was standing on the other side of the flames.

Natalie’s mouth had dropped open in shock, Mikleo sure that his expression mirrored hers. Mikleo whispered her name and took a jerky step forward. He saw Natalie sway in place, sure that she was going to rush over to him. And he wanted it, he craved it. It had been four months since he’d been able to hold his sister close, and the time that they had spent together had been too short.

He lifted a hand from his staff, reaching out for Natalie.

“Mikleo!”

He spun around as Sorey shouted his name, easily picking the human out of the crush. He breathed a sigh of relief, turning on his heel and jogging over to where Sorey was leading a horse.

Mikleo reached out to touch Sorey’s arm, intending to check him over for injuries when Sorey started walking back into the middle of camp. Mikleo grabbed onto Sorey’s arm, holding on it tightly to stay close. He kept looking over his shoulder at the battle, his gaze landing on Natalie once before he jerked his gaze away. He couldn’t look at her for too long, not when he was walking away again. He had to hold on, just long enough for the two of them to finish dealing with the war and the hellions. Once that was done, they could all be safe in Elysia and they wouldn’t have to be separated again.

He sped up to be able to walk beside Sorey, not daring to let go of the human’s arm. “Sorey, what’s going on?”

Sorey shook his head, Mikleo frowning when he still didn’t answer. He tugged harder on Sorey’s sleeve, practically pulling Sorey off of his feet. “What’s going on?!”

“Two of the generals fell to malevolence. I don’t think the other is too far behind.” Mikleo saw Sorey’s jaw twitch before Sorey set it again. “They gave the order to fight to the death, and the soldiers won’t listen to me anymore. They’re all too far gone. I’ve been trying to do damage control, but they won’t take orders. They’re all basically hellions, all they care about is fighting.”

Mikleo growled low in his throat, turning his head to glare back at the center of the fighting. It was enough to make him want to charge in, except that he wouldn’t make a difference. At best he’d struggle back out of the mess alive. At worst he’d end up in the stomach of a hellion as they fought Hyland and each other. Mikleo shivered and clung more tightly to Sorey’s arm. If he couldn’t become a drake then he was useless at the moment. There were too many hellions for his artes alone.

There was nothing that he could do about the situation, which left him hoping that Hyland’s Shepherd could handle it. The best he could do was to get Sorey and himself out. The generals and the soldiers who decided to stay were lost to them now, and there was no use lingering over it. It would have happened sooner or later. The only thing that made his stomach curl was the thought of Natalie wading through the battle on her own.

Then again, she wouldn’t be on her own if she was purifying hellions. Mikleo narrowed his eyes, intending to chase after the thought when Sorey stopped.

He turned his head to look at Sorey, about to encourage him to keep moving before some of the hellions took an interest in them. Mikleo paused when Sorey shook his head, gesturing with his free hand to their tent. “Grab what we’ll need and fill the saddlebags from before.”

“Do we have a plan?”

Sorey didn’t even need to answer, Mikleo sighing at the blank expression on his face. Sorey was probably just thinking about the moment and wanting to get away, not that Mikleo blamed him. It was probably best to put distance between them and both armies. Besides, it would be better to take a step back and see how things were going.

Mikleo darted into the tent, not bothering to ask what Sorey would be doing. It didn’t matter because Sorey wouldn’t leave him behind.

He took a deep breath as he entered the tent, looking around before lunging for the trunk that had been shoved to one side. Mikleo rifled through it, pulling out clean clothes and setting them to the side before moving over to gather the maps that Sorey had brought along with him. There was no reason that they should wander the Hyland countryside, especially since they were giving Alisha the victory.

Mikleo brought the pile of clothes and the maps back to the saddlebag, folding the clothes as he looked around the tent. They hadn’t brought much out with them, not when they were going to be on the move all the time. The other generals had packed more than the two of them combined. Mikleo shot one more look at the trunk before stuffing the clothes and maps into the saddlebag.

He shut both of the bags before slinging them over his shoulder. Mikleo adjusted them before walking out of the tent. He glanced around for Sorey, spotting the horse tied up down the row of tents.

Mikleo jogged over, reaching the tent just in time for Sorey to come out of it. Sorey gave Mikleo a weary smile before nodding back at the supply tent. “For the road.”

He huffed, trying not to laugh. “Just as long as you eat.”

He didn’t mean to sound too worried, but from the look that Sorey gave him he didn’t succeed. Mikleo swallowed and dropped his gaze away. Running from a battle was not the time to call Sorey on his habits, especially when he had been the reason that they were irregular in the first place. Mikleo settled for curling his fingers around the strap of the saddlebags and not looking at Sorey.

Mikleo kept his gaze on the ground until he felt Sorey gently lift the saddlebag from him. He looked up at Sorey then, watching as the human secured the saddlebags in place. Mikleo looked over the horse before glancing back at the battle, his stomach starting to twist. It wasn’t because of the malevolence or even because of his heat. Mikleo would have preferred either of those instead of the dawning realization of how much time had slipped away from them. Four months at war had felt like forever. Still, he felt like the time would fly now, because there was nothing more for them to do except stay out of the way and, eventually, surrender or disappear.

He swallowed when Sorey turned back to look at him, his gaze dropping to the hand that Sorey offered. He knew what he was expected to do, which was to reach out and accept the offer to be lifted onto the back of the horse. It was an easy decision, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was a stupid reason not to take Sorey’s hand, especially with the sounds of battle moving closer to them. But to take Sorey’s hand would mean accepting what was about to happen.

Mikleo was fine with all of it stopping, he was more than ready to have a moment of peace where he wasn’t surrounded by humans and the seraphim finally freed from their prisons. But it was the other part of what would happen after that had him hesitating.

It took far more effort than it should have for him to meet Sorey’s gaze. Mikleo reached out to take Sorey’s hand, trying his best to smile even though he was sure that it was shaky around the edges. “So this is it?”

He felt Sorey’s fingers close around his own as Sorey realized what he was talking about.

The two of them had rarely talked about the end of their pact, but Mikleo was sure that he had originally intended it to end. And they had always meant to go their separate ways, even if they had avoided the subject. Mikleo was sure that he had never intended it to get to the point where it would hurt in some way.

Sorey squeezed his hand, pulling him closer. Mikleo went without a fight, wishing that they had the time to just lean into each other. The soft smile that Sorey gave him was almost enough to make up for it. Mikleo returned the smile, sighing when Sorey leaned forward to rest their foreheads together. “There’s more time. We’ll figure it out.”

“But we have to go now?”

Sorey nodded, Mikleo leaning into the touch for a moment longer before taking a step back. Sorey was quick to switch his grip to Mikleo’s hips, lifting him up onto the horse. Mikleo frowned at the effort that it took, making a note of what to do with their extra time. Sorey might want to see the world, but Mikleo wouldn’t let him go like this. If Sorey was going to go, Mikleo wanted to make sure that there was a good chance that Sorey would come back to him.

He bit his lip and grabbed the pommel of the saddle as Sorey swung up behind him. He leaned back into Sorey as soon as he had settled into the saddle. Mikleo relaxed as Sorey wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him securely as he nudged the horse away from the tent. Mikleo shivered as Sorey’s fingers moved over his stomach, sneaking lower for a moment before Sorey seemed to remember himself.

Mikleo swallowed when Sorey leaned forward, shaking when he felt Sorey’s breath move across his ear. He was so caught up in the sensation that he almost missed what Sorey asked him.

“Will you be good?”

Mikleo tipped his head to the side, about to ask what Sorey meant when it hit him. It was hard to smell it over the blood and battle, but now that he was close to Sorey he could smell the distinct scent of them, especially his scent when he was in heat. Beneath that was the deep and calming scent of Sorey, the slight change to his scent a reaction to his heat. It was a reassurance just as much as it was a claim. And it was just as tempting for Mikleo to tip his head back and nuzzle into the source of the scent, but it wasn’t for the same reasons.

He swallowed and nodded, not sure what else to tell Sorey. He still had no idea what was going on, but that was a discussion for another time, maybe when they had reached where they would be camping for the night. And they would be camping because Mikleo had no intention of letting Sorey run himself into the ground.

Mikleo dropped his hand to cover the one Sorey had against his hip, holding it as Sorey urged the horse into a canter. He didn’t dare look behind him, not wanting to risk catching a glimpse of Natalie. He didn’t trust himself not to run to her. She was family and precious, but the problem was that Sorey had wiggled his way into that category too. Mikleo swallowed and gripped Sorey’s hand more tightly. He felt Sorey press a kiss into his hair as a response, but he was sure that Sorey didn’t know the reason behind it. Mikleo was almost relieved, because he couldn’t even begin to start to explain it.

It was easier to just lean his head back against Sorey’s shoulder and watch the road in front of them as it twisted and disappeared into the forest.

* * *

Rose ran a scrap piece of cloth over her knife, the motion more habitual than actually needed. She huffed and flipped the knife over, wiping the blood off the pommel. The knobs on the end always got the most bloody, simply because it was sometimes easier to knock the hellion out before purifying them, and that took effort.

She flipped the knife over in her hand, looking it over before sliding it back into its sheath. Rose tucked the cloth back into her belt, looking up at the close knot of seraphim around her. They all looked exhausted, but generally satisfied. They had done good work in a tough situation.

Rose just barely stopped herself from taking a deep breath. It was bad enough to breathe normally, especially since the field outside of Marlind was strewn with bodies.

She winced and glanced out at the field. It definitely wasn’t like their recent successes with the sneak attack and their gathering of stragglers in the basin. It was something more like the rest of the war, the slow slog through the country ending with battles. Rose never knew what the tactics were, it was her own way of separating herself from the war. It was hard to stay out of the politics like she should as a Shepherd, but Rose was sure that there were plenty of exceptions that could be made. Lailah hadn’t started to hint that she was overstepping her bounds, which she took as good news.

Then again, it was hard to take what had just happened as good news.

She ran a hand through his hair, sighing when one of the gold bands fell out. Rose caught it in her hand, slipping it back into place as she looked out over the battlefield.

They wouldn’t be getting any more surrenders from the soldiers today. Rose had seen a few soldiers running, but they had been the smart ones. They had probably all realized that the rest of their comrades were beyond saving. Rose was sure that the rest of Alisha’s army had done the same, especially because she couldn’t be everywhere at once.

Rose bit her lip, looking at the field of corpses. They were out in the plain and scattered through the camp. Some of them were still hellions but there were a few humans. Rose didn’t know if those were the ones that she had managed to purify or not. There had been some humans that had been more than willing to follow their generals’ orders to fight until the last man. She still couldn’t imagine what the generals had wanted to achieve with that, save for taking out as much of the Hyland army as they could, but she couldn’t imagine what would follow. She suspected that Sorey had brought all of his army with him. The generals had to have known that too, which had made their stand at Marlind a desperate last one to keep Hyland from destroying Rolance. Even with that logic the battle looked like a useless grasp at victory and a grand last stand for nothing.

Then again, that sounded like the empire to her.

She secured her hair bauble, just stopping herself from taking a deep breath. She scanned over the corpses before shaking her head. She was jaded by sights like this.

This had been her village, her life until Michael had found them and her life afterward, although she was no longer on the frontlines in the same way. She was used to this sight, but that didn’t make her less tired of it. But she knew what it would do to Alisha, and that was what made her wince and shake her head.

As if the thought had called the princess over Rose saw Alisha walking out of the camp. She frowned when she saw Alisha pause and lean on her spear. Rose watched her for a moment before jerking her head in Alisha’s direction. “I’m going to talk to her.”

She waiting for the seraphim to nod, fully prepared for them to return to her to get away from the malevolence. It was significantly less than before, but her work was nowhere near done. Still, she was at a place where she could pause and check back in with Alisha. She might not pay attention to the tactics for war, but she wanted to know where Alisha would be going now. The empire was finished, so it was time for the next step, whatever that was.

Rose reached up to rub at her chest as she felt sadness pull at her. She tipped her head to the side, trying to pick out where it came from, because it wasn’t her own.

It took her a moment to find the source, Rose breathing out when it was centered on Natalie. She considered it for a moment before turning her attention back to Alisha. If it was from Natalie, then it was about Mikleo. If she talked with Alisha, she could take care of two things at once.

She picked her way through the field of dead bodies, trying not to wince as her boots squelched through the blood soaked grass. Rose looked down at her feet, trying to walk without stepping on bodies and limbs. She hopped awkwardly around some of the more sprawled bodies, giving them a long look before shaking her head.

There was no question that the battle had been a waste on both sides, but Rose had the horrible feeling that it had to have happened. If not in front of Marlind, then somewhere else. Considering what their deserter general had told them, Sorey had been planning on heading to Ladylake. If he had gotten there then it would have been the end. It didn’t matter that the city was no longer the capital of Hyland, it was a psychological thing. It would have been the second time that Ladylake was taken from them and, while Rose was sure that the army would have kept fighting, they wouldn’t have been the same.

Rose edged her way around a tangle of corpses, stopping on the edge of the camp. Alisha was still staring off into the distance. It wasn’t an invitation to approach, but Rose wasn’t going to leave Alisha like that. Not when it was the closest to Alisha’s worst nightmare.

She swallowed and stepped closer, stopping just short of Alisha. The princess kept staring off into the distance, Rose about to say something to announce her presence when Alisha shuddered. “Why?”

Rose tipped her head slightly, giving Alisha the time to speak. Alisha didn’t keep her waiting for long, the woman shaking her head and turning to look at her. “Why do this?”

“Because the empire isn’t good at losing.”

“And they had to take everyone else with them?!”

“Yes.” Rose didn’t bother to moderate her voice. “They’ve been on the top for so long they’d prefer to make a grand statement. Besides, they probably hope that someone back in Rolance will hear about this and vow revenge.”

“They won’t. Rolance has nothing left.” Alisha sighed, resting her forehead against the shaft of her spear. She closed her eyes for a moment, Rose watching her shoulders shake.

She swayed in place before reaching out to touch Alisha’s shoulder, relieved when they stopped shaking under the gentle pressure. Alisha opened one eye and gave her a weary smile. “They have nothing left, Rose. We did it.”

“Yeah. We did it.”

It didn’t matter that it was just the start of fixing things, the relief was something to be enjoyed. They wouldn’t have to watch their backs at all times, waiting for the empire to come after them again. They wouldn’t have to spend the rest of their days rushing around Hyland, trying to chip away at the empire. The full might of the empire was dead at their feet, and the ones that had gotten away Rose was sure wouldn’t want to fight again.

She shifted at a soft nudge in her mind. Rose took a step back from Alisha, ignoring the concerned sound that the princess made in favor of listening to whatever seraph was trying to get her attention.

There was a brush of cool water, Rose nodding as Natalie held her attention for a moment before the seraph spoke. _“Mikleo and the emperor got away.”_

_“When?”_

_“I can’t remember and I didn’t see where they went. But they left before the battle was finished.”_

Rose frowned, not quite surprised by the news. The emperor had always been unpredictable but, then again, Mikleo was in heat. They had been able to smell it on the battlefield and some of the patrols who had been sent out to track the emperor and the seraph had reported that half of their tracking had been done by scent. Rose had caught bits of it and, while she couldn’t imagine dropping everything for that scent in particular, she could imagine the appeal.

She glanced over at Alisha, dropping her gaze quickly when Alisha looked up at her. Rose cleared her throat, ignoring the way that she heard some of the seraphim chuckling in her mind and the general feeling of Dezel’s disapproval. The latter was something that happened no matter which way her mind drifted, and she was used to ignoring it. She heard him huff, but that was easily ignored too. She and Dezel would talk about it later, probably to rehash the usual arguments, but those could easily wait.

Rose ruffled a hand through her hair, trying to get rid of the annoying feeling of sweat sticking her hair to her scalp and forehead. “Natalie was saying that she saw the emperor run from the battle earlier.”

Alisha sighed and nodded slowly. “I expected as much.” She bit her lip, staring out over the battle before shaking her head. “We could chase after him, but we’d lose this chance to stabilize Hyland and the empire. And we can’t risk that. I don’t think that they’ll just want to go to war again, but just in case…”

Rose nodded, agreeing completely with the assessment of the situation. It was obviously not what Alisha wanted to do, at least immediately. Rose understood that, because it felt wrong to just let the emperor go free. There was every chance that he would try to start the war again, no matter what Alisha believed. It would be hard for him to do it now, but there was a chance that it might happen. Even if the emperor didn’t manage to do anything they would have Mikleo to worry about. Even if Natalie was sure that the blessings on the circlet would hold, Rose was not about to trust that holding out forever.

There was still a lot of malevolence in the world, and it would take her a while to start to even make a dent in it. There was every chance that the blessings would break and they would be left with a dragon. Giving Sorey a drake was bad enough, but he could do a lot of damage with a dragon. What he would do with that was something else entirely. Considering how close the two of them were, Rose was sure that another war would be the least of their worries.

Rose kept her silence on that, not wanting to throw too much at Alisha. Besides, she was sure that the princess already knew. It wouldn’t help to remind her of all the things that could go wrong, not when there was so much that could.

She nodded at Alisha, tucking her hands behind her head. “So, you’re going to go into the empire again?”

Alisha shook her head. “They need time to get themselves together. And we can’t appear to be a threat, not when they get the news that their army has been destroyed. It’s better to work towards our same goals and offer when we feel safe. Maybe in a few months.” She shrugged. “We’ll have to play it by ear. Sergei and I will stay in communication and be ready to start the official visits as soon as possible.”

Rose grinned at her, watching as Alisha blushed red. She brushed off the little bit of jealousy that she felt. It wasn’t like Alisha and Sergei would really get any time to themselves. The business of state would occupy the two of them completely considering the way that they were. Besides, it didn’t smell like Sergei would go into heat any time during the talks, or any time soon as long as he stayed so stressed, so it wasn’t like she was going to be missing any of the fun. She’d just be missing them.

She took a step back, pivoting slightly to search out where the other parts of their army was moving. She could see where Gouldman was helping Tal with the collection of the wounded and the dead. The head of the Blue Storm Knights had shucked his jacket and rolled up his sleeves as they hauled the dead to the wagons and helped carry the wounded to the waiting stretchers. Rose didn’t doubt that he would have done the same in any case, but she was sure that Gouldman didn’t need to shed so many layers, not unless he was trying to attract Sergei’s attention. If he was, then it was one of his more subtle attempts.

Rose turned to search for Sergei, finding the man coming out of the empire’s camp. She watched as he meticulously checked in all of the tents, probably searching for wounded or soldiers ready to make a last stand. Rose dropped one of her hands down to a knife, drumming her fingers against it. She felt Dezel and Edna perk up at the motion, but both seraphim kept still. There was no danger at the moment, but it never hurt to be prepared.

“What’s your plan?”

Rose jumped at the question, looking back over at Alisha. From the way she had shifted, Alisha was watching Sergei as well, but she was more relaxed about it, or was it exhaustion. Rose couldn’t tell. She supposed that it didn’t matter, the question still stood.

She shrugged carefully, sure that Alisha saw through the motion. “I going to continue trying to get rid of as much malevolence as I can. But I’m going after the emperor first. I can’t let that dragon stand.”

“I thought not. But on your own?”

Rose shrugged again. “I was planning to pick up a Squire or two on the way. It might help me push through the malevolence just a bit faster. If they’ll allow me, I’d like to put a few more seraphim in place as Lords of the Land to help, but I can’t promise much more.”

Alisha hummed and tipped her head to the side, resting it against the spear for a moment. Rose watched as her gaze moved back to their own camp, noting the way that her fingers curled more tightly around the shaft of her spear. “I hope you don’t take offense to this, but I don’t like the idea of you wandering around on your own. I trust the seraphim that are with you, but I also know how bad it can be out there.”

“I know how to take care of myself.” Rose laughed when Alisha gave her a worried look. She waved her hand in Alisha’s direction. “I said I would get some help. Probably someone from our army. Maybe Gouldman.”

“Maybe Gouldman, what?” Sergei sounded a bit nervous as he walked over to them, Rose shifting slightly in a vain attempt to cover him from Gouldman’s line of sight. She was sure that the man was too busy with his work to look over at Sergei. Still, he looked relieved to have someone between him and Gouldman.

Rose flashed him a smile. “Taking him with me when I chase after the emperor.”

“You’re going after Sorey?” Sergei took a deep breath, Rose sure that he was going to lecture her about something, but he just ended up shaking his head. “I was hoping…”

“That I would wait? I wish I could, but I can’t.”

Sergei shifted in place. “What are you going to do once you find him?”

Rose narrowed her eyes, considering Sergei. She had never questioned his long years of service to Sorey nor the fact that it was very possible that he may have some conflicting loyalties; it would have been stupid of her to assume otherwise. The fact that he had come to them when things had gotten bad had said enough about him. Besides, he had come to them to save Sorey.

She tipped her head to the side, giving him a quick look over before rolling her shoulders. “I’m not going to kill him. The Shepherd doesn’t kill, not unless there isn’t another option.”

That didn’t seem to reassure him. He frowned and rested his hand on the pommel of his sword, drumming his fingers against it. “Sorey isn’t the problem. Mikleo is.”

Rose bristled slightly, feeling Natalie react the same way. She tried to nudge the seraph back, but Natalie didn’t listen. She appeared by Rose’s side, glaring at Sergei.

The man seemed taken aback by Natalie’s sudden appearance. Sergei stared at her for a moment before bowing. “Lady Natalie, I’m not asking her to kill Mikleo. I just…I believe that he’s the root of the problem.”

Natalie snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. “I disagree.”

“And we can argue about that later.” Rose stepped between the two of them, motioning for Natalie to calm down. “From what I can see, they _both_ are the problem at the moment and I intend to take care of it.”

Sergei nodded, Rose glad that he gave in quickly. She turned to look at Natalie, sighing at the annoyed look on the seraph’s face.

She understood that Natalie was worried about Mikleo and that she didn’t trust people. With what Rose knew, she wouldn’t trust Sorey either. The emperor had slaughtered an entire village after all. From what she could understand from Alisha and Sergei, that wasn’t Sorey’s usual behavior. She trusted the two of them, but she had never met Sorey herself so she would hold her judgement. But everything that he had done sounded like a man consumed by malevolence, violent and irrational. As far as Rose was concerned, it wasn’t a question of whose fault it was, but how much it would take to purify the both of them.

Rose stepped away from the two of them, giving Natalie a long look when the seraph remained tense. Natalie held Rose’s gaze for a moment before she looked away. Rose could feel Lailah’s concern lingering heavy in her mind, but she didn’t think that there was anything to worry about. It was hard to feel anything but worry from Natalie, and that wasn’t tainted by malevolence. Still, Rose would keep an eye on Natalie just in case. It was easy to absorb malevolence in her state of mind.

Rose took another step back before waving her hand dismissively. “I’ll leave you to it. I want to do a sweep of the area with the Squires to give them a bit of a warm up before heading off. I expect proper goodbyes from everyone, since I’ll be out of the loop for a long while.”

Sergei shifted uneasily, Rose almost amused by the way a blush rose on his cheeks. She tilted her head at the slight change in his scent, exchanging a look with Alisha. She looked equally as interested, although she was blushing as well.

Alisha cleared her throat, quickly looking away from Sergei. But she wasn’t quick enough for Rose to miss the knowing smile on her face. Alisha took a moment to gather herself before nodding at Rose. “We’ll send you off with all honors.”

“You deserve just as many honors. The two of you will be doing the hard work.”

Sergei’s jaw worked for a moment, Rose confused by the look on his face. It wasn’t strange to see Sergei looking determined, but it was strange to see him working so long over a thought. The man tended to be quick with his decisions. She raised an eyebrow when his gaze lingered on her for a moment before Sergei abruptly jerked it away.

The man took a few deep breaths before shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Alisha. I know you’ll need the help, but I have my oaths to consider.” Sergei hesitated for a moment before straightening his back, looking like he fully expected a dressing down. “I swore to help protect Sorey, to Empress Nadia and in front of all of Pendrago. I have to keep that oath, no matter what it entails. I know you were counting on my help with the empire, but I can’t ignore this.”

“But-”

“I trust the Platinum Knights to accommodate any needs you may have, and to work for the same end. And I…I trust Gouldman. But I _can’t_ abandon my oath, I have to see this through to the end.”

Rose raised an eyebrow and looked back over at Alisha, expecting to see her stuttering out something, because Alisha would be the one with the choice words to say. She understood a little about Sergei’s focus, because it was a promise. She had plenty of her own, to Dezel, to Lailah and to Brad. Besides, Sergei was one of the people she would have preferred to take with her, because she knew him well. There were other reasons, reasons that made Dezel start to make a protest in her mind until someone that felt strangely like Lailah silence him. Still, seraphic interference aside, she wanted to check with Alisha.

She expected the surprised look on Alisha’s face, but not the considering one that followed it. Alisha drummed her fingers against the shaft of her spear. It was the precursor to some kind of rash decision, Rose could feel it. The problem was that she didn’t know which way that Alisha would swing.

Rose found herself leaning back, her eyes widening as Alisha gave a firm nod. “There’s a lot of infrastructure to rebuild, but it could all come down if Sorey tries something, or even if he makes an appearance. It would be best if we took care of that while things are equalized. I’m sure that some of my generals will say the same thing. And I…I want to figure out why he’s changed so much.”

Rose looked between the two of them, wanting to laugh. She was sure that the two of them expected to be talked down, but Rose had no intention of saying anything. If there were anyone that she wanted to have running after the emperor and Mikleo, then it was Alisha to watch her back and Sergei who knew Sorey best.

She grinned at the two of them. “This is your one warning to back out now, because I’m not going to say no.”

Alisha looked taken aback, but she was quick to shake her head. “You’ve been helping me this entire time, Rose. It’s time for me to return the favor.”

Rose gave her a smile, glancing over at where Sergei was still standing. He didn’t show any sign that he was second guessing his decision, but that was Sergei. She gave the two of them another beat of silence to speak up before shrugging. “Lailah.”

Lailah appeared beside her, a wide grin on her face. She stepped forward, holding out a hand for each of them.

Alisha was the first to take Lailah’s hand, Sergei moving more slowly to take it. When he did, Lailah smiled at him and closed her eyes. “I will form the pact and then Rose will give you a name in the ancient tongue.” She paused long enough for the two of them to nod before closing her eyes. Rose shifted in place, bracing herself for what would come with the pact. “A new bud forms on the holy branch. Its flowers bring fruit. Its fruit begets seeds. The circle of destiny turns once more! Give life unto the will of the Shepherd, and let it be proof of their bond. Thy true names as Squires shall be…”

“Isylvia Amekia and Miks Rluics.” Rose saw both of them start at the names, some part of her glad that none of them had any handle on the ancient tongue. She was sure that Michael would have scolded her on her pronunciations, but she doubted that it mattered, not when a bright glow of light was surrounding them. She closed her eyes as it pulsed bright before fading away.

Alisha and Sergei both looked dazed by the light, which left them blinking rapidly. Rose shook her head and crossed her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow at them. “Alright, too late to back out now. But thank you.”

Alisha was the first to smile in response, Sergei a bit slower to follow. Rose looked between the two of them before taking a step back. They didn’t have the time for getting too mushy, and they weren’t in the right place for it. Besides, if the two of them were going with her then there was more to do back at the camp. It was better to get that sorted out so they could go their separate ways. The sooner that the three of them left, the sooner they could find the emperor. Once they did that, the war would well and truly be over.

* * *

Sorey tightened his hold on the reins of the horse as he watched the hellions march through. The horse snorted and shied away from them but, to his surprise, the hellions didn’t turn to look at the horse. They were more focused on continuing to march through the woods in something that could have been a formation. Sorey could only watch in shock as they went, his stomach twisting.

He had heard enough from the generals back at Marlind to think that there would be nothing left of the army, but a few of the hellions still had pieces of armor and the red and black of the empire still stuck in their fur and scales. That and the direction that they were coming from made it impossible to think that they were coming from anywhere else. The biggest cluster of malevolence was in that direction too, kicked up by the battle. Even if he hadn’t known, the knot of malevolence that pulsed in his chest would tell him. There was some part of him that was yearning to go back and bathe in it, but it sounded too much like the same voice that told him to call Mikleo’s true name and revel in that power again.

Sorey shook his head, tightening his grip on the reins. He wanted to pull the horse back into the forest and make his way back to where he and Mikleo had set up a temporary camp via a longer way, but he didn’t dare. The hellions were moving steadily towards their camp and he couldn’t help the curl of worry. Mikleo was fully capable of handling himself, but the seraph was still in heat and it was hard to push the protective instincts away.

Mikleo might be able to hold his own, but Sorey wanted to be there to stand at his back.

He swung up onto the horse’s back, scrambling at the animal’s mane as he hauled himself into the saddle. He had been sure that Mikleo had been fine when he had left. It had only been to scout out the area to make sure that there weren’t any Hyland patrols in the area, but he had never considered hellions. Sorey glanced at the hellions, shivering when a few of them gave him a long look.

He was used to hellions looking at him like he was their next prey, but not with some kind of deference. Sorey curled his fingers more tightly into the horse’s mane, resisting the urge to pull the horse back and send it away from the hellions. Going away from the hellions would mean that the knot of malevolence in him wouldn’t be yearning after them. The fact that it was a temptation frightened him.

He clamped down on it, trying to shove it away and to the back of his mind long enough that he could actually focus on what he needed to do. The most important thing was to get away from the hellions before they reverted back to their usual behavior. They were heading towards where he had left Mikleo to set up the camp, and that was his next worry. He hadn’t meant to leave Mikleo alone for so long, especially when he was still in heat. Sorey bit his lip.

Mikleo deserved better than to be dropped off and made to wait on his own. Sorey owed him better than that, especially after all Mikleo had given him.

He kicked the horse, glad that it didn’t bother to protest. It wanted to get away from them just as much as he did. Sorey clung to the horse’s mane as he stood up in the stirrups. He let the horse have its head, not bothering to check the animal as it ran. He would just focus on keeping an eye on the trail and making sure that the horse didn’t swerve into the hellions. Sorey half expected the hellions to turn and snap at the horse and, from the way he felt the animal tense, the horse was waiting for it too. The most the hellions didn’t bother, although a few of them glanced up at him with that same strange interest. Even less of them made a faint guttural sound, almost like they were trying to speak to him.

Sorey shuddered and looked forward again, keeping a look out for holes and fallen trees on the trail. There hadn’t been either on the way out but Sorey didn’t want to make a decision that would lose them the horse. They needed it for carrying their supplies and Mikleo. Sorey didn’t intend to make Mikleo walk, not when there were two more days left in his heat. Besides, the horse might be the only way that they could keep ahead of anyone that would be coming after them.

He couldn’t imagine that anyone from Hyland would leave them alone, not after everything that they had done. If not from Hyland, then Sergei would certainly come after him because of what had happened to Boris. Sorey didn’t know what would happen if Sergei caught up with him, but he doubted that it would be anything good. Sergei might have his oaths, but he was a man who believed in justice and Sorey was sure that he had been trampling all over the most basic definition of it.

The horse snorted and kicked out, Sorey scrambling for a better hold of the reins. He turned to look over his shoulder, his stomach twisting at the sight of the hellions following after him. They were still in their almost exact marching order, and now all of them were paying attention to him. Sorey was sure that they had picked up their pace and were following him specifically.

He cursed under his breath and turned back around. Sorey kicked the horse, trying to urge more speed out of it. He wanted to get away from the hellions and back to Mikleo.

Sorey scanned the forest ahead of him, feeling his stomach twist. He hadn’t thought he had strayed so far away from their camp, but he had wanted to be thorough without exhausting the horse. He had just wanted to make sure that they would be safe for the night. The next few days would be the two of them putting as much distance between them and the Hyland forces, and all he wanted to do was to keep him and Mikleo safe until they were in the right mind to deal with what was happening.

He focused ahead, trying not to listen to some of the sounds that was coming from the hellions that were behind them. Sorey was sure that he wouldn’t be able to lose them, not unless he got off the path and he almost didn’t dare. They were all shuffling along at the same pace, but it was just enough to keep up. Sorey bit his lip, glancing around on either side of the trail. He could take the longer route, he would be guaranteed to lose them then. But they might reach Mikleo before he did.

It didn’t matter that the seraph usually scared the hellions away. There were far too many for Sorey to feel comfortable just relying on whatever aura Mikleo had. He didn’t want to have to fight the hellions himself because there was still a chance to save all of them, but he would if there was no other choice.

He had promised Mikleo a life after all of this with his family, and he would make sure that Mikleo got it.

Sorey rolled his shoulders forward, jerking out of his reverie when the trail opened up. He sat up in the saddle, looking around before hauling the horse’s head to the left. The horse snorted but complied with the command. Sorey practically fell out of the saddle when the horse swerved, scrambling at the pommel of the saddle with one hand. He thought he heard something from the hellions, but he didn’t dare look back.

He was close to their camp, Sorey’s heart thundering loudly in his ears as he passed some broken bits of masonry. They had set it up in some of the ruins that had dotted the forest, pushed back and protected from the elements and anyone who came looking for them. Sorey couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to poke around in some of the ruins, not when they looked more like a trap than anything else.

He stood up in the stirrups as the horse clattered into what Sorey assumed had been the courtyard. Once upon a time he would have taken the time to explore and figure out what the ruin had been used for, but he hadn’t been like that in a long time.

Sorey turned his head when he saw Mikleo standing at the mouth of the partially collapsed ruin that they had claimed for their camp. He had expected to find Mikleo inside, looking exhausted and overwhelmed, nothing like the bright and alert seraph. Mikleo’s odd behavior didn’t hold his attention for long, because the horse squealed and bucked.

He pulled the horse up, slipping off of its back before it had stopped. Sorey kept a hold on the reins as the horse tossed its head and jigged around him. He barely paid attention to the horse, focusing on the hellions that had managed to catch up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mikleo tense, sure he saw Mikleo start to form words, but he didn’t bother to wait to hear them.

The anger was bubbling up inside of him, a familiar anger that he had experienced in Gododdin and when he had faced the council in the Pendrago Shrinechurch. It was the anger that he had held at bay every time his generals hadn’t listened.

It was the anger that made the malevolence inside of him crow.

Sorey stepped forward, practically dragging the horse along with him as he snarled. When the sound didn’t deter the hellions, he raised his free arm and made a vague gesture in their direction. “Leave us alone!”

He expected them to snarl back a challenge and charge anyway, not come to an abrupt stop. The group of hellions swayed in place, the front runners glancing at each other before stepping back. The whole group started to back away and disperse, but not far away. From what Sorey could see they were splitting up to start performing tasks like they were still human. Like they were still soldiers obey his orders.

Sorey swayed in place, breathing heavily as he watched them.

Hellions didn’t listen to anyone. They were a force unto themselves. The only things that kept them loyal were the promise of food and war. And they were only staying because they were sure that he could give them that.

Sorey reached up to drag a hand through his hair, wincing when his fingers knocked against metal. He groped for what was on his head, taking off the crown that he had been wearing.

He stared at it, trying to remember when he had put it on. He had only brought it with him because it had seemed like the kind of thing an emperor would do. After all, Lyte had worn the crown to war and the generals had seemed to respond better when he was wearing some show of his power.

That must have been the reason he had put it on that morning, because he had still thought that he’d had the time to talk to the generals about their next move. But that authority hadn’t stopped them from ignoring him and sending the entire army to their deaths.

The authority of the crown had brought nothing that he had hoped for. It had only brought pain, suffering and death.

Sorey screamed as he threw the crown away from him as hard as he could. He heard the clatter of metal as it knocked against something, but he didn’t bother to look up at it. He didn’t want to see the thing ever again.

He wrapped an arm around himself, breathing heavily as he tried to calm himself down.

Sorey didn’t know how long he stood there, only looking up when he felt someone prying his fingers open. He looked over at Mikleo, watching as the seraph gently took the horse’s reins from his hand. He swallowed, opening his mouth to speak before snapping it shut. He didn’t know what to say, all of his emotions twisting up in the thick curl of malevolence that was inside him. Sorey closed his eyes again, listening as Mikleo led the horse away into their section of ruin.

He took a few more deep breaths, trying to calm the feeling that things were cycling out of his control. They always had been, he’d just been holding on by the tips his fingers. And that hold felt like it was slipping.

He dug his fingers into his side, clinging to the bite of pain to keep him from slipping further. He needed to stay afloat, if just a bit longer. He couldn’t trail the hellions after him forever. If they circled close to the battlefield the hellions might get distracted and taken care of and then they could be done.

That was all he wanted above everything else. He wanted this extended nightmare to be done.

“Sorey?” He looked up when Mikleo called him, immediately feeling guilty at the worried look on Mikleo’s face. Of all the things that Mikleo needed, worry about him was the last thing.

It took more effort than he thought to straighten up, but no effort to smile at Mikleo. He turned and walked back towards the seraph, reaching out for the hand that Mikleo offered.

He closed his fingers around Mikleo’s hand, the hold steading him somewhat. There wasn’t time to fall apart, not when there was so many other things to do.

Sorey closed his eyes and leaned against Mikleo for a moment, shivering when he felt Mikleo slide an arm around his waist. He tried to lose himself in the press of Mikleo close to him and the seraph’s familiar scent, but it was harder than it had ever been. He could still hear the hellions setting up their camp, which made him want to growl.

Mikleo’s hand stroked over his side before resting to exert a gentle pressure. “Come on.”

Sorey went with the tug, sticking close to Mikleo as he was led into the ruin. It was easy enough to stay close to him with the gentle slope of the floor down to an open space. The horse was off to one side, tied to what looked like the remains of a statue, grazing on the grass that had grown up thick through the stones. The horse didn’t bother to look up at them, Sorey giving it a quick look over before his attention switched to the niche that they had claimed as their own.

Mikleo had already set up the camp for the night, spreading out the bedroll that had been on the saddle when Sorey had grabbed it. The other saddlebags were tucked towards the back. It looked comfortable and safe, and Sorey just wanted to sink into it and ignore everything that was going on.

He was relieved when Mikleo led him right over, Sorey only stumbling away from him when Mikleo stopped. Sorey practically flopped onto the bedroll with a sigh, closing his eyes. It felt good to be this safe, but strange. Even with the hellions outside, the place felt defensible.

He rolled over onto his side, smiling when Mikleo knelt down beside him. Sorey reached out for him, pulling him onto the bedroll beside him. Mikleo went easily, Sorey curling protectively around him.

Sorey nuzzled into the back of Mikleo’s neck, reaching up to push Mikleo’s hair out of the way so he could get to Mikleo’s skin. He felt the seraph shiver as he breathed against it, Sorey smiling to himself as he nuzzled up to Mikleo’s scent glands. He dragged his hand down Mikleo’s side, straying towards the front of Mikleo’s pants.

He tensed when Mikleo grabbed his hand, holding himself still as he waited for Mikleo to react. Sorey expected to be guided to a new position or to be pushed away. When Mikleo didn’t move, Sorey made a questioning sound.

He breathed a sigh of relief when Mikleo turned in his arms, pressing their foreheads against each other. Sorey would have relaxed into him, but there was a strange look on Mikleo’s face, one that Sorey didn’t know how to react to.

Sorey shifted his hold on Mikleo, settling his hand on Mikleo’s waist. When the seraph didn’t protest that, Sorey tugged him a little closer so they could tangle their legs together. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just don’t feel like it.”

Sorey frowned, moving his hand from Mikleo’s waist to cup his cheek. He brushed his fingers over Mikleo’s skin, looking at him closely. “Tired?”

A look of relief crossed Mikleo’s face before he nodded. Mikleo sighed and leaned more into him, Sorey shifting his hold so Mikleo could get as close as he wanted. He shivered as Mikleo nuzzled under his chin, Mikleo seeming to find the place that he was looking for. Sorey could tell by the way that he just relaxed and went plaint in his arms.

Sorey ran a hand up and down Mikleo’s back, hearing Mikleo hum his thanks. He smiled into Mikleo’s hair, ignoring the way that his own body reacted. He might still be primed for a few more days of heat, but it was obvious that the stress of the war and traveling and thrown Mikleo off. Besides, it felt good just to hold Mikleo, some of the tension that had started to wind up in him dissolving away.

He nuzzled into Mikleo’s hair, feeling more than hearing Mikleo mumble something against his neck. Sorey took a deep breath, relaxing slowing with the feeling of Mikleo in his arms and the familiar scent of the seraph.

He took a deep breath, wrinkling his nose at the small change in Mikleo’s scent. It was nothing more than an overreaction to what he thought he should smell. He was looking for the slight sweetness that came with Mikleo’s usual scent of wet earth and incoming rain. Instead it smelled softer and lighter. It was nice, something that Sorey wanted to bury himself in. Something that made him want to hold Mikleo gently. Sorey hummed to himself and pulled Mikleo closer.

It was probably nothing, just his own imagination. He still didn’t let up his hold on Mikleo. The seraph was comfortable and there were hellions just outside.

Sorey lifted his head slightly to glance at the entrance to the ruin, quickly resettling himself when Mikleo made a noise of complaint. He stroked his hand down Mikleo’s back, trying match his breathing to Mikleo’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I broke and tried to figure out something for Sergei’s true name in the ancient tongue. It translate to Lost Knight or, literally Lost Cnecht because the old way of spelling knight led to a better and more pronounceable version of the name.
> 
> Also, after this chapter the posting schedule will be going back to the usual day (Tuesdays).


	28. Chapter 25

“Your humble servants, worshipping you with pious melodies,  
Beseech you, as you command, to free them from diverse ills.”  
– “Rex caeli domine” from _Musica enchiriadis_

* * *

 

Vanya gripped Sergei’s hand tightly as he shook it, the rest of the Platinum Knights clustered close behind him. He had already gone through their ranks, shaking each of their hands and giving them each a few words. Sergei was aware of how it sounded like he was about to march off to his death, but he felt that the Platinum Knights deserved recognition for all of their service. They had followed him in desertion to fight a war that they could have stayed out of, and they had done it without question or complaint. He couldn’t think of anyone better to go and oversee the changes in the empire.

He let go of Vanya’s hand, smiling as the man saluted him before stepping back to join the rest of the Platinum Knights. He took the reins of his horse, Sergei looking over the men and feeling the loss of his pin of office keenly. If he had kept that instead of throwing it back at Sorey in Pendrago then he would have something to give Vanya. If he was going to be Rose’s Squire, then he couldn’t lead the Platinum Knights, no matter how temporary the arrangement was.

For lack of a better thing to do, he saluted the Platinum Knights, the corner of his mouth twitching up as they returned the salute. He held it for a moment, dropping it a moment after Vanya did. The motion was worth it from the way that Vanya’s eyes widened. The next moment the shock was gone, Vanya turning to shout orders at the Platinum Knights. They immediately responded, Sergei raising an eyebrow at the sharp efficiency they showed.

It wasn’t that the knights were ever sloppy, or that they didn’t adhere to protocol, he just hadn’t expected them to show off. Then again, the remains of the empire’s army was with them and the knights had essentially been given command of them all.

Sergei narrowed his eyes, looking between the two remaining officers. Gouldman he felt like he could trust enough on his own. The man might have been pushy and showy, but he seemed to have gotten a good handle on the situation. Some of Gouldman’s cockiness had been stripped away by the war, something that Sergei was glad about. He trusted Vanya and the others to be able to handle what had been happening in the empire after Sorey had marched out. Sergei didn’t know what would be going on, but he was sure that the weight of command that came from the Platinum Knights would be enough to help. The problems would come if people started to insist that the knights had no right to be in the empire since they had deserted, and that was what Gouldman was for.

The Blue Storm Knights had never been reported as deserters, so their reputation was intact. More than that, they had close ties to the church. If anyone was going to try and seize power, it would be the church. Having Gouldman there would be necessary to keep the balance of power. That it would keep Gouldman away from him was only tangentially related to the reason Sergei had been comfortable sending him away.

He jerked his gaze away before Gouldman could meet it, not wanting to encourage anything with him. He’d been successful thus far at avoiding Gouldman’s direct attentions, although Sergei wasn’t sure how successful he had been in discouraging those attentions. There’d never been a single moment to take Gouldman aside and talk, not with all of the rushing that they had been doing. Even now they were rushing off in different directions. Sergei was sure that he should speak to the man, but he kept himself back.

It was easier to look away and focus on something else, like the other general. Sergei narrowed his eyes as he considered the man before shaking his head. If there was anyone to look out for, it was that man. It was enough to make him want to call Vanya back over and tell him to watch out for the general. He was sure that Vanya already knew anyway. Besides, the rest of the Platinum Knights would have his back and Sergei was no longer their general.

He sighed, snapping up into a salute as the remains of the army marched out, Sergei watching the red stream out from the Hyland blue. The sight of it was enough to make him worry.

Things hadn’t always been smooth when the two groups were working together, but it had been better than the alternative. At least together they had shared ideas and problems. Apart would be a different thing because they would have to contend with distance and what the people thought. The people only knew what had happened close to their homes, not on the battlefield. And that was sometimes the hardest thing to overcome.

Sergei felt the guilt roll through him before he brushed it aside. He wasn’t specifically needed to help reform the empire, but a general of the Platinum Knights was and Vanya was level headed and well known. Besides, he had his own promises to consider. He had his oaths to the empire and Sergei was confident that he had carried them out to the best of his abilities, it was the oaths to Empress Nadia and Sorey that he felt that he was failing.

If he had been paying more attention to those then maybe things wouldn’t have gotten so bad. Maybe he would have been able to talk Sorey down if he hadn’t stormed out of Pendrago. He would have still sent the Platinum Knights away because he still couldn’t trust Sorey with them, but he couldn’t help but think that maybe he could have canceled out some of Mikleo’s influence.

He was making up for that now.

Sergei rolled his shoulders and took a step back, looking over at where Alisha was still talking with some of her knights. The princess was lost in the tight cluster of them. The corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile as he watched them.

He had no doubt that Alisha was issuing her final orders to them. Sergei glanced up at the tight group of people that were a few steps back, almost amused by their cowed look. He hadn’t been around to hear what Alisha had said to them, he’d been busy issuing his own orders and saying goodbye to the Platinum Knights. Whatever it had been obviously had left quite the impression, which meant that Hyland might be far better prepared for whenever the terms were offered. He looked away, focusing on checking over his horse’s tack to hide his smile.

It reminded him of the way that Alisha had been when she had come to Pendrago; a force of nature that none of the council had been prepared for. It was almost enough to make him wish that they could drag her back to Pendrago before the talks started. He was over four months out of date with the news coming from the empire. For all he knew, Pope Gasparo Reno was the only remaining power. All of the generals that could have filled in the positions left by Sorey’s slaughter of his council had marched out with him. Only one of them was going back, but Sergei was sure that he wouldn’t be allowed to steal too much power. Everyone would be on the alert for that. Besides, Sergei was sure that everyone thought that the general would just use his position to turn around and trying to start the war.

Then again, none of them knew the situation in Pendrago.

He frowned as he fiddled with one of the stirrups before giving it up. It was too late for changing his mind. He had agreed to be Rose’s Squire and that was the end of it.

Sergei walked around to the other side of his horse to pull the other stirrup down. He was still adjusting the stirrup when he felt a hand brush across his shoulders. He tensed, relaxing when he heard Alisha mutter an apology. Sergei looked back at her before shifting to allow her more room to go past. He shivered when she brushed her hand against his arm.

It wasn’t that it wasn’t welcome, but more that he didn’t know what do to do about it. All of the touches between them were done with intent, like all of Gouldman’s awkward courtship had been. Like all of Rose’s flirtatious glances were. The problem wasn’t how he felt about them, because they were both far more welcome that Gouldman’s clumsy advances. The problem came with how things would fit together later. After their hunt was done they would have to go their separate ways, their duties wouldn’t allow them anything else. It seemed to him to be a lot of effort for them that would be relegated to a quick fling. And Sergei was a cautious man.

He played with his stirrup for a moment more before swinging onto his horse. He settled easily into the saddle purposefully avoiding Alisha’s gaze, which meant meeting Rose’s.

She gave him one of her grins that seemed to say that she understood everything, which just reminded him of the cautionary tales that he had been told as a child. Seraphim could see into the hearts and minds of humans, and there was no one closer to the seraphim than the Shepherd. Sergei was sure that he was blushing, although he didn’t know why. Certainly entertaining thoughts of kissing the two of them were not thoughts to be censored. If what he was reading from the two of them was right, those thoughts would be encouraged. It was some of his other thoughts that might be, the ones that he carefully kept from thinking when Rose was around.

He jerked his gaze away and cleared his throat, giving the separating armies a last glance. They were safer than either of the two girls. His gaze lingered on the backs of the Platinum Knights for a moment before he gathered up the reins.

“Are they going to be alright?”

Sergei turned to look at Alisha as she spoke, meeting her smile with a nod. “They will be. They’re all sensible. They’ll take care of each other and Vanya is more that capable of leading them.”

“They’ll be able to handle Pendrago?”

“They should be. The have plenty of help.”

Alisha made a vague sound, the one that was coming to associate with anything that had to do with Gouldman. He tried to ignore the little bit of interest that came with the noise, because it was a petty little thing. He wasn’t interested in the fact that two alphas were interested in him, Sergei could have done without it. But it was wonderful knowing that the alpha he was interested in was seriously considering the competition.

Sergei swallowed, throwing a glance over at Rose. She looked more composed, although she had the carefully blank expression that came with any mention of Gouldman. Sergei shivered at their careful attention, having to work to keep from tipping his head back slightly. There was no need to defuse the tension or to make that kind of offer. It was neither the time nor the place for it. Besides, any tension that was there would dissipate as soon as they were moving away. There would be a kingdom between him and Gouldman, which was just enough space. And, maybe, the distance would give Gouldman the time to focus on someone else. Gouldman was a good man and a good soldier, but Sergei wasn’t interested.

Rose flinched and looked away from the army. Sergei watched as she tipped her head to the side like she was listening to something else. For a moment, he thought he caught whispers drifting through his mind, like he was just far enough away from a conversation to catch the edge of it. He shook his head and it was gone. Sergei frowned and looking down at the mane of his horse.

The presence of the seraphim was something that he was going to have to get used to in his new role. Sergei wasn’t sure if he was relieved that the four of them seemed content to remain close to Rose. He wasn’t even quite sure how to interact with them. He was more used to seraphim who were stuck in the weapons and had to be put out of their misery, or Mikleo who only Sorey could approach. Even Rose’s seraphim had avoided him for the most part, Sergei not sure if it was because he was from the empire or if it was because they were exhausted from all that they were doing. Considering the weight of the malevolence that he could feel pressing down around him, it was probably the latter.

Whatever conversation Rose was having finished up quickly. The Shepherd shook her head and nudged her horse in front of the two of them. “Natalie says that Mikleo and the emperor rode off towards the woods, so we’re going to start there. Even if we don’t find them, it’s a good chance to get the two of you used to this.”

“So, what do we do?” Alisha looked eager, the princess leaning forward in the saddle.

Sergei was suddenly struck by how different she looked. He was used to the Alisha from Pendrago or Princess Alisha who worked tirelessly with the rest of the army. The exhaustion was still there but she looked more alive than he was used to seeing her, and it made him wonder about what she was doing with her life. If the war hadn’t happened and she had been allowed to live out her life in Ladylake, what would she have done? Considering the way she was looking at Rose, Sergei could see Alisha easily falling in with her.

He considered the question for himself before shaking it off. He had always wanted to be a soldier because he had always wanted to protect people. He had gotten into his position through sheer good luck, any other soldier could have been assigned to protect Sorey that day on the road. But Sergei was sure that he would have ended up in the Platinum Knights anyway. But, then again, there was no point in thinking about what ifs, not when there was something more important to focus on.

He looked back over at Rose, watching her consider the two of them before she nodded. “You’re going to fight, but try not to kill. As my Squires, you will be able to purify hellions. It feels kind of like burning, but also cold.” Rose gave them both a helpless looking shrug. “I can’t describe it, it’s easier to just feel it.”

She tipped her head to the side, listening to the seraphim again before she nodded. “It’s probably better for the two of you to have a seraph to watch your back, at least until you get used to what we’re doing. Just stick close to them and you’ll be fine.”

Sergei raised an eyebrow, but didn’t dare say anything. He didn’t want to offend Rose by calling her job simple, because he was sure that there was more to it than that. From the way that she was struggling to put what she needed them to do into words, it was something that had be felt more than explained. Sergei was alright with learning on the fly, but he wasn’t too sure about having a seraphim working so close to him, just in case everything he had heard about them were true. Still, it would be better than floundering around on his own.

He had gotten the chance to see Rose and the seraphim working together in battle, and it was a glorious thing to see. He was almost jealous of how easily she could move through the battlefield, among other observations about Rose in motion.

Sergei pushed the thought out of his mind, cataloging it for later. He had no objections about learning on the job or even having someone helping him, just as long as they found Sorey quickly. He could justify staying away from Pendrago just as long as they were following close on the emperor’s trail. But Sergei was sure that even he couldn’t justify months of searching for Sorey when he was needed elsewhere.

Rose gave them both a long look before turning her horse towards the forest. Sergei barely had to nudge his horse to follow, the horse eagerly trailing after Rose and Alisha’s horses. Sergei meant to steer his horse around them to ride in a line, but the two girls took action before he could.

He blushed as they fell in on either side of him, straightening his back a little bit. He thought he heard one of them giggle, shooting a glance over at Alisha before he turned his attention to Rose as she sighed. His gaze followed the curve of her back as Rose stretched her arms above her head. She seemed to be taking her time with it, Sergei sure that he glanced at him but her gaze didn’t linger.

She dropped her arms back down, gathering up the reins slowly. Rose stared ahead of them before flashing them a big smile. “It feels good to get away from the rest of the army. Feels a little bit more efficient this way. Fewer…distractions.”

There was something in the way she leaned on the word and the glance that she shot his way. Sergei suddenly became aware of Alisha’s gaze on his shoulder, her consideration making him want to shiver. It wasn’t any different from the other times, but the other times they hadn’t been alone. The three of them had always been in the camp and the bustle of the soldiers had never been too far away. Sergei had underestimated how much of a deterrent that had been. Then again, their attention wasn’t unwanted. The only unwanted thing about the whole situation was their eventual parting.

Sergei swallowed, tempted to do what he was used to doing. He could ignore it and he knew that Rose and Alisha would drop it immediately. That’s what made their attentions more bearable than the ones from Gouldman. They stopped when he asked, Gouldman seemed to see that as encouragement to try harder or try something else. All he had to do was not respond, but there was no camp at large to stop him, nor were there the rest of the Platinum Knights to consider. All he had were his own sensibilities, which were leaning increasingly in one direction.

After all, it wasn’t like he would run the risk of having a heat while searching for Sorey. He doubted that they would be gone the three months that it would take for his next heat to come, if it came at all. It had never been regular, especially in high stress situations and Sergei couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t been stressed. All that guaranteed was a decision made with a clear mind, although Sergei seriously suspected that the decision had already been made.

He gave the two girls one last surreptitious glance before relaxing slightly. Figuring out that situation wasn’t the main focus of what they were doing, but he wouldn’t ignore it, but the majority of his attention would be on seeking out Sorey.

Only when they caught him would everything be done. And that was more important than anything that he was looking for himself.

That didn’t stop him from giving two of them an easy smile, hoping that his nervousness didn’t show through. He watched the two girls, sure that were aware of it. They had to be with the way that Alisha settled back in the saddle and Rose smiled like the cat who had gotten the cream.

He left them both alone with their thoughts, choosing to focus on the trail into the forest. He swallowed at the heavy feeling that was settling in around him now that he was focusing on what was going on. The malevolence was getting thicker the deeper they got into the forest, which had to be a good sign.

If there was one thing that would lead them to Sorey, it would be the malevolence.

Sergei straightened his shoulders, bracing himself for the close press of malevolence as he prayed that there would be something left of Sorey by the time that they found him.

* * *

Boris tensed as he felt the hard press of a back against his move away. He switched his grip on his sword, reaching back with one hand to grab onto the end of Uno’s shirt as the seraph tried to move away. He yanked Uno back against him, bracing for the knock that would come with the seraph falling back against him. He heard Uno squawk in surprise, but that was something that he could just ignore. Boris pressed his back up against Uno’s giving the seraph another tug back. “Stay.”

“R-right.”

That was a good enough answer for him, Boris turning his attention back to the hellions that were circling.

It was the second bunch that they had run into today, although it was larger than the last one. Boris was sure it was because they were getting close to a village, which just made him worry.

On their way through the empire they had run into three abandoned villages. Boris hadn’t been able to tell if they had been attacked during or after the people had fled, and it was enough for him to worry for the state of the rest of the empire. The army had never been active in taking care of hellions, not unless they were prowling around their posts and causing trouble, but even that had been better than nothing. From what he could see, the border forts and usual camps were gone, meaning that the army had marched off to war. And that had left the people undefended.

He gritted his teeth and braced himself as the giant wasp rushed forward. Boris’ gaze darted down to its stinger before ignoring it. If he moved fast enough than the stinger wouldn’t be a problem. And, if Uno stayed where he put him, then the wasp on the other side wouldn’t be a problem either.

Boris watched the wasp, stepping forward as it slowed its momentum to swing back to use its stinger. Boris lunged forward at that, swinging his sword so it curt across the wasp’s thorax. Instead of slicing, the sword burst to life with blue flame, the wasp making a strange chittering sound as it fell backward. Boris didn’t dare look away until the hellion collapsed under the blue flame. Whatever was under it would reappear on its own, which made it more important for them to take care of the other ones.

He heard Uno yelp, turning his head in time to see the seraph duck to the side. Uno corrected himself quickly, twisting slightly to send a pillar of water up against the wasp.

The hellion was sent upwards, the water washing over it before crashing back down. The hellion was nowhere to be seen, but Boris could see a flicker of blue that indicated purification, which was all that mattered.

Uno gave him a wide smile before coming back to rest back to back, Boris grinning to himself. The seraph was learning quickly, which was good. It was far better to have Uno against his back than skirting around the edge of the battle.  If he was doing that then he was more likely to get one of them or himself hurt.

He threw a quick glance at where Melody was, watching as the seraph started backing towards them. She had gone out to lure some of the hellions further away from the village. Boris assumed that she had taken care of some on the way back because they were fewer than expected. Boris didn’t know if that was because they had drawn most of the hellions towards them at the start or if there were fewer than they were used to dealing with. If the latter was the case, then it was only because he had been working with Eizen’s curse. He wasn’t sure if he was a boon or not, considering that they had spent most of their time running from whatever Eizen’s curse had drawn their way. It was just something that he wished that he had known before agreeing, but there was no turning back now.

Boris nudged his shoulder into Uno, the seraph turning away from the pressure. Boris pivoted so he was facing Melody, watching as she made a graceful arc with her fan. He expected fire to follow after it, not to swirl up from the ground. The two hellions at the front of the group didn’t either. They were caught up in the spiral, the flames flaring bright red and orange for a moment before cooling to a blue.

Melody continued to back up until she was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, her gaze still locked in the direction she had come from. Boris tensed the longer she held herself still, letting out his breath in a rush when the flames flickered out, letting a collection of small wasps out from them. Boris watched them waver in the air before going their separate ways.

He didn’t follow after them for long, dropping his gaze down to look for more hellions. He always expected more to come flooding in, because they always did. But there was nothing there but the open path.

He relaxed slightly, feeling Uno rush away from his back, probably to deal with another hellion. Boris spared a quick glanced back at him before looking over to where Zaveid and Eizen had gotten themselves to.

The two of them had peeled off as soon as the hellions had locked onto them. The only reason he had noticed that they had gone was the screech of a giant bird. He hadn’t gotten a good look at it because his attention had been focused on making sure that Uno wouldn’t get himself killed. Purification might be something that he was still working on, but fighting was something that he knew.

He caught a flash of bright colors out of the corner of his eye, Boris stepping around Uno to look at where Zaveid and Eizen had the bird pinned down. The hellion shrieked as it strained against the chains that were keeping it grounded, Boris seeing Zaveid brace himself further as Eizen charged in. The hellion snapped at him, Eizen dodging to one side before punching the hellion in the side of the head. The hellion slumped to one side, Eizen winding back as Zaveid took action. The chains tightened for a moment before twisting.

For a moment, the hellion looked like it was getting crushed, but then the feathers started flaking away under the pressure, more following when Eizen slammed his fist into the hellion again.

That seemed to be the final straw, because the hellion wavered before collapsing entirely, wisps of blue streaming from it. Boris watched them go, the wisps climbing into the air before being blown away. He waited until the initial rush of them was gone before allowing himself to sigh in relief. He always felt like he was bracing for the next wave. He looked around warily, seeking out more hellions but there were none to be found. At least that they knew of.

Boris shook his head, trying to let the thought to go. If there were more hellions, they would take care of them like they always did. It was his job as the Shepherd.

He rolled his shoulders, ignoring the shiver that ran down his spine. It still didn’t feel real sometimes, but Boris couldn’t deny the fact. It was hard when the seraphim were always around or resting in his head. There were times that it was strange, but those times were growing shorter every day.

He looked back at Melody, watching as she tucked her fans back into her belt. She flashed him a wide smile before reaching up to fix her hair where it had fallen into her face. Melody tugged it back into place, giving her head a quick shake to settle it. “Ready to see what Zaveid and Eizen have reeled in, or should we give them more time to cuddle?”

Boris rolled his eyes, ignoring the loud laugh that escaped Melody. He didn’t dare look over at Uno either, sure that a smile would be crossing his face. The two of them could giggle together all they wanted, he wanted to make sure that any humans that had been purified were alright. He threw a glanced over his shoulder, looking down the road.

They had been approaching a village so there would be a place to leave the human until they recovered, but they couldn’t stay. They were making good time, far better than they had made with the wagons and the seraphim. Then again, wagons moved more slowly and had to stick to the roads. Boris was sure that they had cut off a good two weeks by going across the country, taking routes that he wouldn’t have dared but Eizen swore that he half remembered. Boris was sure that they would have gotten lost; it would have been just like their luck. But they hadn’t, the worst that had happened was that Boris didn’t quite know where they were in Rolance.

He gave the road one last scan before looking back over at the two seraphim. He would ask where they were in the village, and then they would figure out exactly where they were going. Certainly Zaveid couldn’t complain that they weren’t ready for the war when they had practically fought their way across this far into the empire. Uno might still be shaky on how to fight with a team, but he was getting better. And he hadn’t gotten stuck in the armatus for at least a week, which had to be progress. Besides, they might still have half the empire to cross to even get close to the border with Hyland. That had to be enough time.

Boris clenched his hands into fists, holding them there before relaxing. There was no point to an argument that they had been over many times before.

Zaveid didn’t notice him when he first approached, too caught up in leaning against Eizen and talking to him in a low voice. Boris glanced over them before shaking his head. With the seraphim so close to him, it was impossible not to stumble into their private lives. Then again, it didn’t take much to figure out Zaveid and Eizen. The only secret remaining was the pendant that he would sometimes catch Eizen staring at, but it had never felt like the right time to ask about it. With the way it looked, casing broken and ribbon frayed, Boris was sure that he already knew the answer.

He cleared his throat, watching as the two of them jumped away from each other. Eizen shot him an annoyed glance, but Zaveid gave him a jaunty salute. “Sheps, what’s up?”

“That depends. What do you have?”

Zaveid stepped out of the way, allowing Boris a clear view at the man who was sprawled unconscious on the ground. Boris hummed and went to crouch by the man. He ignored Eizen’s half cut off sound, sure that it was just a warning for him to be careful. Boris didn’t say anything, because he was well aware of what he had to be on guard for; Eizen’s curse and whatever the man would do if he woke up suddenly. He was sure that either one of those circumstances didn’t matter. He was getting used to dealing with the curse and he was sure that the man would be disorientated when he woke up. There was no telling where the man had been before he had succumbed to malevolence.

Boris looked him over, giving him a cursory glance. He knew that Eizen and Zaveid would have tried to avoid hurting the human too much, but accidents happened and there was no telling what injuries that the man could have had from before. He hummed to himself, reaching out to check the man’s pulse. It was strong and steady under his fingers and he couldn’t see any injuries, but the man wasn’t showing any signs of waking up.

He threw a quick look over at Zaveid, taking in the seraph’s relaxed body language. If the seraph thought everything was fine, then Boris would let it go for now.

He sighed and glanced back down the road. The village wasn’t far and they were heading that way anyway. They would just have to take him with them, but he didn’t want to sling the man over the saddle just in case he had missed something. But the mare wouldn’t be able to take the weight of him and the man.

Boris shook his head and stood up, smiling when he saw Melody leading the mare over their way. She grinned back at him, tossing him the reins when she got close enough. “I thought you would want her. What are we doing with him?”

“Bringing him along for the ride.” Boris gestured up at the saddle. “I’m going to need you to hold him while we head to the village.”

He expected the slight recoil that came with the request. Boris was sure that all of the seraphim would have reacted in a similar way. All of them but Zaveid had been trapped in weapons from some length of time or another, but he was sure that Eizen and Uno would have refused outright. Melody was the one who would be the most open as well as the lightest.

Melody considered the question for a moment before shrugging, but Boris saw the slight flicker of unease in her eyes. “It’s not that far. I saw it when I was trying to draw them all in. So we won’t have to walk the feet off of our poor Shepherd.”

The last was delivered over her shoulder with a grin, Boris huffing. That was as close to a yes that he would get from her, but he was happy with it.

He adjusted his hold on the reins, watching as she swung up onto the horse’s back. He waited until she had settled into place, turning to go and get the unconscious man only to find that Zaveid was walking over with the man slung over his shoulder like he weighed nothing. Boris raised an eyebrow, feeling the slightly stirring of the wind that meant that Zaveid was using an arte, but Boris was sure that it didn’t matter, just like he was sure that if he looked over at Eizen he would find the earth seraph watching with barely concealed interest.

Boris huffed and adjusted his hold on the horse, holding the mare still as Zaveid lifted the man up into the saddle. He watched Melody carefully, waiting for the moment that it became too much for her. He wouldn’t press this, not if she didn’t feel comfortable.

Melody settled the man into place and gave him a nod, Boris noting the way she held herself tense. They would have to move quickly before she got too uncomfortable.

He clucked to the horse, leading the mare back towards the road. It didn’t take more than that for the seraphim to fall in with him. Boris shivered as Uno returned to him, and he expected Zaveid and Eizen to do the same, but the two of them stayed out. Zaveid even ducked around the horse to walk beside him.

Boris watched as the seraph rolled his shoulders before reaching up to fix his hair. As far as Boris could tell, nothing had fallen out of place. He was almost sure that it was more primping. Just what that would do was still in question considering the fact that Eizen was walking on the other side of the horse.

He snuck a quick look under the horse’s neck, catching a glimpse of Eizen scanning over the open fields on that side. The earth seraph was probably ready for the next wave of hellions to charge at them, the very idea of it sending a shiver up Boris’ spine. If that was the case then they wouldn’t get too far. Well, Melody and the unconscious man would probably make it to the village, and the three of them would have to hold the line. Before Boris would have said it was impossible, but Uno was doing better than before.

He felt Uno perk up at the thought of his name, the seraph subsiding a moment later. Boris felt the small pull of exhaustion from him, and he was more than happy to let Uno rest. They had spent most of their time purifying hellions, which was tiring enough and it was only midday. Boris sighed and rolled his neck, stopping the motion when he saw the first roofs of the village.

Boris tipped his head to the side, examining what he could see of the village. The others that they had run across had been a mix between ruined and untouched, so it was impossible to tell. At least the roofs weren’t torn, which was a better sign. He turned his attention away from the village as the horse shook its head. He heard Melody suck in a quick breath, not sure what had made her react like that.

He was about to look over his shoulder at her to check how she was doing when he saw movement on the street. They were still too far away for Boris to see more than a number of people gathering. He wanted to believe that they were the villagers, but he wasn’t going to relax his guard. For all he knew, they were scavengers looking for anything to keep them alive. This far out in the empire – and without a council or the army to at least to try to impose some kind of order – people would get desperate enough to do anything. Boris didn’t blame them for what they were doing, just as long they didn’t harm the villagers.

Boris tightened his hold on the reins, feeling the horse start to sidle to one side. He could feel the moment she bumped up against Eizen because the horse snorted and relaxed. Boris glanced up at Melody to make sure that she was secure before clucking to the horse. She tossed her head before breaking into a trot. Boris jogged easily alongside her, feeling Zaveid and Eizen retreat back into him.

It was one thing to have one person running towards them, but it was another thing for three people to be jogging over. Boris knew he looked enough like a soldier, and Zaveid and Eizen wouldn’t have helped that image.

Boris swallowed and made sure to keep his hand away from his sword, choosing to keep glancing back at Melody and the unconscious man. The two of them were still on the mare’s back, but Boris was sure that he was running out of Melody’s endurance. It was enough to tempt him to try and get the mare to canter, but he was sure that she would try to run away, and he didn’t want to risk that.

He tightened his hold on the reins, pulling on them when she kept trying to run. The mare snaked her head his way, threatening a bite but she didn’t go through with it. Boris doubted that she ever would. The horse was generally sweet, but disposed to making her displeasure known.

Boris pulled her back to a walk when they got to the front of the village. The mare tossed her head but listened, slowing down to a walk and then halting when he asked her to. Boris spared a moment to pat her neck before looking back at the people that were waiting for him.

He tried not to sigh with relief when he saw that they people who had come to meet him weren’t scavengers or mercenaries. They had weapons but the way that they held them said that they weren’t comfortable with them. One of the men looked like he was about to drop his pitchfork, which made Boris want to make the mare back up. He didn’t want any casualties before anyone spoke.

The group looked him over before one of them dropped the club that they were holding and rushed forward. Boris turned to rest his hand on the mare’s shoulder to keep her steady. He gave her enough room to turn her head, the mare pinning her ears as the man came to a stop by her side. Boris felt the mare’s skin shudder, but she was standing still. He rocked up onto the balls of his feet to watch as Melody handed the man down. He didn’t miss the strained smile on Melody’s face, but he doubted that the man saw it.

More villagers were quick to come and help, Boris waiting until three of them were backing away to offer his hand to Melody. He wasn’t surprised that she shook her head. He just nodded and held the mare still as Melody dismounted.

She spent a moment with her forehead pressed against the saddle before she turned around, her usual smile in place. Melody tucked her arms behind her back and strolled over to his side, Boris aware of the careful distance that she kept between them. He nodded at her, pulling the horse’s reins over her head. Boris held them loosely in his hand as he met the gaze of the rest of the people waiting on the road. Some of them were watching the three carry the unconscious man away. Most of them were staring at Melody in awe and fear.

Boris dropped his free hand to his sword as one of the villagers shifted their hold on their weapon, eyeing the woman until she dropped her weapon entirely. The woman clasped her hands in front of her and bowed deeply. “Forgive me, lady seraph.”

He shot a quick glance over at Melody, seeing surprise flicker across her face before she nodded back at them. “It’s nothing, really. It must be hard out here.”

The villagers didn’t respond, still staring at Melody in awe. Boris let them continue for a moment longer before stepping forward. The motion shifted the villagers’ attention to him, Boris noting how they immediately went back to being wary. It was ask expected, but it would make his job just a little bit harder.

He took a deep breath, about to speak when he felt one of the seraphim inside him peel away. Boris turned his head, not surprised when Eizen was the one to emerge. The earth seraph stood between him and the villagers, Boris sure that Eizen was giving them a long look before he held his hand back towards Boris. “I’ll take her.”

Boris handed the reins over without a protest, stepping around Eizen as he moved back to take care of the horse. He glanced back in time to see Eizen gently rub her nose, the mare immediately starting to nose at his pockets in search of a treat. Eizen laughed quiet and low before pushing her nose away. “Later, little Bee. Later.”

The mare snorted in response, Boris taking that as his cue to leave them alone. Eizen had things well in hand, and his appearance had done what it needed to do.

The villagers were silent again, Boris using that to his advantage. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore how strange the words he spoke sounded. “I am Shepherd Boris Strelka. I’ve been clearing up the hellions in the area and I wanted to check on your village.”

“Also we’re a little bit lost.” Melody laughed from where she was standing slightly behind him.

Boris could only nod, keeping his expression neutral. “We’ve been taking the back roads.”

To his surprise, there was a chuckle from the villagers. Boris looked them over before allowing himself to relax a fraction. He wasn’t on an inspection or acting as one of the Platinum Knights. Both involved being serious, because there was a sense of decorum that came with them. After all, the Platinum Knights had been around almost as long as Rolance had been a kingdom; there was a legacy to think of. As far as he could remember, there was none of that attached to the Shepherd. It was an institution, but it was one made up of individuals and impossible to curtail.

He took a deep breath and shifted his wrist so it was resting on the pommel of his sword. The rest of the villagers followed his lead and relaxed, Boris finding himself smiling at them. It was completely different from being a part of the Platinum Knights, a part of the whole, but he could handle this.

The villagers conferred amongst themselves for a moment before a man stepped out from them. He slung his bow casually over his shoulder before bowing to the two of them. “We are honored to have a Shepherd in our village, even if he has wandered a bit far.” The man smiled for a bit before taking a step back. “I can’t promise you the comforts of an inn, but plenty of open spaces in our houses.”

Boris frowned and looked at the village. It looked like it was in good shape, if not a little worn around the edges. Then again, he would have been worried if it didn’t. A little bit worn meant lived in, and worn meant that it was still in place. He narrowed his eyes at some long marks on one of the walls of the houses close to the outside of the village before he snapped his attention back to the man with the bow. He could tell that the sudden attention made the man uncomfortable, Boris trying to temper his interest. “Plenty of open spaces? Has there been trouble?”

“The odd hellion on two, large wasps and such.” The man scratched at his jaw before shrugging. “There’s some more in the area but they’ve mostly stayed away. The war is drawing them down, or that’s what my mother always told me. War and malevolence draw hellions, is what she always said. War has accounted for most of the spaces, but the others came from a call from the capital.”

Boris tensed, hearing Melody suck in a quick breath. In his head he could feel Zaveid and Uno perking up. There was a wordless question if they were needed, but Boris waved them back for a moment. He didn’t want to overwhelm the villagers, not when they were starting to loosen up. He could introduce them to the rest once he had gotten the news.

He hummed to himself before speaking. “What call from the capital?”

“Well, it came from the next few villagers over.” The man gave him an apologetic smile. “They came with their village head and a few from their guild to bring along some of ours. Apparently there’s been a bit of a kerfuffle back in Pendrago. I didn’t get much more than rumors about the Pope and emperor being dead, or the emperor being turned into a dragon himself. But the thing that was sure was that there’s been a grand council of guilds and a call for the village chiefs or representatives of the shires. I don’t know how they managed it, but there is talk of them taking over the government.”

Boris tried not to let his shock cross his face. That would give away too much too quickly. Boris was sure that the good welcome that they had gotten might disappear if they knew his opinion on the emperor. From the way the man was talking about Sorey, he was no longer popular with the people. Whatever goodwill that he had managed to acquire from his actions as a prince or with his initial plans as the emperor had vanished. Then again, Boris wasn’t surprised since Sorey had started up the war again.

He gave himself a moment to wonder if it had been Sorey’s choice or if his hand had been forced, but Boris was sure that it didn’t matter. All that mattered was ending it, and it sounded like the people of the empire were forcing Sorey’s hand with that to. It was just a matter of if Sorey had heard the news. Boris considered the distance before shaking his head. It was impossible to tell and out of his hands. Boris didn’t like the feeling.

He sighed and focused on the man. The villager didn’t seem to have noticed his distraction. The man just turned the smile at him before gesturing at one of the houses and bowing. “You should be comfortable here, you and your seraphim.”

“Thank you.” Boris nodded at the man, resisting the urge to salute him as a knight would. He wasn’t a knight anymore, and he didn’t know the proper procedures. He couldn’t even pay the man with money, but he was sure that there were other ways. It was just a matter of curbing his impatience.

He flicked his gaze back to the unconscious man, Boris nodding his head over to him. “Do you know him?”

The man glanced over before shrugging. “Of sorts. He’s from the next village over, Samantha’s son if I remember correctly. I heard he had gone missing and to keep an eye out for him, but I assume we were looking for the wrong thing.”

“Do you have any reports of other missing people?”

“None. But we’ll take any you find, and I’ll pass the word around to the other villages. Just send anyone down their way and they’ll take care of them.”

“You’re too kind.”

“Just returning the favor, sir. We look after our own and we appreciate any help that you can give us. The hellions have had us on the ropes for a long while. It’s good to get a handle on it.”

Boris gave him a thankful smile before stepping over to the house. He opened the door, moving to the side to allow Melody to go past. Boris heard her gasp, tempted to look in and see what had gotten her attention, but she would have done something if she had found anything dangerous. Besides, the man was still standing by his side and looking nervous.

Boris gave him a quick look over before leaning out to see where Eizen was leading Bee towards a field where there were two larger horses. He watched them for a moment before turning his attention to the man again.

The man gave him another stuttered bow before looking nervously around. “I don’t know if there’s any special ceremony for welcoming a Shepherd, but we would be honored if you would join us for dinner. We gather in the hall…”

The man trailed off, Boris pushing forward before the man could linger for too long. “I would. I can’t speak for the seraphim but…”

“Oh thank you.” The man bowed and scurried off, Boris watching him go.

He waiting until the man was gone before stepping into the house. He looked over at where Melody was looking around the room. She reached out to touch the edge of a carved frame on the wall before jerking her hand away. Melody breathed out slowly before turning to look at him.

Boris nodded at her and sank down on the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing when he felt the other two seraphim leave him. He didn’t bother to look up, just following Uno through his footsteps as the seraphim moved around the room. Zaveid didn’t move from where he had appeared right in front of him. Boris didn’t need to look up to see the look on Zaveid’s face, he could feel it on the top of his head.

He sighed and leaned back onto his hands, reluctantly looking up at the seraph. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“Good.” Zaveid beamed at him. “Then I don’t need to say it.”

“But we’re going to Pendrago.” Zaveid sighed, Boris holding up a hand to keep him from saying anything else. “I know, I can’t be political. But I want to see what’s going on. Besides, it’s the place to go if we’re going to get news, and I can get supplies to continue down to the border.”

“Do I have to give my speech about that too?”

“You might have to. Obviously I haven’t listening.”

Zaveid huffed, but it sounded more like a laugh. Boris grinned up at him, leaning more heavily on his hands. “You can’t argue with my logic though. I can’t just stay away. Why should I pick off the edges when the source isn’t taken care of?”

“I’ll hold my judgement.”

Boris rolled his eyes, but didn’t push. It was the closest that he had gotten to permission, not that he needed it. Still, Boris was sure that being the Shepherd wasn’t like being the captain of an army, it was more like working in a harness. Everyone had to pull together to get anything done. He sighed, his gaze jumping over to where Eizen ducked into the house.

The earth seraph gave them all a long look before claiming the chair. Zaveid jerked towards him, stopping himself for a moment. Boris saw the moment Zaveid reminded himself to act like a Prime Lord, whatever that meant. He watched as Zaveid rolled his shoulders back, holding himself strangely stiff. He was used to the seraph being looser; Eizen was the one who always looked immovable.

He watched Zaveid for a moment before glancing over at Eizen. “We’re going to adjust to head to Pendrago first. We’ve got news of changes in the government there and I want to take a look. And then we head to the front, for you and Melody.”

Eizen perked up a moment before shooting a glance over at Zaveid. Boris would have been insulted if it wasn’t what Eizen always did. He turned his head to look back at Uno and Melody. Uno looked openly apprehensive, Boris almost surprised by the show of emotion. Then again, he was getting better at reading Uno.

Melody was as straightforward as always. She had perked up at the mention of going after her brother. She swayed towards him, but she stopped herself, her fingers reaching for the fans tucked in her belts. Melody played with them for a moment before nodding. “I’m with Boris on this.”

Zaveid held up his hands, in surrender. “I wasn’t going to put it to a vote. I think it’s a good idea too.”

“You’re just being the voice of reason.” Boris grinned when Eizen laughed at the statement. Zaveid shot him a look, Boris just shrugging. He wasn’t going to be scolded for pointing out the obvious. It wasn’t his fault that it was the complete opposite of how Zaveid usually acted.

He was tempted to kick off his boots and resettle himself, but he didn’t dare just yet. He wouldn’t have to check on the mare because Eizen doted on her. He wouldn’t have come back in until the horse was taken care of. Boris just didn’t want to linger in the house for too long. What he wanted to do was to walk around the village and lend a hand where he could. People were always more likely to talk if they were relaxed.

He pushed himself off the bed, stepping around Zaveid and towards the door. Boris paused before he reached it, looking over his shoulder at the seraphim. “I’m going to talk to the villagers. See what else I can find out. Are you going to ride along to stay in here?”

Most of the seraphim shook their head, Zaveid the only one to wave him on. “Go get your gossip, Sheps. We’ll come around when they’re serving dinner.”

Zaveid gave him a wide grin, a response that Boris expected. He gave them a quick wave before stepping out of the house.

He was careful to shut the door behind him, Boris leaning against it. He could heard the soft mutter of voices on the other side of the door as the seraphim struck up a conversation. Boris listened to the sound for a moment more before pushing away. The four of them deserved a break and a chance to stay away from humans. If they were heading into Pendrago, they wouldn’t get that chance for a while. Besides, he was sure that the villagers would be more inclined to speak with him if he didn’t have the seraphim trailing along after him. Boris stretched his arms over his head, reaching back to rub at his right shoulder. He dug his fingers into an old ache before dropping his hand. He gave the village a quick glance around before heading off towards the hall at the center of the village. If there was any place where there would be people gathered, it would be there.

* * *

Mikleo watched the smoke from his pipe drift up into the air, following it as it curled and then faded away. He frowned at it before lifting the pipe to his lips and taking another draw from it. He held the smoke in his lungs for a long moment before breathing it out, watching it curl up and away.

He knew he was procrastinating, but Mikleo didn’t really want to test out his limits again, not when he was sure that they were bound to be shrinking.

He sighed and leaned his head back against the tree. He rolled his head to the side, looking back in the direction of their camp.

They had been on the move constantly, moving through the forest to avoid whatever patrols that Alisha had sent after them. After two weeks of nothing, Mikleo was sure that patrols wouldn’t be coming. He wasn’t sure if it was because they were still chasing after whatever remained of the army or their attention had shifted to something else. He curled his fingers more tightly around the stem of the pipe. He doubted either of those, which left him on edge. It was bad enough that they had hellions trailing after them, they didn’t need anything else going wrong.

Mikleo sighed and closed his eyes. He could feel the collection of malevolence that marked where the camp was. The hellions would be arranged around the outside of the camp, just as they had always been, leaving him and Sorey whatever place they had found or made for themselves. There had been a few times that they had inched closer, but one order from Sorey always stopped them. Mikleo shivered as the remembered the horror that crossed Sorey’s face each time.

He lifted the pipe up to his lips, holding it there without sucking in another lungful. He frowned, tapping the mouthpiece against his bottom lip.

That the hellions continued to listen was surprising, because Mikleo would have thought that they were too far gone to listen to Sorey. They seemed more like creatures than human. But a single word from Sorey would get them to stop. He hummed to himself, turning over the information in his mind as he thought over what he had heard about hellions.

Most of it had been from legends, so Mikleo had always pushed it aside. With nothing else available, there was no choice but to work with the legends. Thankfully they all said the same thing, which was that the hellions would listen to the Lord of Calamity, the strongest of them. The thought made his frown deepen, Mikleo opening his eyes.

He could see the page from one of Sorey’s books in his mind’s eye, one page with a dragon in flight and the other with a solemn looking man. And Sorey’s fingers stroking over the page with a pained look on his face.

_“That’s going to be the way they see me one day.”_

Mikleo flinched and let the pipe drop away from his mouth. He stared off in the direction of the camp before shaking his head. There was no denying that now, but that didn’t made him feel any better about it.

If that _was_ the case, and the hellions saw Sorey as a Lord of Calamity, then there was nothing that he could do about it. Save for running the hellions into the Hyland forces, he couldn’t think of a way to lose them save for waiting for them to be further consumed and wander off.

In any other circumstance, Mikleo would have transformed into a drake and eaten them all off, but that wouldn’t be happening.

He huffed and turned the pipe over, tapping out the remains of the ash. He stepped on the burning pieces to snuff them out. Mikleo stared off into the forest before shaking his head and tucking his pipe away. There was no point in delaying the reason he had come out to a far off part of the forest. The longer he let this sit, the worse it would be when he actually needed to use his artes.

Mikleo rolled his shoulders and stepped away from the tree. He took a deep breath, reaching out with one hand and starting the arte.

It was one of the larger ones which had failed him at the last battle. He’d been able to make it work twice before, but that had been a week ago. But he always checked, just in case he could manage to pull off a miracle.

Mikleo breathed out, trying not to tense as he felt the arte stall. It didn’t take much more beyond that for it to fail, Mikleo flinching with the return. He shook his head, pulling his hand back to rub at his wrist and fingers.

It took a little bit for them to feel warm again, but that wasn’t as bad as the dizzy and nauseous feeling that followed after it. He bit his lip, swaying in place until the feeling had passed. Mikleo swallowed, almost tempted to take a deep breath to try and calm himself, but he didn’t want to risk it. He’d made that mistake that morning and he’d thrown up.

He reached down to press a hand to his stomach, waiting for the roll to steady before he opened his eyes. That was one of the larger artes he knew out of commission, so it was time to work through what else he had. Mikleo shifted his weight, reaching out for the next simplest arte.

Mikleo pulled on the water in the earth, drawing it out of the ground to shoot upward. It usually worked as a deterrent, if not a good way to send an enemy into the air. It was one of the first things that he had learned, one of the first things that he had mastered. He reached for the water that was coming at his call, focusing on sending it up into the air.

It should have come up in a rush of water, but it spurted up like a fountain before trickling away.

Mikleo frowned and tried again, leaning into the arte to try and get a result. He felt it click for a moment before it fell apart, the water not even making it up into a spout. The water just bubbled before setting and starting to soak into the earth.

He stared at the puddle of water, swaying in place when all of the energy left him. He felt like he had spent the whole day working at a powerful arte instead of attempting two. Mikleo glanced down at his hand, watching as it shook before looking away. Just because his go-to arte had failed didn’t meant that he was going to give up. He needed to test more, until he was sure of his limits. They didn’t know when the hellions would turn on them or what they would run into. Sorey could fight, but he needed someone to watch his back.

Mikleo rolled his shoulders and shifted his focus again. There were a few more simple artes he knew, things that he had been taught and learned early for his own defense. They didn’t have the same power as some of the stronger ones, but they worked.

He shifted his stance, taking a deep breath before pulling on the water in the puddle at his feet. The water came easily enough, Mikleo sighing when he didn’t feel the arte catch. It moved slower but he was taking his time, waiting for something to go wrong. When nothing happened, his smiled to himself before sending the water away from him in twin bursts.

He watched as the water slapped against a tree, grinning as it hung there for a moment before sinking back into the ground. Mikleo was quick to call it back, gathering it all up again to send it out in three more quick bursts. They all hit their mark, splashing into the tree before he called them back.

Mikleo wove the water together, shaping it into a single stream, forming a dragon-like head at the front. The water was easy to send out, Mikleo grinning as it hit the tree.

He reached out to call the water back, pitching forward as exhaustion hit him. The world blurred in front of his eyes, Mikleo falling forward and just catching himself before he sprawled out on the ground.

He stared at the ground, only then realizing how hard he was breathing. Mikleo curled his fingers into the grass, trying to figure out what had happened.

This kind of work shouldn’t have exhausted him so much, it had only been a few artes. Even when he had started teaching himself he hadn’t been as exhausted. The last time he had felt like this when he had started training, it was the same wobbling legged feeling.

Mikleo swallowed, quickly reaching up with a shaky hand to press to his mouth as his stomach turned over. He squeezed his eyes shut, staying in his position until he was sure that his stomach wouldn’t betray him. It wasn’t the only thing, but it was the one that seemed to be the closest to actually reacting. It was his stomach, his joints and his head. They all ached on and off all day.

He squeezed his eyes shut, taking deep breaths until he felt sure that he wouldn’t throw up when he rocked back onto his heels. Even then Mikleo moved slowly, keeping his eyes shut until he was upright.

Mikleo dropped his hand from his mouth, staring at the tree that he had been aiming his artes at. He glared at it, tempted to fling one last arte at it. He was sure that he could manage the power needed for freezing water and flinging an ice shard at the tree, but the turning of his stomach made him think that it was better not to risk it. He grumbled to himself, shifting so he could tip backwards and lie on the ground. He flung one arm over his eyes, settling back against the grass.

He was sick of this happening. He could deal with the hellions following after them, but not the loss of his artes and the aches. He needed to be able to move with the Hyland army chasing them and he needed his artes to defend them from hellions.

More than that, these were _his_ artes. These were the things that he had spent years learning and perfecting. They were his and something that couldn’t be taken away. Everything else had, and he would be damned if his hard work went with it.

Mikleo held his breath for a moment, letting it out in a long sigh. He dropped his arm to the side, staring up at the canopy of the forest. Getting frustrated at what was happening wouldn’t help, he needed to focus more. It was what had helped him work through problems with his artes, it would help him again.

He propped himself up on his elbows, considering the forest from that angle before pushing himself back onto his feet. He needed to move and pace, just to keep himself from getting to jittery. He felt too helpless staying still, at least for the moment.

Mikleo walked a slow circle in his clearing, taking his time as he sorted through the information that he had.

He didn’t have a lot, mostly what he had read in Elysia and what Zenrus had told him. And some of that was half remembered. Mikleo frowned at his own memory before shaking his head. There had to be something in there, because he didn’t know where else to turn to. It wasn’t like they could find books on the run or just walk into a town. If he couldn’t remember anything, then they would have to change their tactic. He needed to help Sorey, and he couldn’t do that if he was useless.

Mikleo gave himself a slow turn around the clearing before focusing on the problem again.

He’d never heard of seraphim getting sick outside of the influence of malevolence. Mikleo threw that idea out. He’d was used to the malevolence that hung around him. The only time he’d actually felt sick from it when he’d been purified. He doubted that he’d been purified recently, the Shepherd hadn’t been able to get near to him and Sorey couldn’t do it anymore, not with the malevolence that he carried. Mikleo shuddered at the thought before pushing it away. There was no point in lingering over what couldn’t be changed.

With that out of the way that didn’t leave him much more to work with. From his own experience, he knew that he could get himself sick from exhaustion. If he used too much of his power too fast then he would feel sick, but he hadn’t gotten the chance for that. If anything he was exhausted from being constantly on the move, not from using his artes. He’d barely been able to use them over the past two weeks. Then again, that could be affecting him because he was exhausted his reserves of power. But that didn’t answer why he had started to lose his abilities.

He curled his hands into fists, feeling his nails bit into his palm. Mikleo swallowed and relaxed slightly, turning his mind over for the next idea. He was rapidly running out of them, Mikleo slightly frustrated by that.

Zenrus had told him stories, things that he had forgotten completely. It just made him feel ashamed. The things he’d been told had been important, even if they had been silly stories. They had all be told to him out of love, and he had forgotten them.

Mikleo muttered a curse before turning and staring at the way back to the camp. He wanted to figure this problem out, but he wanted to get back to Sorey. He rubbed absently at his stomach, humming to himself.

There were other half remembered things, jokes that had gone over his head. Most of them still went over his head, Mikleo writing them off as being lost forever. He wanted to dismiss them all, but one was starting to tug at his mind. Mikleo stopped his pacing, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown.

If he remembered correctly, it had been directed to the younger seraphim in Elysia, jokes that had made them blush and the older seraphim laugh. Most of them had been directed at Natalie and Mason. Mikleo had ignored them because it was beyond his understanding. He couldn’t understand the jokes and what sounded at warnings thrown their way. After all, they just loved each other. Why did they have to be careful about it?

He curled his fingers on his arms, his eyes widening slightly as he reconsidered the context. He had known that Natalie and Mason had loved each other, they had always been together and always smelled like each other. Mikleo had never questioned it because it had just been a constant for him. And he had never thought twice about them expanding the family in Elysia.

If he remembered correctly, he had been excited at no longer being the youngest, but he had asked about how it would happen. Natalie wouldn’t answer him, nor would any of the older women. They had just put him off saying that everything would come later. Even Zenrus had just smiled and danced around the subject. All he knew was that there were two ways for seraphim to be born, from the Earthpulse itself and from other seraphim. The latter he had figured out from the jokes that the other seraphim had made and some of the old stories.

It hadn’t been hard to ignore, it was a part of everyday life and he just hadn’t understood it. He had misunderstood the jokes as just something that the older seraphim did that he would learn eventually, just like the artes. Besides, he had been too excited about having someone his age around Elysia to worry about the finer points of it. That was like the things he had ignored about heats and what would happen in them. They hadn’t mattered either, he had never thought that he would leave the mountain. He certainly hadn’t expected to actually accept any advances from Sorey. Mikleo felt the corner of his mouth twitch up, rubbing his hands over his arms at the thought of Sorey.

In another life he and Sorey would have been the butt of those jokes about being too close and when they expected the baby to arrive.

His smile died quickly, his eyes widening. He stared sightlessly at the trees, feeling his knees wobble.

Mikleo didn’t bother to try and catch himself as he fell to his knees. He swayed there, reaching up to clamp his hands over his mouth to prevent any sound from leaking out. He took deep breaths, trying to fight back the urge to scream.

He was wrong, he had to be. But his heat had ended early, far too early. And he’d been with Sorey for the entire heat, they’d been knotted.

He wanted to laugh it all off, because Sorey was a human and he was a seraph. But there had been stories and legends about humans and seraphim and their offspring. Of Shepherds and their seraphim and the great love stories between them. He’d waved them off as stories and, therefore, not important. They hadn’t even crossed his mind while he was in heat, all he had known was need and how good it had felt to have Sorey close by his side and inside of him. Then again, it could have just been stories, but it all made a horrible kind of sense.

Seraphim were creatures of elemental energy, the same type of energy that they used to make up their artes. There was a careful balance to that energy use, Mikleo knew that from prior experience. In that case, it made sense why he couldn’t use his artes, because that energy was being used elsewhere. Which meant that he wouldn’t be able to use his artes the same way he had before, which meant that they were in danger.

He pressed his hand more firmly over his mouth, smothering the whimper that tried to escape. Mikleo curled in on himself, not bothering to keep himself from shaking. He wasn’t sure he would be able to if he tried. There was nothing ahead of him but a huge unknown, and it terrified him.

Mikleo closed his eyes, trying to keep his breathing steady even as his mind raced. There had to be something else, something that he had missed and something that wasn’t as terrifying. But he couldn’t think of anything else. All it left behind was rising panic.

He pushed away from the ground, spurred on by the fear that was curling in his stomach. He stumbled against a tree, grunting as his shoulder knocked against it. Mikleo didn’t bother to stop, too focused on rushing back towards the camp and the place that he considered as safe. It was irrational, and some part of him knew that, but it didn’t matter that he couldn’t run from it.

Mikleo stumbled out into the open, breathing heavily as he stared out into their camp. He flinched away from some of the hellions that he could see waiting on the boundaries, his heart pounding faster when they looked his way. A few of them lifted their muzzles into the air, Mikleo sure that they were smelling him and the changes in his scent.

He shrunk back, baring his teeth at them as he stepped away. He didn’t have his artes or the ability to turn into a drake. There was no way to defend himself against them save for Sorey. It rankled just as much as it relieved him. There was a place for him to go that he could feel safe. Mikleo took two more steps backward before pivoting on his heel and walking quickly towards where Sorey was sitting outside of their makeshift lean to.

Sorey was sitting on the ground, staring at the maps that he had spread in front of him. It helped that Sorey wasn’t worried, but that only helped with half of the worry. The rest of it was still there, sitting heavy in his stomach.

He sped up, watching as Sorey’s head jerked up. He saw a smile cross Sorey’s face, as warm and welcoming as ever, and that was the final straw. He broke into a run again, sprinting across the space between him and Sorey.

Sorey frowned and stood up before he was halfway across the distance, the human giving him a worried look before spreading his arms. Mikleo took the open invitation, barreling into Sorey’s arms. He wrapped his arms around Sorey’s back, digging his fingers into the top of Sorey’s shoulders. It was second nature to tuck his face against Sorey’s neck, Mikleo taking deep breaths of the scent of dust and old books. It was familiar and it meant that he was safe.

He felt Sorey rock a bit before arms wrapped around his back, holding him close. Mikleo shivered at the tight hold, shaking his head when Sorey tried to let up. “No.”

“Alright.” The word was practically whispered, Sorey tightening his hold again.

Mikleo shivered and nuzzled closer, clinging to Sorey as he felt Sorey rub a hand up and down his back. He could practically hear Sorey thinking, but he was glad that Sorey didn’t push. Mikleo was glad about that, because he didn’t know how he could begin to explain it. He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around it himself. But he couldn’t think of anything else that made sense, which made it all worse.

He muffled a whimper against Sorey’s neck, but he wasn’t able to stop the shudder that ran through his body. Sorey responded by pulling him closer, muttering soothing noises into his hair.

Mikleo tensed when Sorey took a deep breath, his eyes widening. He was sure that Sorey was going to comment on his smell, it was sure to have changed by now. Instead, Sorey hummed and burrowed closer, Mikleo slowly relaxing the longer Sorey went without comment. He closed his eyes, curling his fingers more tightly into Sorey’s coat. As long as Sorey didn’t say anything, and he didn’t think about it, everything would be fine.

All he had to do was keep telling himself that until he believed it.


	29. Chapter 26

“My love is over on one side,  
the river between us.  
The river is high now,  
and there’s a crocodile on the sandbank.  
I dive into the river and brave the current.  
My heart is strong.  
The crocodile seems small to me,  
the torrents are like ground under my feet.  
Her love makes me strong;  
it makes a water spell for me.”  
\- _Love Songs of the New Kingdom_ , John L. Foster

* * *

 

Sorey looked up from his maps at the horse whinnied, staring at the animal before looking in the direction that the horse was focused on. He scanned the horizon, looking back towards Marlind. He couldn’t see anything through the trees or the rolling hills, but it was obvious that the horse had sensed something that he hadn’t. Sorey stayed on alert for a moment more, glancing between where he could just see the road and the horse.

It took a moment more for the horse to relax, the animal snorting and ducking its head to graze again. Sorey waiting for a space of a few heartbeats before shaking his head.

There was a good chance that the horse just smelled another horse traveling on the road. There were bound to be many considering that the war was over, the whole army had to be moving back towards their homes or the capital. And Sorey couldn’t imagine the war being anything but over, not after a month after the disaster in front of Marlind.

He might have been removed from all of the reports that would have helped him understand the situation more, but it was clear enough from what he had seen. The generals had been determined to fight to the last man, and Sorey was sure that they had done it. If anyone had gotten out, it would have been a miracle or maybe something less so.

Sorey glanced over at the hellions that were still lurking around the edges of the camp. He had been keeping a close count on them as they had moved around. They had started out with fifteen, and now they were down to eight. It was an improvement, but it just made Sorey worry. If the hellions weren’t with him then they were somewhere else.

He had tried to stick to the forest around Marlind to chase them off, because that had seemed like the safest option. If they were going to follow him for whatever reason that they had gotten stuck in their minds, he might as well keep the people in the area safe. If he was malevolent enough to draw hellions, then he might as well use it for the right reason. If they gathered together enough, then Sorey was sure that the Shepherd would come after them. Or that had been the plan.

It had gotten difficult to stick to it when the guards from Marlind had started to patrol through the forest. It had been obvious that they knew the forest better than he had, and putting distance would have been better than staying in one place. He wanted the hellions taken care of, but Mikleo had started to get jumpy.

Sorey bit his lip and glanced back into the forest. Mikleo had headed out like he had for the past month to do whatever he did in the depths in the forest. He always came back looking disappointed or exhausted, save for the one time he had come back in a panic. Sorey frowned at the memory.

He’d never seen Mikleo like that, not even in the early days of the pact. That had been something different, something that he had never seen. And Mikleo seemed keen to not talk about it again. Sorey would have been more than willing to let it stand, if he wasn’t sure that something was obviously wrong.

There was a noticeable change to Mikleo’s scent now, something that Sorey couldn’t shake off anymore. The smell of wet earth was still there, but it had shifted, become softer. It made him want to hold Mikleo close and breathe it in. It made him feel a bit more protective and Sorey didn’t know why. He had never heard anything about seraphim getting sick, but he could imagine Mikleo catching something. They had been on the move constantly and surrounded by heavy malevolence. If that was the case, then it was likely that Mikleo was getting sick from malevolence, which made him worry.

The obvious solution would be to get rid of the hellions and try to find a safe place until Mikleo felt better. The first place that Sorey thought of was Lohgrin, but he doubted that either of them would make it there. The next thing that came to mind would be going where only a few people had ever been, and the closest place for that was where he had found Mikleo.

He twisted in place to look back at the mountains that were rising out of the forest. He couldn’t see the specific mountain in the range, but he had never approached it from this side of the border. He’d have to rely on his maps. Sorey huffed, and looked back at the maps, tracing out the route that they would have to take.

He frowned, pacing his fingers over the distance. From what he could calculate, it would take them another month or longer to get through the mountains and to the right one, but Sorey was sure that he would have the time. No one would want him in Pendrago. Then again, it was a question of if Mikleo had the time.

Sorey dragged his fingers over the map, seeking out alternative routes. There was one that was definitely shorter, but that would take them too close to Ladylake for his tastes. Sorey jerked his fingers away from the spot on the map.

If there was one place that they had to avoid, it was Ladylake. The remains of the army would be sure to be gathering there as well as anyone required to restart the Hyland government. Those were all reasons to avoid that route, and that wasn’t touching on what he had read about the Aroundlight Forest.

The other route would be backtracking across the Griflet Bridge and through Glaivend Basin. It would take longer to work their way along the border that way, and they would run into the same danger.

Sorey couldn’t imagine Alisha leaving Marlind unguarded, not after they had spent so much time in the forest surrounding it. They would have to dodge the forces there and make it through Glaivend Basin before slinking along the border. Sorey was sure that his army might have been disbanded and destroyed, but there were still the border forts and the remains of that army to dodge, and Sorey was sure that none of the soldiers would be happy to see him. They’d have to make a run along the border until he got to the pass that he had used to reach the mountain in the first place.

He sighed and dragged his fingers through his hair. Considering his options, it would be better to skirt around the edges of Ladylake and climb up through the forest. Mikleo would probably be able to help him with that considering that the mountain was his home. Even if Mikleo knew nothing about the forest, it was better than trying to travel through open country. The forest would provide them with plenty of shelter. The only way he could think of them making it the other way would be to sacrifice the hellions that were still following them and, hellions or not, Sorey couldn’t bring himself to consider that.

Sorey groaned and scratched at his head, trying to come up with another idea. But there was nothing. They were trapped between a rock and a hard place.

As far as he could see, the only other option would be to turn himself over to Alisha and the others. He was sure he knew how that would go.

Neither Sergei nor Alisha would want to kill him, they would probably want to keep him captive, which was something that Sorey could live with. It wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life, but it was far better than the entire world suffering. Better yet, Mikleo would certainly be taken care of, and he could go off with his sisters. It felt better than just running away too.

Sorey let his hand drop from his hair, staring at it for a moment before resting it on his knee. Before he made any decision he would have to talk to Mikleo. Until the day that their pact was officially dissolved they were still partners, and Sorey didn’t intend on making a move without talking with Mikleo.

He dropped his gaze back to his map, staring at it without really seeing anything. Making plans wasn’t too helpful, especially since it felt like he was just treading water. All he wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep. Sorey rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear them.

It didn’t seem to matter if he got a good night’s sleep or not, the exhaustion pulled at him to the beat of the malevolence curled in his chest. It was almost enough to make him consider just turning himself in. Then he wouldn’t have to make plans or worry about the hellions that were trailing them. Being held captive implied that he could rest, and maybe the dragging exhaustion that was consuming him could stop.

Sorey rocked forward, just catching himself before he fell over. He curled his fingers into the grass, taking deep breaths. Sorey held one in for a moment longer before sighing and pushing away from the ground. He ignored the way that his arms shook with the motion. He was just tired. Mikleo had gone off to take care of his own business and Sorey had partially packed up the camp for their next move. He didn’t dare spend more than two nights in a spot, not until they came up with a better plan. But there was no point in leaving until he figured out what they needed to do.

Second on his list of things to do was figure out what to do about the hellions that were trailing them. He was sure that they didn’t add much to the malevolence in the world in the grand scheme of things, but he didn’t want them following him up to wherever they went. But, if the malevolence really was making Mikleo sicker then he didn’t need the hellions with him.

Then again, by that logic, Sorey wasn’t needed either.

He shivered and ducked his head. He wasn’t ready to believe that he was the entire cause of Mikleo’s malevolence, the world was thick with it, but he certainly hadn’t helped. If he had held onto himself better in Gododdin and the shrinechurch then Mikleo wouldn’t have been corrupted so soon. Sorey doubted that he could have kept Mikleo from the hub of malevolence that battlefields became, but he could have at least saved him that initial burden. Then again, he should have seen it coming because nothing had gone according to plan.

Sorey closed his eyes, just letting himself drift for a moment. He would figure out what their best options were in a moment, he just wanted to rest. Except that wasn’t quite true, he just wanted to be able to stop.

He reached up to rub at his chest, pressing hard against where he imagined the knot of malevolence to sit. It didn’t help, nothing would unless he found himself a Shepherd to help him. He knew the purification would hurt, probably more than it had when Maotelus had purified him the first time, but he would be willing to take that pain, just so long as he was free of the weight of malevolence.

Sorey opened his eyes as he heard one of the hellions growl. He reached for his sword as he looked up, frowning when he saw that some of them had started edging closer to the camp.

He pulled his sword slightly out of the scabbard, the sound drawing the hellion up short. Sorey didn’t dare breathe a sigh of relief when it stopped, not when he wasn’t sure what it would do. The hellions were starting to look less and less like soldiers and more like creatures. Some of them had even started trying to scratch off their armor and scraps of clothing. The one that he was staring at was still wearing its armor, but that was barely a guarantee of anything. It was still growling low but it was no longer inching towards him.

Sorey glanced at the hellions claws, watching them twitch for a moment before shaking his head. The motion didn’t stop the growl, but it did change it into something more questioning. Sorey looked up at the hellion, motioning with his free hand. “Go.”

The hellion made a garbled sound, like it was trying to remember language. Sorey didn’t give it another chance to try again. “Go!”

He almost hoped that the hellion would take the vague order to a logical end and leave entirely. If he was lucky than the remaining hellions would go with it. Instead, the hellion snorted and backed away. Sorey watched as the hellion stalked back to the rough semi-circle of where the hellions were staying.

The hellion growled and snapped at its comrades, all of them having a conversation that Sorey couldn’t comprehend. He _could_ understand the way they looked at him; with hunger.

Sorey shuddered and leaned back, not daring to shove his sword back into the scabbard. He’d have to watch them carefully now, which made trying to lose them all the more important.

That they were sticking so close meant that Mikleo’s domain wasn’t frightening them away, which was probably because the hellions were growing in strength to match him. If the threat of a drake didn’t frighten them, then they were all the trouble. It almost made running towards where he thought Alisha and her Shepherd were worth it. He wouldn’t kill them unless it became too dangerous, because it wasn’t their fault they were like this. If he had managed things better they would have still been human. He swallowed, tensing when he heard something moving behind him.

He turned, relaxing when he saw Mikleo standing there. He smiled up at the seraph, taking a moment to look him over.

It would be silly to think that Mikleo hadn’t changed, little things had constantly been changing since he had known him. It had mostly been the way he acted, Mikleo going from shy and preferring the shadows to actually throwing his weight and status around. He wasn’t as accepting of people, but he had let Sorey in, which was all that mattered.

Sorey reached out for Mikleo’s hand as he came close, threading their fingers together. He sighed as Mikleo squeezed his hand, turning slightly as Mikleo came around to look at the map. He gave Mikleo’s hand a gentle tug when the seraph didn’t sit down, not pushing the issue when Mikleo ignored the signal.

It looked like Mikleo was thinking over something as he stared at the map, his brow furrowing. He reached back to play with the position of the feather hair ornament, Sorey watching Mikleo adjust it minutely before his hand dropped to the top of Sorey’s head. His curled his fingers into Sorey’s hair, Sorey leaning up into the touch. Mikleo scratched his nails across Sorey’s scalp, Sorey practically melting at the touch. He leaned into it, barely catching when Mikleo spoke up.

“We’re getting into dangerous territory.”

“That’s what I was thinking.” Sorey swallowed and opened his eyes, looking up at Mikleo. The seraph glanced back at him before his attention returned to the map. Sorey was sure that he should do the same but he didn’t want to look away, not when they had been busy with their own problems lately. He’d been busy with the camp and hunting for himself and Mikleo had been away doing whatever had caught his attention. Sorey was sure that things would even out as soon as they got away from the hellions. Mikleo couldn’t be comfortable with them so close.

He reluctantly dragged his gaze back to the map, looking over the routes that he had been considering before. “We’re getting close to Ladylake, but there’s no other way to get to where we need to go.”

“And where is that?”

“Somewhere safe, and with a bit less malevolence.” He tipped his head to the side to look at Mikleo. The seraph didn’t seem too surprised with his decision, which made Sorey feel bold. He cleared his throat, carefully keeping his hold on Mikleo steady. “I was thinking that we might try for the mountain by Camlann.”

Mikleo tensed, Sorey not daring to look up to see his expression. It would be better to get all of his reasoning out before Mikleo reacted. “I know it’s not the best, but I don’t think anyone will look for us there. And it won’t be forever, just until things calm down. I would prefer Lohgrin, but I don’t think we can make it that far, not with everyone looking for us.”

Mikleo hummed, the sound more thoughtful than anything. It wasn’t complete agreement, but he was relaxing which was better than immediate refusal. Sorey knew that it wasn’t the best idea, he still remembered the careful half circle of cairns that had been on the mountain top. But it had to be better than running back and forth across the continent in the hopes that no more hellions started to trail after them or that they weren’t caught. Besides, Sorey was sure that Mikleo would feel better after some time away from the malevolence that was growing in pockets around the rest of the continent. A few weeks of lying low in a place that everyone else had forgotten about couldn’t hurt.

He rubbed his thumb across the back of Mikleo’s hand, turning his head so he could smile up at him. “I know you planned to go back home with your sisters, but Lohgrin might be the safest place for the seraphim for now.”

Mikleo didn’t answer immediately, although his hand squeezed Sorey’s tightly. Sorey waited for his input, ducking his head when Mikleo didn’t immediately say something. He had expected some kind of protest or sound that indicated what Mikleo’s thoughts were. Instead, the seraph remained silent. Sorey frowned and tried to decipher the look on Mikleo’s face. It wasn’t upset, but Sorey didn’t know if Mikleo was focusing or if he was trying to come up with a way to disagree with the idea.

Sorey sighed and looked away. “It’s not the only plan.”

“It’s not that.” Mikleo squeezed his hand again, but that wasn’t what worried Sorey, it was the way that Mikleo spoke. It was soft and almost a whisper.

It was enough for Sorey to turn his full attention to Mikleo. The seraph wouldn’t meet his gaze, which made him more nervous. It was almost enough for Sorey to look back down at his maps in case he had missed something, but he held his ground. He had been pouring over the maps for weeks and he was sure that he hadn’t missed anything. Besides, Mikleo was more important.

He turned so he was facing Mikleo, shifting his grip on Mikleo’s hand to accommodate the move. He tugged on Mikleo’s hand, hoping that Mikleo would come down on his level so he could pull the seraph into his lap, or at least just sit with him.

Mikleo swayed with the pull but didn’t move. His gaze didn’t move away from the map either. Sorey was tempted to lean out and meet it, but it was obvious that Mikleo was still working through something. If that was the case then it would be better to just wait it out. That didn’t stop him from rubbing his thumb over the back of Mikleo’s hand. Whatever Mikleo was working through, he didn’t have to do it alone.

Mikleo remained quiet for a moment longer before shaking his head slightly. “I don’t think we’ll have the time to lie low. We should push for Lohgrin immediately.”

Sorey swallowed, not daring to look back at the map. He understood why Mikleo would want to skip over Camlann, it was not the most restful place. Then again, Lohgrin would be difficult to get to with everyone from Rolance and Hyland looking for them. They would have to take the long route, skirting around the edges of the empire until they reached Biroclef Ridge. That would be the first chance that they would get to cross the border. It would be the more difficult route, but it would get them there slightly faster, or so he hoped.

He sighed and gave in with a nod. It was probably better not to stop halfway to their goal, there was no telling how far their luck would last. If they could make it to Lohgrin in one push then they might as well try.

He raised Mikleo’s hand to his lips and kissed it. Sorey was sure the he felt Mikleo shudder, but Mikleo was smiling when he looked up. Sorey held Mikleo’s hand close to him, feeling Mikleo shift around in the grip. He tipped his head to side, about to let go of Mikleo’s hand to allow him to move away. But Mikleo didn’t, he just swayed closer to Sorey.

Sorey took that as permission to keep holding on, something that he was more than happy to do. He threw a glance over at the hellions as they started growling. He was tempted to pull Mikleo down into his lap for his protection, but he didn’t think Mikleo would like to be restrained. Sorey settled for throwing a glare at them, watching as they paced along the edge of their camp. Sorey narrowed his eyes at them, considering them for a moment before shaking his head. “We’d have to lose them.”

“We’d be charging right back into the teeth of the Hyland army. That will lose them.”

“It definitely will. I don’t think these ones have much left in them.” Sorey sighed and shook his head. “But we’ll have to do some careful dodging and doubling back or else they’re going to wonder why we’re trying to go back through so quickly.”

“You’re saying that like we need a reason to be rushing back.”

“Do we?”

“No.” Mikleo was quick to answer and look away. One wouldn’t have been suspicious, but the two together made him worry. Sorey tipped his head to the side, about to speak when Mikleo pulled their joined hands to his stomach.

Sorey stared at the new positions of their hands, confused by it for a moment. It had nothing to do with their conversation, at least not with what he could see. It wasn’t until Mikleo shifting his grip so it was Sorey’s hand pressed against his stomach with Mikleo’s hand holding it there that he felt the first jolt of understanding.

He stared at Mikleo, trying to gather his thoughts together, because they were jumping all over the place. His first thought was that he needed something more than the touch. Sorey almost wished that Mikleo wasn’t wearing his usual array of clothes because then he could be sure of what Mikleo was telling him. The next thought was of how, but that was lost in his rising panic.

He knew how these things worked, he’d learned it early enough. His aunt had taken him aside when he had first presented and made him sit down and listen as she had explained what could happen. Sorey had listened, because it was important, but he had never considered it between him and Mikleo. It hadn’t mattered that they were alpha and omega, they were human and seraph. There was a divide there that Sorey thought wouldn’t be crossed, but he had been wrong.

Some part of him hoped that he was taking this wrong but, when he looked up at Mikleo, the seraph had a serious expression on his face. Sorey swallowed and looked down at where his hand was pressed to Mikleo’s stomach.

This wouldn’t be a joke, not with the expression on Mikleo’s face and certainly not when Sorey thought back over the last few weeks. He should have been suspicious the moment that Mikleo had started to push him away during his heat, but he hadn’t been thinking straight. His own body had been primed for Mikleo’s usual heat, so he had never noticed anything until Mikleo’s scent had started changing. Even then he hadn’t done anything about it because it had been easy to push aside. They were under stress, he was imagining things; there were a thousand more excuses that he had thought up because his attention was elsewhere.

If the change in Mikleo’s scent hadn’t clued him into something happening, then his behavior should have, but there had been excuses for that too. There had been nothing but excuses, and it was his own fault. It wasn’t a matter of an alpha looking after his omega, it was deeper than that. It was him failing to look after Mikleo, even after everything that he had promised.

Sorey took a deep breath, opening his mouth to speak only for Mikleo to press a finger against his lips. He swallowed back what he was going to say, looking up at Mikleo as the seraph bent over him.

Mikleo held his gaze for a moment before nodding. He didn’t move his finger from Sorey’s mouth, but he did lean closer. Mikleo studied his face for a moment, Sorey not sure what he found there. He felt like his thoughts and emotions were scattered all over the place. He wasn’t even sure what expression was on his face.

He swallowed, trying to work out the syllables of Mikleo’s name when Mikleo spoke up. “Don’t. Just…let me handle this. Focus on getting to Lohgrin.”

There was a hint of command in his words, Sorey unable to do anything but nod. Sorey didn’t think he could come up with an argument that would work, not with the information that had just crashed down on him.

Mikleo smiled at him, lifting his finger away. Sorey’s eyes fluttered closed as Mikleo’s fingers stroked over his cheek, and then the seraph was moving away.

Sorey opened his eyes as Mikleo’s fingers slid away from his own, Sorey looking back at where his fingers were still curled in Mikleo’s coat. He was reluctant to let go, if only because he was sure that his hand would be shaking. But it also felt safer to keep his hand there. If it remained there then he could still feel Mikleo underneath the fabric. Just what that would do he didn’t know, all he knew was that the place where his hand was pressed against felt flat. Then again, that didn’t guarantee anything either. It had only been a month, and that was not enough time for anything to be showing, but the potential frightened him.

He arm was jerked forward slightly as Mikleo went to move away. The motion pulled him out of his thoughts, Sorey jerking his gaze up to meet Mikleo’s. He swallowed when Mikleo tipped his head to the side, Sorey watching the question form. He was tempted to just let it go through, because it might be enough to encourage him to speak. Sorey could feel thoughts clogging up at the back of his throat, but he wasn’t sure that he could manage to get them out on his own. He needed Mikleo to say something, to demand a response from him. But he was frightened about what he would actually say.

Sorey carefully unpicked his fingers from their grip on Mikleo, resisting the urge to cradle his hand close to him. He stared at it instead, curling his fingers slightly. Sorey only looked up when Mikleo made a soft sound like his name.

His heart clenched when he saw the look of fear on Mikleo’s face. He’d been so caught up in his own swirling thoughts that he’d never once thought about Mikleo, which was unfair. Mikleo would bear the brunt of their oversight, so Sorey needed to make up the distance. The problem was that he couldn’t think beyond the rising panic.

He swallowed and managed a smile, Sorey not sure how successful it was. He relaxed when some of the fear slipped from Mikleo’s face. It wasn’t the best situation, but it was one that Sorey could work with.

Mikleo stared at him for a moment longer before nodding and stepping away. Sorey didn’t know what the seraph had been looking for, but he had apparently passed muster, which was good enough for him.

He watched as Mikleo walked back to their tent, managing to hold his smile until Mikleo disappeared inside. Sorey only let the smile go when Mikleo was out of sight.

Sorey slumped forward, catching himself with one hand. The other one, the one that Mikleo had brought to his stomach, was still sitting on his lap and partially curled. He couldn’t bring himself to look at it, not with the panic that was racing back through him. It was a panic that made him want to rush after Mikleo and gather him close. As long as he was around he could protect Mikleo, and that had to help. Then again, that was just instinct talking and he was the reason that Mikleo was in that predicament anyway.

He swallowed, feeling himself shake. Since it was his fault, he had to be the one to fix it. Mikleo couldn’t be expected to be dragged all over Glenwood while he figured out what he was going to do. Mikleo need to be somewhere safe, somewhere with someone who knew that they were doing, because he certainly didn’t.

Sorey turned to look at the map, trying to push back the fear that seemed to be consuming him. He had to at least pretend to be steady, because Mikleo was bound to be as frightened as he was, and one of them had to keep their heads. He dropped his hands to the map, staring at it as he tried to plot out the quickest route, but his mind kept getting stuck on how their hands had looked pressed against Mikleo’s stomach.

He felt his mouth go dry, Sorey staring at the suddenly huge expanse of the continent. There was too much space to cover and too much that could go wrong. He had seen it plenty of times while he had been trying to help the villagers as a prince, and those had just been the things that could go wrong for humans. There had been stillborn births, babies who hadn’t lived beyond their first day, parents who had died through complications, and that wasn’t even counting what malevolence would do to a newborn.

Sorey shuddered, closing his eyes as he tried to banish the images of the funerals that he had seen. That wouldn’t help him focus, but now that he had thought about it he couldn’t banish the thought.  

Anything could happen, and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

He clenched his hands into fists, letting out his breath in a hiss. He stared at the map without really seeing the places marked out on it.

There had been warnings about this kind of thing, but Sorey had ignored them because they had come from the church. Besides, back then he had been sure that there were no seraphim left and the only chance that he would have to see one would be to liberate them from the weapons. Still, it had been hard to take the church seriously when they would say that humans shouldn’t use seraphim for their own pleasures, but the seraphim could be used in war. Back then it had been easier to ignore their warnings, because all the stories of monstrous creatures that the unions produced. They had just been stories then, but now it was all too real.

Now he could easily see Mikleo being consumed from the inside by whatever unholy creature they had created.

Sorey bit his lip, not letting up even when he tasted blood. He couldn’t give into that fear, not when there was a chance that he could fix this.

He flexed his fingers against the map, desperation sinking back in as he traced the route to Lohgrin.

It was so far away, too far for him to comprehend. No matter which way they went they would run into trouble. They were already skirting too close to Ladylake, and then there was the mountain trail to consider. Once on the other side of the border they would have the remains of the empire’s army there. They could dodge them all they wanted, but Sorey was sure that their luck would run out at one point. Rolance was large even without Hyland attached to it and Sorey was sure that everyone would be looking for the two of them. Sticking to the forests and mountains wouldn’t work either, because the hellions would be thick there, and they had no way to defend themselves. Sorey wouldn’t ask that of Mikleo. And all of his plans were made on the assumption that they would slip past the Hyland army.

Sorey traced his fingers over where he guess that the Hyland forces were, wincing at how close they were. If his estimate was right, then they were barely a day’s ride away. If they started moving, they would probably catch up with them no matter what.

His heart sped up at the thought, Sorey staring at the map with wide eyes.

The whole continent would be after the two of them because of him, the two of them wouldn’t be able to make their way across it. Unless he took action.

Sorey glanced up in the direction of Griflet Bridge, his heart beating faster. _He_ was the most wanted out of the two of them, Mikleo was nothing more than an accessory.

He pushed himself to his feet, swaying in place for a moment before making his decision. It was the only thing that made sense to him, the only thing that would allow him to get Mikleo through the most dangerous parts of the continent and where he would be safe.

Sorey stepped through the hellions’ space, ignoring the way that they leaned towards him and growled. He was beyond hearing them, his gaze focused on the road that led out of the forest that they had taken cover in.

The Griflet Bridge wasn’t too far, he could probably make it on foot. It would be better that way, he wouldn’t look too threatening. He had to look a certain way if he wanted to be listened to.

He stumbled out onto the road, standing there for a moment before breaking out into a run, the panic building in his chest urging him onward.

Sorey was sure that everyone else thought that he was controlling the seraph, which would work to his advantage. All of their focus would be on him and Mikleo would become another seraph to save, which was perfect. Sorey was sure that he wouldn’t get much bargaining ability, but he was sure that they would allow him that much.

They had to.

* * *

Alisha dropped her whetstone into her lap, leaving it there as she checked over her spear. She turned the weapon from side to side, watching the light catch on the edge. From what she could see, she had managed to get it even, which was what she had been trying to correct. Purification of hellions might not have involved killing them but, somehow, the action blunted weapons. Alisha wasn’t sure if it was because of the flames of purification or because she was still using the spear in between the moments she purified the hellions. She rubbed her fingers over a chip in the wood, shaking her head.

Whatever it was, she was almost glad that she had to continue her usual maintenance on her weapon. It was her way of calming down in the evening, a steady routine that relaxed her mind.

She sighed, picking at the chip before giving it up. There would be plenty more where that came from if they kept running into the same kind of hellions. The latest batches had been ferocious, beyond what Alisha had expected. It was one thing to have an army behind her when facing hellions, but another to only have a few people. It made her glad that Rose had decided to bring the two of them along.

She turned to look over her shoulder, watching as Sergei walked into the center of camp with an armful of wood. Rose was with him, a stack of wood in her arms.

Rose was the first to crouch down by the center of their camp, dumping the wood onto the ground. Whatever she planned to do was quickly curtailed when Sergei leaned over to arrange her pile properly. Alisha saw Rose puff up a bit, the Shepherd leaning forward. Sergei moved forward to match her, the two of them looking like they were on the verge of a disagreement before Rose grinned and patted his cheek.

Sergei startled, but didn’t jolt away like he would have. Instead he leaned forward, the two of them holding a low conversation at a close distance. It looked innocent enough, but Alisha was sure that, if the wind had shifted, she would have smelled the interest between the two of them. The sight made her want to go and join them. After all, it had been a while since they had gotten the chance to take a slower evening. Usually they were pushing through hellions until they made camp for the night, but the hellions had seemed to clear out once they had come out of the forest behind Marlind.

Alisha twisted to look back over the river, eyeing the bridge before looking beyond that. She couldn’t see anything that indicated that there were hellions coming their way from that direction, although she wasn’t sure that they had gotten all of them. They had only spent a month wandering the woods and, with how many hellions that they had run into, it hadn’t felt like enough. With the malevolence that she could feel pressing in around her she felt like they weren’t making much progress. But she would trust what Lailah said.

Besides, there was some joy in seeing the people and animals that they had purified getting a second chance at life. She understood why some of the army couldn’t wait for Rose to come around to them. With the ferocity of the hellions it made sense that they had to make the hard choice for the sake of the people. It didn’t make it any easier for Alisha to stomach the loss, it just made her wish that they had more Shepherds.

She curled her fingers around the whetstone with a sigh. That was a problem to think over later.

From what she could understand from what she overheard from Lailah and Rose talking they would need more seraphim willing to work with humans for that, and Alisha was sure that they wouldn’t find them immediately. There was every possibility that there were more seraphim out there, but they were going to focus on the ones in the seraphic weapons first. Alisha was sure that they could expect those seraphim to tuck themselves away from the humans. If anything, the help that they would give was mostly accidental, not that she could blame them. Until the humans proved themselves again the seraphim would be wary, and seraphim had long memories.

Alisha shook her head and adjusted her grip on her spear. She jammed the butt of it into the ground, leaning on it as she got up. She winced at her sore muscles, supporting herself against her spear for a moment.

It had been a long time since she had gotten this sore after fighting, probably since she had started training under Maltran, back when the Blue Valkyries were still alive. Alisha rolled her shoulder with a soft groan, feeling where her muscles protested the motion.

Usually she wouldn’t be so sore, she had been fighting with her spear daily for years now. Alisha could only think that it came from the armatus. Alisha frowned at the thought, drumming her fingers against the shaft of her spear.

She’d stuck with Natalie, because their weapons were mostly the same. But fighting on her own and fighting in tandem with a seraph were two different things. The power was different, Alisha feeling like she was constantly holding back a rushing current.

She guessed that it wasn’t supposed to feel like that, not from the way Rose had described the armatus as a free exchange between a seraph and a Shepherd. The words she had used were “as easy as breathing”. It wasn’t that easy, at least not for her. It was hard to just relax when there was another presence that could move her body at will. Whatever relaxation she managed to achieve in armatus was usually broken as soon as the seraph started talking or moving for her. At least she had gotten the time she could stay in armatus over five minutes. It was an improvement, but Alisha was sure that she could do better.

She may have been sore, but she could still get some practice in. They were chasing after Sorey and Mikleo, and Alisha was sure that her record time of seven minutes in armatus wouldn’t help if Mikleo decided to transform into a drake. Besides, she couldn’t just rely on Natalie all the time, she had to be able to work with the other seraphim as needed. Chasing after Sorey would take months, so she had plenty of time.

Alisha reached back to rub her shoulder, pressing against the muscles before giving it up. She was just going to end up sorer, but she couldn’t just waste the time she was given.

She gave the road one more glance, intending to just give it a cursory look for more hellions. She was getting too used to having hellions sneak up on them as soon as they had their attention elsewhere to really let down her guard. Considering how close they were to the forest that grew alongside the road back to Ladylake, they were in perfect striking distance for hellions. Still, they had a good amount of open ground between them and where the trees started, more than enough room for them to get ready.

Alisha threw a quick glance up at the sky, scanning for flying hellions before looking back at the forest road. She expected to see an empty road and feel the usual pang that came with thinking about how close she was to Ladylake. Instead she saw something rushing down the path.

She tightened her hold on the whetstone, ready to throw it even as she shifted her spear in her other hand. Alisha took a deep breath, ready to call Rose and Sergei when she got a good look at what was heading towards them.

It was clearly a person, Alisha blinking rapidly to clear her eyes just to make sure. But the shape remained the same, it was a person sprinting towards them.

Her first thought that that they were running from hellions, but they weren’t looking over their shoulder. They were focused on reaching them, which made the hair on the back of her neck rise. Whoever they were, it wasn’t normal behavior.

She took a step back, turning her head slightly. She didn’t dare look away from the person coming at them. “Rose! Sergei!”

Alisha heard Rose curse, taking that as her answer. She didn’t hear Sergei’s reaction, but she knew that he would be rushing up to help, which left her time to study the newest threat.

They were still a person, which was a relief. If anything they might have a frightened traveler with news of hellions bearing down on them. Then again, the person’s clothes didn’t look like a traveler, they were dressed too richly and in red.

Her blood ran cold as she saw the gold embroidery on the person’s coat, her mouth going dry as they got closer. There were only a few people who could afford that kind of clothes, and fewer still that would be in the immediate area. But she had assumed that he would be days ahead of them, not this close.

Alisha jolted out of her shock when the whetstone fell out of her hand. She glanced around before focusing on the person as they stumbled to a stop in front of her. Alisha had a moment to meet Sorey’s gaze before he fell to his knees.

She took a step forward, intending to help him before she stopped herself. This wasn’t the Sorey that she had met in Pendrago all those months ago. This was not the smiling emperor who looked at the world and only saw things that he could fix. Alisha was sure that he wasn’t the monster that everyone was convinced he was, but he certainly wasn’t that boy anymore. He was something in between and it made her wary.

Alisha took two steps back, glancing at the forest before looking up at the sky. It was strange to see Sorey without Mikleo close by, and it made her worry. She took a deep breath, about to call out a warning to Sergei and Rose when Sorey moved.

He held out his hands in front of him, looking for all the world like a supplicant. Sorey kept still with his head bowed for a moment before he glanced up at her. Sorey gave her a nervous smile, one that she associated with the Sorey that she had briefly known. “I don’t have any white on me.”

“What?”

“I’ve come to surrender.”

Whatever response she had was forgotten as Rose ran up beside her. Rose hovered over Sorey with her knives, a short laugh escaping her. “Surrender? You should have done that a month ago.”

“I know.” Sorey gave them both a wry smile before rocking back onto his heels. Alisha noticed the way that he carefully placed his hands on his knees, well within their sight. “Believe me, I know. But I wasn’t thinking about that.”

Rose huffed, the sound making Sorey jerk his head up. He stared at them, Alisha noting the moment that he realized that Sergei was with them. Sorey stared at the knight for a moment before he shook his head. “Mikleo was in heat. I wanted to get him out of there and somewhere safe.”

“And afterward?”

“There were hellions. I was hoping to keep them away from everyone else.”

“And what would you have done with them?”

“I don’t know!” Sorey rocked forward, Alisha taking a step back and lowering her spear. She heard the sound of a sword being drawn as Sergei stepped around her. Sorey reacted quickly, looking up with wide eyes. He leaned back, staring at Sergei for a moment before shaking his head. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. I haven’t been for a while. All I’ve been worried about is staying away.”

Alisha tilted her head to the side at that, exchanging a look with Rose. It was a strange story, but Alisha was inclined to believe it. As strange as he had been acting, Alisha was sure that the fundamental parts of Sorey hadn’t changed, and Sorey had never been able to lie. What worried her more was what he was leaving out. She shifted in place before throwing a glance over at Sergei. From the look on his face he was probably coming to the same conclusion.

The air around them warmed as Lailah left Rose, Alisha watching Sorey’s eyes widen at the sight of another seraph. For a moment, it looked like he was going to throw himself at her feet, but he kept himself on his knees. He swayed a little closer to her before abruptly looking away, his gaze fixed on the ground.

He seemed to shiver as Lailah moved closer, curling in on himself. “Please. I’m not going to fight any longer. You’ve won.” He flinched back when Lailah crouched in front of him, visibly shaking when she tucked two fingers under his chin.

Lailah lifted his chin, Sorey staring at her with wide eyes. Alisha wasn’t sure what Lailah saw there, but it was enough to make her recoil slightly. The seraph considered Sorey for a moment longer before standing up and stepping away. She walked around him, casting wary glances back at the forest until she was back at Rose’s side.

Alisha watched her, searching for a sign of what Lailah had seen, but all she did was play with the broach that she wore. That seemed to make Rose wary, but for reasons that she didn’t understand. She swallowed and looked back at Sorey. If Lailah seemed to be fine with him, she would take that as a good answer.

Sorey gave Lailah a worried look before ducking his head again. He shifted in place, not looking at either of them. “I formally surrender as emperor. As such I only ask for one term.”

Rose laughed, sliding her knife back into its scabbard. She crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head. “You don’t get to choose the terms when you’re the one to surrender.”

Alisha flinched when Sorey looked up at her, quickly dropping her gaze when she attempted to hold it. “Alisha…Princess…please.”

She swallowed and tipped her chin up. This wasn’t a matter for Rose’s Squire, which made her want to ignore it, but she couldn’t. If they handled Sorey now, then they wouldn’t have to worry about him again. Capturing him meant that Mikleo would be neutralized as well, which would remove another threat. Better yet, removing Sorey would help Rolance start to move on because there would be no more excuses to try to stick to the old form of government. It still wouldn’t solve the problem about what to do with him, but at least it would be a step in the right direction.

The only immediate problems were where to keep him and what do to. Alisha was sure that there would be plenty of arguments about the former, but her instinct said that it had to be somewhere secure and on the border so no one could complain about squirreling the emperor away. She knew that people would always associate Sorey with a dragon, and they couldn’t run the risk of either side thinking that they were keeping Sorey to control the dragon. And that just led back to their other problem of what to do with them.

The easiest thing would be just to execute Sorey, but Alisha couldn’t bring herself to agree with that assessment just yet. There had to be a better way.

She swallowed, adjusting her grip on her spear. She didn’t dare look at Sergei or Rose, not until she was done. “I’ll hear your terms.”

Alisha heard Rose make a disgusted noise, but she ignored it for the moment, focusing on the way that Sorey looking at her like she had given him a miracle.

He swallowed and nodded. “There’s just one. Mikleo gets a safe escort to Lohgrin.”

Alisha sucked in a quick breath, hearing Rose do the same. She turned to look at the Shepherd, her gaze jumping to Lailah.

The seraph had gone still, her fingers curled tightly around the broach that she wore. That still didn’t tell her much, but at least Rose was more open.

The Shepherd looked surprised, although it quickly turned to thoughtfulness, Rose’s head tipped to the side. Alisha stared at Rose until she looked her way, the two of them sharing a nod.

Sorey was offering them a chance to get rid of their other problem. If they separated the emperor and his dragon than everyone would feel safer. Alisha was sure that Rose would be happier with that as well. It would give her the chance to purify Mikleo before sending him off. Of course, they would have to do something to show off the fact that Mikleo was being separated from Sorey, and the only thing that she could think of was to parade the two of them to their destinations, Sorey to a secured place to live out the rest of his life and Mikleo to Lohgrin.

Alisha looked between Rose and Sergei, seeking out any kind of dissent. Rose still looked uncertain, probably because she was looking for the drawbacks. Sergei looked more open to the idea, although he seemed very shocked to see Sorey, not that Alisha blamed him. Sorey had changed radically since the last time that they had seen him.

His clothes hung loosely on him and there was a haunted look on his face, accentuated by the dark circles under his eyes. Sorey looked exhausted, and certainly not strong enough to put up any fight. It made her wonder if he would even survive his imprisonment long enough to be brought to trial or a decision to be made about him.

She shifted in place, her thoughts interrupted when Sorey shuffled forward. He quickly stopped his motion when Rose reached for her knife. Sorey gave her a quick glance before focusing back on Alisha.

“Please. I don’t care what you do to me. Just get Mikleo to a place where he’ll be away from malevolence and be safe.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s…it’s hurting him and I lo- I don’t want to see him like that.”

Alisha raised her eyebrows at the partial admissions that Sorey gave. Sergei made a pained sound from her left, Alisha reaching out to touch his wrist. It was tempting to reach down and curl her fingers with his, but she wasn’t sure how much that would help. She was sure that it would be more of a distraction. After all, this wasn’t a matter for individuals, they were representing all aspects of their countries now. Sergei had to be Rolance, for better or for worse. Which meant that, for now, she had to be Hyland.

She considered Sorey for a moment, watching as he glanced between the three of them. His gaze always jumped away when it strayed towards Lailah, like he was guilty of something.

Considering that Mikleo wasn’t at his side there might be something to that. Alisha bit her lip, tempted to question him on it. There were many reasons why Mikleo wouldn’t be with him, and only some of them were bad. It was more likely that Mikleo was really being hurt by the malevolence and Sorey couldn’t bring him along. Alisha didn’t think that he would beg otherwise.

Then again, it wasn’t about Mikleo, at least not in the large picture. It was about the safety of Glenwood, and Sorey was offering that to them. They could worry about just what was happening to Mikleo a bit later.

She tipped her chin up, seeing Rose tense out of the corner of her eye. Alisha paused just long enough to see if Rose would put up a protest about what she was about to do. Rose’s jaw tightened but that was the only sign that she didn’t like what was going on, not that Alisha could blame her. She was wary about the whole thing too, but it was better to take this chance while they had it than let it slip by them. Mikleo was nowhere in sight and Sorey was on his own. If they had to subdue him they could worry about Mikleo later. Considering how close they were, it might be easier to take care of Mikleo if they had Sorey in custody.

Alisha cleared her throat, letting her grip on her spear relax. “Hyland accepts your surrender.”

Sorey jerked like he had been hit, but he looked up at her with wide eyes and a hopeful expression. He opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but the words caught in his throat. It took him another try to speak, a smile crossing his face before slumped, like it was hard to hold himself upright. “Thank you. Thank you.”

Alisha nodded, not sure why she needed to be thanked for what she had done. If anything it would be helping them and condemning him to a life as a prisoner. It was enough to make her worry about just what they were agreeing to.

She didn’t get the chance to think on it long because Sergei stepped up. The man didn’t move far enough to break her hold on his wrist, but it was enough to stretch their arms out from the safe block of their bodies. Alisha didn’t think that Sorey noticed, he was too busy staring at Sergei with an expression that she couldn’t quite read.

Sergei glared down at him for a moment before shaking his head. “Rolance will accept your surrender. But you will be held accountable for your actions.”

Sorey shrunk into himself at Sergei’s tone, staring at the ground. But he didn’t offer anything else.

Alisha watched him carefully for a moment more before shaking her head. There was no point in drawing it out any longer, no matter how much she wanted to. She had hoped that she would get a couple more months with Rose and Sergei, if only for the chance to help Rose quell the malevolence a bit more. But she couldn’t just ignore the chance that they had been given.

She nodded to herself and looked back at Rose. “I can secure him.”

“I’ll pack up camp.” Rose gave Sorey one last glare before turning on her heel. “The two of you can figure out where we’re dumping him.”

Alisha was relieved that Rose didn’t ask about what would happen after, because she was feeling a prick of guilt. She had agreed to be Rose’s Squire, but she had assumed it would be for longer. Alisha couldn’t think of an excuse that would keep her away from Hyland once they had gotten Sorey which meant that she would have to make an apology.

She swallowed and looked back at the cowed emperor. Sorey didn’t look like he would be much trouble, but she was not going to take any chances. All of their hopes of peace were riding on them keeping the emperor contained and under control.

She sighed, glancing over at Sergei before letting go of his hand. She didn’t have anything to secure Sorey’s hands with, but they could at least take his sword.

Alisha crouched down and held out her hand, watching as Sorey startled. It didn’t take him long to realize what she was asking, his hand dropping down to his sword. Sorey hesitated for a moment before undoing the sword belt completely, Sorey pulling it out and dropping the scabbard into her waiting hands. Alisha nodded her thanks as she stood up, her gaze dropping to the sword in her hands.

She turned it over before pulling the blade free, trying to calm the nervous pounding of her heart. She knew what Sorey had been, but she was wary of the strange hybrid creature that Sorey had become now. Before he would have never carried a seraphic weapon, but she wasn’t sure now. Sorey might not be lying about Mikleo, but there was every chance that the seraph was in a weapon for his own safety.

Alisha held the blade up, turning it as she searched for the carved runes that indicated that it could hold a seraph. She breathed a sigh of relief when she couldn’t find any. She lowered the blade slightly, jerking to a stop when Lailah shouted and took two steps forward.

The sound was just enough for a warning for Alisha to lean back, her gaze automatically going to the forest. She scanned the trees for any sign of hellions, or Mikleo. The seraph was still conspicuously absent, which made her worry.

Mikleo and Sorey had been inseparable for as long as she had known them. It was strange to see one without the other.

As if her thoughts had summoned it, a figure appeared on the edge of the forest. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see the figure. What she could pick out from the distance what the white of their clothes. The sun glinted off something gold on their forehead, which was all the confirmation that she needed. Even if she hadn’t noticed the circlet she couldn’t have missed the way that Sorey jerked forward, like he was going to get to his feet.

Alisha was suddenly aware of the sword that she was still holding up. She dropped her arm down, quickly sliding the sword down into the scabbard. The click of the guard meeting the metal on the end of the scabbard was too loud in the silence that descended over them. She winced at the sound, watching Mikleo carefully.

The seraph didn’t seem to be in any rush. He remained but the edge of the woods for a few moments longer before the horse started moving towards them. Alisha sighed when Mikleo approached at a walk, relaxing slightly. Everything was calm enough for the moment, which made her feel better about the whole situation. Things were falling nicely into place and what she was familiar with was coming back.

If Sorey was surrendering because of what the malevolence was doing to Mikleo, then he must have rushed ahead to make sure things would go well before bringing Mikleo into the mix. It was hard to tell with the distance if Mikleo looked sick, but nothing else would make Sorey so desperate.

She dropped her gaze to Sorey, frowning when she saw that he was shaking. He was partially turned to look at Mikleo, making it impossible to see his expression, but he was tense. Alisha took a step forward, stopping abruptly when she heard that Sorey was whisper, the one word repeated over and over again.

“No. No, no, no.”

Alisha shifted in place, freezing when she felt Rose’s hand land on her shoulder. She turned her head slightly to meet Rose’s gaze. Alisha gave a short nod at the serious look on Rose’s face, not even having to hear what Rose was going to say. There was something wrong here, she could feel it.

She tightened her grip on her spear, throwing a quick glance over at Sergei.

It was obvious that he was nervous from the way that he was holding himself, but Alisha didn’t think that it mattered. None of them were really bothering to hide what they were thinking.

Rose gave her shoulder another squeeze before stepping out into the space between her and Sorey. Alisha pressed her lips together, but didn’t bother to speak.

This was beyond her as princess of Hyland. As Squire to the Shepherd it was her job to watch Rose’s back, so that’s what she would do.

She looked between Sorey and Mikleo before settling her gaze on Mikleo. Sorey was still on the ground and defenseless, which made the seraph the more dangerous out of the two of them.

Rose’s cloak swayed as the Shepherd crossed her arms, Alisha getting the hint of a smile on Rose’s face as she looking up at Mikleo. “Mikleo.”

Mikleo winced as he pulled the horse up. Alisha wasn’t sure what it was in connection to, but she couldn’t let her mind wander, not when Rose was swaying forward like she was going to walk up to the horse’s shoulder.

She seemed to think better of it at the last minute, Rose swaying in place for a moment before giving Mikleo a respectful nod. “We were just talking about you.”

Mikleo narrowed his eyes, throwing a glance at Sorey before his gaze went back to Rose. “What about?”

“Nothing specific, just generally.” Rose tipped her head in Sorey, the motion making Mikleo tense. “Sorey was just talking terms with us.”

Mikleo sucked in a quick breath, the horse tossing its head and sidling. Mikleo brought it back under control with a jerk of the reins, but the motion was enough to have Alisha leaning forward. Mikleo was nervous, which made her uneasy. Alisha lifted her spear slightly from the ground, not daring to level it at anyone in case Mikleo took it as a threat.

If Rose felt the growing tension, she didn’t show it. She rocked back onto her heels, her back ramrod straight. “We were talking surrender actually, and what the exchange will be; Sorey to be held and you to Lohgrin.”

Mikleo snarled, Alisha jumping at the sound. She swung her spear down to be able to attack with it, her gaze never leaving where the seraph sat tall on the horse.

He eyed them all for a moment before tipping his chin up slightly. “I haven’t agreed to a surrender.”

Rose shrugged. “The emperor has spoken and-”

“The emperor does _not_ speak for me!”

The words were snarled out, Alisha instinctively flinching back. The motion was what saved her from the rush of water that started from her left, cutting across the ground in front of her and slamming into Rose.

“Rose!” She reached out for the woman only for her to get swept out of her grasp by the rush of water.

Alisha turned to follow it, watching as Rose tumbled to the ground, the woman not moving from where she fell. Alisha took two steps towards her before coming up short as Dezel flickered into existence.

He rolled her onto her side, Alisha breathing out as she heard Rose coughing. Stunned, but not dead.

She curled her fingers around the shaft of her spear, rounding on Mikleo with a low growl. Alisha wasn’t sure that it was audible or not, but it didn’t matter. Mikleo had hurt one of hers, and she was shocked and angry at that.

She met Mikleo’s defiant gaze, watching it twist into something like anger before he flung his hand out again.

Alisha braced herself for a rush of water, but it never came for her. Instead it tore through the grass and towards Lailah.

Lailah flung up a barrier, the fire arching to cover Alisha as well. The barrier lasted only a moment, flickering before it was snuffed out by the rush of water. The wave didn’t seemed to be slowed by the barrier at all, the water rising slightly as it started to crash down.

“Fethmus Mioma!”

There was a flare of bright light and Lailah was gone, Alisha losing sight of her in the rush of water. When it rolled past, she could see Sergei stumbling back a few steps. He teetered for a moment in the armatus and then held steady, Alisha seeing the sweat starting to form on his forehead. Alisha swayed in his direction before holding herself steady.

She was the center, she had to hold.

Alisha adjusted her grip on her spear, about the charge forward when Sorey scrambled to his feet.

He managed a few steps before Natalie was there, holding him back even as he tried to reach Mikleo. “Stop! Please, you’ll hurt-”

Sorey was cut off abruptly when Natalie turned her naginata around, the blade hovering at his throat. The motion brought Mikleo up abruptly, his hand still raised in a threat.

Alisha watched the seraph, shifting in place. She was torn between running over to Rose or rushing up to Sorey and pulling him back. But Dezel had Rose well in hand, and the situation needed a Shepherd. Alisha just hoped that a Squire would do.

She relaxed her stance, taking a careful step forward. She saw Mikleo’s gaze flick over to her, his finger curling towards his palm. Alisha stopped, raising one hand. “We don’t want to fight you.”

Alisha heard Dezel scoff, but she ignored that in favor of focusing on Mikleo. There was a chance that they could settle this all before something worse happened. Mikleo was probably just confused.

She took a deep breath, about to try again when Mikleo shook his head. “We just want peace, like you do. Let us end this war and we can focus on freeing the seraphim.”

“And what cost?” The words were practically spat out, Alisha surprised by the vehemence behind them. Mikleo swayed forward in the saddle, catching himself on the pommel. He shook his head before directing his gaze at her. “I’ve seen what humans do to their criminals. And I won’t let you.”

“That’s not what we-”

“I won’t let you hurt him!”

The scream came with another wave of water, Alisha staring at it in shock. It crested over her head, crashing down with a thunderous sound. The sound was the only thing to break through her shock, Alisha yelping and flinging an arm in front of her face.

She expected to be pushed away with the current, but she felt the earth shake under her feet, and then the water was battering against a shield of rocks.

Alisha stared at the shield, turning her head to look back at where Edna was edging towards her. The seraph pressed up against her back, staying there for a moment before ducking around her to peek out. Edna narrowed her eyes before stepping away from Alisha, snapping her umbrella open.

The water pounded against it, making Edna stagger for a moment, but she just adjusted the tilt of her umbrella. “Spoiled brat.”

The earth rumbled and rolled under her feet, Alisha staggering as she tried to keep her balance. She heard a horse scream, Alisha looking up as the water dropped abruptly, Mikleo’s attention pulled away by the way the horse panicked.

He lurched forward to hold onto the mane, Alisha stumbling forward before she stopped herself. It was perfect moment to attack, but she had to keep trying to break through.

She stepped to the side, resting her hand on Edna’s arm. “He’s just frightened. He doesn’t understand what’s going on.”

Edna snorted, snapping her umbrella shut. “I’m not surprised. He’s practically drowning in malevolence.”

“We have to try.”

“Fine.” Edna wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t see how it could help. He’s pretty much a dragon now.”

“Then we keep it simple.” Alisha glanced around. From the way that Mikleo was still curled forward in the saddle, they had some time left to move.

She stepped forward, throwing a glance over at where Rose was stumbling over to her, Dezel dogging at her heels. Alisha smiled at Rose, reaching out a hand to steady her. “Watch my back?”

Rose frowned at her but impatiently waved her on. “The sooner this is done, the better. I don’t like any of this.”

“Neither do I.” Alisha let go of Rose and edged forward, approaching Mikleo like she would a spooked horse.

She watched as his head raised slightly, frowning at how pale he looked. She glanced down at where his hands were shaking in the horse’s mane. She didn’t know if that was because of the malevolence or something else. Considering how angry he looked, she expected him to turn into a drake and kill them all. But he hadn’t, which made her more nervous. She was sure that Rose had already considered that end, and that she was ready to take whatever steps were necessary. But Alisha couldn’t allow that, not while there was still a chance.

“Mikleo.” He jerked at the sound of his name, Alisha seeing the snarl that he gave her more than hearing it. She hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, drawing evenly with Natalie and Sorey.

She took a moment to glance over them, taking in Natalie’s determined expression and the shocked one on Sorey’s face. It didn’t help her understand the situation any better, which meant that she was going to have to go on faith. That’s all she had left.

Alisha offered Mikleo a smile, not sure how genuine it came off when he was watching her for any sudden moves. She took the fact that he hadn’t attacked her immediately as a good sign, one of the few that she could see. “Mikleo, listen to me. We’re not going to hurt Sorey.”

Mikleo opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but he shuddered and leaned forward instead.

Alisha found herself bending over slightly to meet his gaze. She waited until he turned towards her, carefully meeting his gaze. “I swear to you, we won’t.”

“How can I trust you?”

“Because I owe him. He swore I would be safe when I rode into Pendrago and I was. He helped me escape too. That’s two things I owe him by my count, and I always keep my word. Don’t I?”

Mikleo narrowed his eyes at her, but didn’t move.

Alisha let the silence hang for a moment before daring to take another step forward. “It’s obvious that you’re hurting, and that it’s because of the malevolence.” She ignored the snort from over her shoulder, probably from Edna. It was more important to watch Mikleo as he swayed in the saddle. “That’s why we want to help you somewhere safe, until the war is over and we clean up the malevolence.”

“You won’t let him go back to Rolance.”

“No.” Alisha ignored the hiss from Natalie. It was better for her to tell the truth, she was sure that Mikleo would appreciate it.

Mikleo remained slumped over, taking deep breaths. Alisha was sure that it wasn’t him accepting anything, but the pauses were taking too long. She had to push, if only to break the tension. If they were all on edge, it wouldn’t take much for one of them to snap.

She changed her grip on her spear, pointing the tip down at the ground. She saw Mikleo’s eyes widen at the move, giving him a short nod. “But we’re not going to hurt him either. We’ll keep him safe.”

“That’s not how it works.”

“As Princess of Hyland I-”

“That’s not how it works!” Mikleo pushed himself upright, swaying dangerously in the saddle. He glared at her, one of his hands lifting from the horse’s mane. “You’re setting up a new government, so you can’t keep him alive. It’s just like what happened with Lyte.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

“Mikleo, please!”

Alisha turned her attention to where Sorey had shuffled forward again. His motion was interrupted by Natalie’s arm across his chest, but he didn’t seem to notice it. He reached out, Alisha not sure if he was reaching for Mikleo or for the horse’s reins.

Sorey strained against Natalie’s hold for a moment before he slumped forward. “Please, don’t do this. You’ll hurt someone. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Sorey…”

“Just let them do it. One of them is the Shepherd. They can help the seraphim, and you can get somewhere safe.”

Mikleo stiffened in the saddle, Alisha not quite sure what set him off. Natalie noticed it too, because she started to shove Sorey back, but the emperor didn’t go easily, he was still trying to reach out for Mikleo even as the seraph glared at him.

“You promised me we would do it.”

“Mikleo-”

“We made a pact.”

“That was a long time ago!”

“I don’t care! You promised _me_.”

Alisha lunged for Natalie, reaching around her back to grab onto the back of Sorey’s coat. She braced herself, hauling him back. “Sorey, stop!”

She tensed when he growled at her, ignoring her instinct to growl right back. This wasn’t the time for the two of them to get into a fight.

She got a better hold on the back of his clothes, only then looking up at Mikleo. “None of us knew about your pact, but we can discuss it. Maybe once everyone’s calmed down.”

“No!” Sorey almost jerked out of her grip. He twisted in Natalie’s hold, trying to duck under her arm. “I’ve already made a deal with them. You’re going to Lohgrin.”

“SHUT UP!”

Alisha looked up at the sound of rushing water. She took one look at the anger on Mikleo’s face before she threw herself to the side, avoiding the giant pillar of water that burst from the ground.

She lost her hold of her spear as she hit the ground, Alisha letting it go in favor of curling up on the ground. She could feel it rumble under her, a warning from Edna, which meant that the earth seraph was still alright. She pushed herself up, giving the rest of the group a quick look to see if they were alright.

Edna was standing her ground in front of Rose and Dezel, her umbrella open. Sergei was charging over to her, still in armatus with Lailah. Alisha looked back towards Sorey, scrambling to her feet when she saw Natalie sprawled out on the ground.

She rushed over to where the water seraph was lying, reaching out for her only to jerk her hands back. Natalie was fine, the seraph already propping herself up onto her elbows. But she wasn’t getting to her feet, a look of shock on her face. Alisha let her hands hover over Natalie’s shoulder, not sure if it would really help, but it was all that she would be allowed. Besides, there was nothing to do that could help.

Mikleo had been the one to attack her.

Alisha twisted to look at him, watching as Mikleo processed that information himself. He dropped his hand back to his side, staring down at her. Alisha saw his mouth move, but she couldn’t hear anything that he was saying. She supposed that it didn’t matter, not when Natalie made a noise like a choked off sob.

“Mikleo?”

“I didn’t…I wouldn’t…” Mikleo dropping his gaze, Alisha watching his shoulders shake.

It was a bad moment, and one that she hated to use, but she was sure that Mikleo would actually listen now.

She lifted her hands away from Natalie, standing up slowly. It was important to approach Mikleo slowly, but she had to press this while she could. If they couldn’t manage to get Mikleo over to their way of thinking then they would have to do something drastic, which would be better left up to Rose. Just as long as he didn’t turn into a drake, they would be fine.

Alisha opened her mouth to speak, the syllables of the word turning into a gasp as Sorey rushed up to grab the reins. The horse snorted and shied, but Sorey moved with it, not waiting for the animal to calm down to reach up and touch Mikleo’s wrist. “Please. It’s for your own good.”

Mikleo froze, Alisha hoping that Sorey had managed to break through to him where they had all failed. She took a cautious step forward, watching the two of them carefully. She was aware of the others moving behind her, but she didn’t dare turn around, not when it could all happen in a blink of an eye.

Sorey had already surrendered, so the war was over, but she wanted Mikleo to come into it of his own volition instead of being dragged away. That would be the best ending that they could get.

She watched Mikleo carefully, expecting some kind of sign that he was finally giving in, not for a look of anger to cross his face.

He jerked his wrist out of Sorey’s grasp, glaring down at him. “If you really thought that then you wouldn’t have come here.”

Sorey slumped against the horse, his hand lifting like he was going to grab Mikleo again. He never got the chance.

Mikleo jerked his hand up and away, a wall of water rising with the motion.

Alisha tipped her head back to watch it rise, staring at the top of it. It was hard to hear what was going on over the roar of the water, and even harder to see behind it. She fixed her gaze on the top, watching as it foamed there before curling over like a breaking wave.

She backed up quickly, hearing Natalie and Edna shout at each other, but she couldn’t pick out the words over the sound of the water. A flash of light to her right got her attention, Alisha turning her head in time to see Rose settle into the armatus, the armatus’ wings twitching once before she launched herself into the air. They cleared the top of the wave just as it started to come crashing down, Alisha losing sight of them in the rush of water.

Alisha felt Natalie grab onto her waist and haul her backwards, Alisha going without a fight. They wouldn’t outrun the wave, but there was a chance that they could get into a better position to sit out its fall or have Edna made a shelter.

Her gaze darted to the side as Sergei and Lailah darted in front of them, the white and red of their armatus standing out against the endless rush of blue.

They raised their sword, flames burning bright blue around the edges. They weren’t the flames of purification, those gave off no heat. These flames burned hot, Alisha feeling the heat on her face even as far back as she was.

Sergei and Lailah raised the sword, twisting their torso before jamming the sword into the heart of the wave. The motion didn’t curb the wave’s motion, but it made the water hiss as steam rose up from the depths of the wave. They didn’t back away, their voices rising together in a scream as they leaned harder against the sword.

Alisha raised a hand in front of her face in the face of the intense heat coming off of the two of them, her mouth dropping over in wonder as the water started to evaporate.

Clouds of steam rose from the wave, swirling tightly around themselves as Rose and Dezel caught them up and funneled them up further. Alisha tipped her head to look up at the miniature tornado before it disappeared entirely, leaving a splatter of cool drops that Lailah and Sergei hadn’t managed to catch.

Rose and Dezel still hovered above them, Alisha watching as they jerked their attention to the forest. Their wings spread momentarily before shards of green lanced towards the ground.

Alisha followed them, wincing as they landed short of their target.

The horse galloped into the shadows of the forest, taking Mikleo and Sorey with it.

She stared after them for a moment before groaning and running a hand down her face. They had been so close, and it had all crumbled away in front of them.

Without Sorey in their custody, they would have to spend months more chasing after the two of them. It didn’t matter that she had been wishing for more time with Rose and Sergei, she had been hoping to do that without the weight of their task hanging over them.

Alisha dropped her hands from her face, looking up just as Sergei and Lailah swayed. The two of them split apart quickly, Sergei dropping to his hands and knees. Lailah leaned down to look at him, rubbing between his shoulders.

Alisha started towards them only to stop as Rose and Dezel dropped down beside her. She met their clouded gaze before they looked away. They reached up to rub at the back of their head, the only sign of their annoyance in the twitch of the armatus’ wings. “Damn.”

“We were almost there. We had Sorey.”

“Yeah. And it looks like our job got more difficult.” Rose and Dezel dropped their hand. “We’re going to have to keep them apart now if this is going to work.”

“At least we know that.”

“Optimist.” The word was said with a grin that wasn’t quite Rose or Dezel’s. They shook their head, the armatus dissolving with the motion. The only sign that it took a bit of adjustment was in the way that Rose blinked rapidly for a moment.

She was quick to turn back at them, her gaze jumping to Sergei before focusing on her. Rose gave her a quick up and down look. “You alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Enough to ride.”

Alisha nodded. There was no way that they could let Sorey and Mikleo get too far ahead of them. This was their first real chance at catching them both before more harm was done, either to the world or them.

Rose gave her a wavering smile, reaching out to take her hand. She held it for a moment, giving it a squeeze. Alisha squeezed back, holding tight to Rose’s hand until she pulled away.

Alisha watched as Rose jogged over to the camp, the woman already shouting orders at Dezel. Alisha shook her head at them, feeling something in her ease.

She rolled her shoulders before turning to go check on Sergei. When they caught up with Sorey and Mikleo, Rose would need her two Squires to watch her back.

There was still hope for peace. They would just have to work at it a bit harder.


	30. Chapter 27

“He who will praise me the most will blame me more in time of need than he might imagine; and I will be most cruel to him whom I should be most helpful. This will happen only once, for that is as it should be.”   
– _The Quest for the Holy Grail_ , translated by E. Jane Burns

* * *

 

Mikleo pulled the horse up as they cantered to their section of the camp. The animal snorted and tossed its head, Mikleo quickly moving his gaze away as the motion made his stomach roll. It wasn’t enough, Mikleo feeling everything start to shake. He gritted his teeth, his control over his arte slipping out of his grip.

The horse squealed and kicked out as the water that he had been using to hold Sorey in place behind him lost shape and trickled down its legs and belly. Mikleo felt the horse’s back heave, like it was about to buck, his stomach matching the motion. He scrambled at the reins for a moment before giving it up for lost.

He kicked his feet out of the stirrups, sliding off the horse’s back. He didn’t bother to keep a hold on the reins, too busy stumbling away from the horse as it shied.

Mikleo managed a few steps before he fell to his hands and knees, closing his eyes when the world kept spinning. He curled his fingers into the grass to further ground himself.

He had overextended himself and he knew it. He had known it the moment he had ridden out of the forest and seen Sorey kneeling on the ground. Seen Alisha standing over him with a sword.

His stomach jerked at the thought, Mikleo uncurling one hand from the grass to press against his mouth. He was distantly aware of the sound of his own harsh breaths, but that was secondary. Sorey was safe, he had rescued him from whatever had been going on. He’d gotten there before it was too late.

Mikleo startled at a light touch to his back. He twisted to look at Sorey, watching as the human knelt by his side.

Sorey stroked his back, muttering soothing sounds from an arm’s length away, which made Mikleo bristle. He wasn’t sure which annoyed him more, the distance or the fact that Sorey was acting like nothing had happened.

He bared his teeth, twisting around to slap Sorey’s hand away. Sorey made a hurt sound, but that just made him angrier. Sorey had no right acting like he was the injured party, not after what he had done. Mikleo shot him a glare before pushing himself upright. It didn’t stop the rolling motion of his stomach, but it was better now that it was off the horse.

He swayed in place, glaring at Sorey when he caught him. He tried to shove Sorey off of him but, this time Sorey didn’t go so easily. He reached out for Mikleo, pulling him back again. Mikleo snarled and gave him a hard shove, using the momentum from the motion to start him onto his feet.

It was a slow process, Mikleo wobbling as he tried to stand up. He stumbled forward, managing to catch himself before he fell. Mikleo squeezed his eyes shut, taking a few deep breaths before opening them again and rounding on Sorey.

Sorey was standing with his arms out like he was ready to catch him, which made Mikleo want to laugh at him.

He took a step back, wrapping his arms around himself as he glared at Sorey. He expected Sorey to retreat, to fall back into the old patterns that they had always followed. But Sorey took a step forward, still reaching for him.

Mikleo glared at him, swallowing back a growl. “No.”

The word brought Sorey up short, the human hesitating before dropping his arms back down to his sides. “Mikleo-”

“No. You don’t get to talk yet.” Mikleo took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. It was hard when everything felt so off. The world was no longer spinning as wildly, but the panic hadn’t disappeared, nor had the anger. The latter was far easier to draw on, Mikleo sure that he wouldn’t be able to do anything if he gave into the panic.

He clenched his hands into fists, glaring at Sorey. “What do you think you were doing?”

Sorey blinked at him, obviously not following. “I was trying to help.”

“By running to our enemies?”

“They’re not our enemies!” Sorey made a vague gesture back in the direction that they had ridden from. “They want the same things we do.”

“They want you dead.”

“They don’t!”

“How do you know?!” Mikleo leaned forward, ignoring the way that his voice cracked. “How do you know that nothing has changed since the last time?”

“Alisha is fair.” Sorey shrugged like that was answer enough. “I would have gotten a trial.”

“And what happens if they decide that the best way to get rid of you is executing you?” It was the right question to ask because Sorey flinched. Mikleo pressed forward, not above pressing his advantage. “Do you think for a moment that they will choose you over their countries? Do you think that they will let you get off after everything that we’ve done? No, they’re going to kill you, because that needs to be done.”

Sorey met his gaze for a moment before he sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Then it’s what needs to be done.”

“No!” Mikleo shook his head, hating the panic that rushed through him and the resignation in Sorey’s eyes. It made him want to reach out and shake Sorey until he understood because he didn’t have the words for it. “Our pact isn’t done.”

“But it is.” Sorey shook his head and reached out to touch him. Mikleo allowed it, hating the part of him that was appeased by the touch of Sorey’s fingers as they wrapped lightly around his wrist.

Sorey stepped forward, giving him a tired smile. “You’ve made me emperor. We’ve found the seraphim and freed the ones that we could. We found your family and the others are where the empire or Hyland can reach them. We’ve brought the empire to the point where it has to let go of Hyland and start negotiations. We’ve accomplished everything.”

Mikleo shook his head at Sorey, jerking his wrist away from him. “It’s not done!”

“Mikleo…” Sorey groaned and ran a hand through his hair. He swayed in place before starting to pace.

He watched Sorey as he moved back and forth in a small area. For a moment, he thought that Sorey would go after the horse, but the human stopped himself. Instead, Sorey rounded on him.

Sorey reached out for him, seeming to remember himself at the last minute before he threw his hands in the air. “There’s nothing else that we promised each other.”

“Y-you promised me-”

“What?! What else did I promise you?” Sorey took a step forward, Mikleo responding by retreating. Sorey didn’t seem to notice because he kept walking forward, his voice rising the longer he spoke. “Because I can’t remember anything else. In fact, I remember you ready to leave as soon as this was done. You’re going back to Elysia, remember? And I’m not coming with you.”

Mikleo opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn’t. It was something that they had spoken about already, and it still hurt the same way it had when he had realized that what they had would stop. Before he had been able to keep it in, because it’s what he had to do. But that had been before Sorey had run off to get himself killed.

He clenched his hands into fists, taking a slow step forward. His chest bumped up against Sorey’s but it didn’t matter, it just meant that Sorey could feel the growl that rumbled through him. “Do you think that I could forget that? How could I?!”

“Then you know we have nothing else left to the pact.” Sorey reached for him before seeming to think better of it. He dropped his hands back down, Sorey turning his head to look away from him. “We’re done with Rolance. Now let me worry about you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you!” Sorey shook, Mikleo expecting him to look over, but Sorey kept his gaze resolutely away. It made it difficult for Mikleo to tell what Sorey was thinking, but he was not going to be the one to bend.

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t need looking after.”

“Don’t need-” Sorey made an inarticulate noise, turning to look at him. Mikleo met his gaze steadily, frowning when Sorey gestured at him. “Look at you! You can barely stand!”

Mikleo shifted in place, aware of how wobbly his knees felt, but he was sure that Sorey couldn’t see it. That was the most important thing; that Sorey didn’t see any of it, or else he would take it as winning the argument. Then he might try to run back to Rose and the others.

He steadied himself, straightening his spine to try and gain the few inches needed to be able to look Sorey in the eye. “I’m fine.”

Sorey snorted, a look of disgust crossing his face as he looked Mikleo over. “You’re not.”

“What do you know?”

“You practically fell off the horse! You’ve never done that before!” Sorey swayed in place, his hands hovering on either side of Mikleo’s arms before he turned it into a gesture. Mikleo growled when the gesture ended at his stomach, pointedly not looking down too far to follow it. “You don’t look well and I think it’s because of this.”

Sorey reached out to touch his stomach, Mikleo snarling and reaching out to grab Sorey’s wrist.

He must have used too much pressure because Sorey winced, but he didn’t let up. He adjusted his hold on Sorey’s wrist and leaned in so they were practically nose to nose. “Don’t touch me.”

Sorey flinched, but he didn’t break his gaze. Mikleo curled his upper lip as Sorey gave a partially pained smile. “So I’m right.”

Mikleo threw Sorey’s arm back at him, following it up with a hard shove. It wasn’t much, not when he practically fell over with the motion himself. Still it got his point across and it got Sorey stumbling back, which gave him room to breathe.

He took deep gulps of air, feeling himself shake. Mikleo wasn’t sure if it was because of the exhaustion that he felt or because of his anger, but it didn’t matter because it was a sign of weakness. And he couldn’t have that, not when Sorey was watching him so carefully.

Mikleo curled his fingers into fists, not bothering to calm his heavy breathing. “This…isn’t about that.”

Sorey jerked forward, but he stayed where Mikleo had put him. That didn’t stop himself from puffing up slightly. “Of course it’s about the ba-”

“No!” Mikleo cut him off before he could say anything else, trying to ignore the thrill of panic that ran down his spine. He shook his head, missing the cool creep of ice that had usually followed his anger. But that was gone too, like his artes and everything else useful and it was all _its_ fault. He looked back up at Sorey, raising an arm to point at him. “We’re not talking about that. We’re talking about you and what you did.”

Sorey stared at him, his mouth dropping open. Mikleo watched him try to form words for a moment before Sorey snarled, Mikleo surprised to hear the sound coming from the usually laid back alpha. “I did it for _you_!”

Mikleo huffed. “If you really were doing it for me, what would have that achieved?”

“You would have been _safe_.” Sorey took a step forward, Mikleo growling as Sorey advanced on him again.

Sorey didn’t seem to hear the warning, he kept walking closer. He gestured wildly with one hand, Mikleo flinching with the gesture instead of looking at what Sorey was trying to draw his attention to. It didn’t matter because Sorey kept talking, his voice raised to a shout. “I have hellions following me everywhere I go. I-I’m soaked in malevolence and it’s getting worse. This isn’t a safe place for the two of you.”

“Then what you do you suggest?”

“What I was working on!” Sorey twisted to point off in another direction, Mikleo following this motion. He narrowed his eyes when he saw nothing but trees. He swung back around to look at Sorey, not bothering to keep the annoyance off his face as Sorey kept going. “I was hoping to get you to Lohgrin with all the others.”

Mikleo laughed, rolling his eyes. “Because sending me across the _entire_ continent alone sounds much safer.”

“You wouldn’t have been alone. Alisha and Sergei would have sent an escort with you in return for me.” Sorey panted heavily for a moment before slumping. Mikleo watched him carefully, waiting for the next rush of anger. Instead, Sorey looked defeated and exhausted when he looked up. He looked pleadingly at Mikleo for a moment before reaching out like a supplicant. “It’s the only thing I can think of doing for the two of you.”

Mikleo tried to ignore the hitch in his breath, focusing on the slow roll of anger Sorey’s surrender sent through him. It was better than the alternative. “Stop saying that.”

“Saying what?” Sorey stared blankly for a moment before it seemed to click. For a moment it looked like he would get angry again, then he groaned and dragged his hands down his face. Mikleo thought he heard Sorey mutter something, but Sorey didn’t bother to repeat it when he dropped his hands away. He stared at Mikleo for a moment before shaking his head. “For Maotelus’ sake, Mikleo, you’re pregnant!”

“SHUT UP!”

He instinctively reached out for the water, gathering it up and commanding it to freeze. It didn’t matter that he could feel the arte slipping in and out of his grip, all that mattered was the panic that was all-consuming.

He didn’t want to hear what Sorey had to say, truth or not. If it was spoken aloud then it would become real, and he wasn’t ready for that. He needed it to stay a figment of his imagination or some crazy conclusion that he jumped to.

It couldn’t be real.

Mikleo didn’t realize how much he was shaking until the felt the arte break completely. He automatically raised his arm to protect himself from the shattering ice, but whatever he had managed to draw up hadn’t been tall enough to cause real damage. That left him staring at his arm as it shook. He only looked away when Sorey made a pained sound.

For a heart stopping moment, he thought that he had managed to conjure something with his dying artes and actually hurt the human, but Sorey was whole. He was just looking at Mikleo was worry.

Sorey inched forward a few steps, reaching out for him. It was so tempting to let the touch happen, but the anger was still there and it was still a better alternative than the panic. Panic froze him in place and kept him still, but anger kept him moving. Anger would keep Sorey with him and safe.

Mikleo his head, backing away from Sorey until he was pressed up against a tree. The motion seemed to get the message across, Sorey freezing where he was. Mikleo was relieved at that, it gave him time to think. Shouting at Sorey wouldn’t get him anywhere, no matter how good it felt to get it all out. Sorey needed something more than angry accusations to convince him, and Mikleo needed a way to do it without bringing up…it.

He squeezed his eyes shut, taking deep breaths as the familiar nausea that came with using his artes came back. He dug his fingers into his arm, trying to keep himself grounded as his stomach turned and his head spun.

It was frightening how little it took to send him off balance. It was enough to make him long for the days when it had only been his bigger artes that had made him feel this way. And it made him wonder how long it would take for the very act of drawing water to him would be too much.

He swallowed, pressing his head back against the tree for a moment before opening his eyes. Sorey was still hovering a good distance away, the same worried expression on his face. Mikleo huffed, turning his gaze away to look at where the hellions were all bunched up instead. It was far better than looking at Sorey.

It wasn’t that he was afraid that Sorey’s expression would sway him, because he had already made up his mind on the matter. He just needed a moment to collect himself again. There wouldn’t have been a point to saving Sorey if he just lashed out blindly at him.

Mikleo watched the hellions shuffle about on their side of the camp, surprised by how close they were. They were probably disturbed by the argument, something that made him want to laugh. Sorey was right to worry about how attached they were to him if they were acting like this. Mikleo shook his head, about to turn back and look at Sorey when the hellions turned their heads in one direction en masse.

He froze, watching with wide eyes as one of the lizard hellions stiffed at the air before hissing and stepping away. The others were quick to repeat the sound, all of them starting to retreat.

Mikleo watched them for a moment more before stepping away from the tree. There were only a few things that would make them react like that and Mikleo knew that he didn’t want to be around for any of them. Before he might have been able to chase away whatever was coming, but that was before his current circumstances. It burned at him, but it was better to run.

He pushed away from the tree, stumbling a few steps before managing to catch his balance. Mikleo rushed over to where the horse was standing, catching the reins before the animal could shy away. He scanned over the saddle, checking for everything. He’d finished packing up their camp when he had noticed that Sorey was missing, so all of it should have been on the saddle.

Mikleo reached up to pull at some of the saddlebags, checking to see if they were secure in place. He patted the roll at the back of the saddle, huffing when he realized that it was wet from where he had been holding Sorey in place. It didn’t matter, they’d have time to dry it out later.

He nodded to himself, sticking his foot into the stirrup before swinging himself up into the saddle. The horse snorted and tossed its head, Mikleo ignoring its protests as he turned his head to look back towards the hellions.

They were still sniffing at the air and retreating, but they weren’t as important as the sight of Sorey walking towards them. Mikleo tensed, jerking on the reins. The horse snorted and backed up until Mikleo gave it its head again.

There were very few things that would be coming up the road, and Mikleo was sure that he knew who it was. He hadn’t been careful heading back to their camp, he had been more worried about getting Sorey away. It had been a mistake, one that he needed to fix before the Shepherd reached them.

He kicked the horse forward, bouncing awkwardly to its trot until he was parallel to Sorey. He leaned over, reaching out for him. “Sorey.”

Sorey didn’t look at him, his gaze fixed on the road. He swayed in place, looking like he was ready to run again, which was enough to get him panicking.

“Sorey!”

Mikleo breathed out a sigh of relief when Sorey turned at the sound of his name. Sorey stared at him for a moment, his gaze dropping down to Mikleo’s outstretched hand. The gaze was enough to make him want to jerk his hand back, but this was more important than their running argument. This was keeping Sorey out of their hands and alive, and there was nothing more important than that.

He swallowed, trying not to shift in the saddle as Sorey continued to stare at his hand. It had never crossed his mind that Sorey might refuse to come with him, and Mikleo didn’t have the strength or the artes to move Sorey around. He licked his lips, trying to meet Sorey’s gaze steadily. He needed Sorey to come with him, but he wasn’t about to beg. Urgency had not dulled his anger one bit.

Mikleo managed to keep his hand steady until the sound of hoofbeats caught his attention. He jerked his head up, staring at the three horses that were heading towards them. It didn’t matter that there was still a line of hellions between them and Sorey, it was too close.

He felt his breath catch in his throat, Mikleo staring at the three of them as they rode up. He watched Rose pull out her knife, his eyes widening at the flare of blue flame along the edge. For a moment, he was back behind Zenrus, watching the flicker of flames from artes as the soldiers advanced.

Then then horse was shifting, Mikleo scrambling for the horse’s mane as the animal shied. The reins dropped out of his hands, Mikleo staring at them in shock. It took him a moment more to make sense of the world.

He wasn’t in Elysia, he was somewhere in Hyland. It wasn’t the empire coming after him, but the Shepherd. That didn’t make their goal any different. They were trying to take away what was his.

Mikleo pushed himself away from the horse’s neck, tensing as he felt arms wrap around him. He thought he heard Sorey mutter an apology, but it was hard to hear over the shrieks and screams of the hellions. He tucked his own hands close to him, shrinking in on himself as Sorey took the reins.

He watched as Sorey settled them into position, his heart skipping a beat when Sorey hesitated. He watched Sorey’s fingers curl more tightly around the reins, sure that he was about to urge the horse towards Rose and the others.

Mikleo glanced up at them before taking the decision out of Sorey’s hands. He reached down to grab the reins, purposefully avoiding touching Sorey. It made holding the reins awkward, but it would work well enough to turn the horse away. He shot one glance back at the hellions before turning the horse around, kicking it hard to get it to gallop. The horse squealed but obeyed, Mikleo keeping his gaze focused forward.

He had to find a safe place for them, if only for the night. Somewhere far away from the Shepherd and the others, somewhere that the Rose wouldn’t be able to get to either of them again.

* * *

Sergei crouched by the soldier, pressing his fingers against his pulse. He nodded when he felt the steady beat of the man’s heart. He lifted his hand away as soon as he was sure, letting it rest back on his leg as he looked around.

The hellions that they encountered were all down and purified. Sergei could see two of them starting to stir, but it would be a while before the others started to move, which was a shame. He frowned and looked down the road, searching for any sign of Sorey or Mikleo. It was hopeless to imagine that they had still be there when they had ridden away before the three of them had reached the hellions. By now, they would have a good lead and it would only be growing.

Sergei curled his fingers into a fist, holding the tension for a moment before relaxing. They couldn’t leave the purified soldiers, or at least he couldn’t. They were all from the empire and they were bound to be confused about what had happened to them. He needed to be sure that they were alright before moving on.

He gave the man at his feet one last glance before sighing and standing up. Sergei glanced around, picking out where Rose, Alisha and the seraphim were. Alisha had gone over to the two soldiers that were waking up, the princess kneeling down to talk with them. He watched as the both startled, the soldiers staring at her warily before leaning forward to talk.

Sergei watched them for a moment, trying to gauge if Alisha would wave him over. She could handle the two of them on her own, but there would be some things that would be difficult to swallow, like the idea that the empire had surrendered. Then again, they might be glad to hear it. Sergei didn’t know how long these soldiers had served in the army. There was every chance that they would be eager for the break.

He shifted slightly, finding Rose easily as she prowled through the unconscious soldiers with Dezel by her side. The two of them were talking in low voices, Sergei intrigued enough to ask her what she was thinking, but her body language was closed off. It would be better to leave the two of them alone until Rose worked through whatever was bothering her. She would share it with the rest of them soon enough.

Sergei gave Dezel a quick look, sure that the seraph was trying to figure out exactly where Sorey and Mikleo had gone. Sergei wasn’t quite sure how Dezel did it, but the seraphim were still mysterious beings, even when he used their power on a regular basis.

Sergei sighed and stood up. He ran his arm over his forehead, drying up the sweat that had gathered there, wincing at how much there was. He had hoped that after a month it would stop being such a strain. Alisha could armatize without much of a problem, but he was still struggling. Sergei didn’t know if it was something inherently wrong about him or if it was just so different from what he was used to. Sergei was more inclined to believe the latter.

Alisha had been around the seraphim for longer than he had, she was more used to their presence that he was. The only seraph that he had spent any time with was Mikleo, and Sergei was sure that any time spend with Mikleo didn’t count.

As it was, he was still taken aback by the auras that followed the seraphim because he never expected them to be there. He was used to scents, those were normal and something that he was used to processing, but the auras were something different. He didn’t think he would ever get used to walking through the wake of a seraph and feeling the earth rumble slightly under his feet or the air becoming wet and heavy. Nor would he get used to hearing them talk in his head, but he was at least getting better at anticipating the seraphim. If nothing else he could be glad about that.

Sergei stretched his arms above his head, wincing when he lowered them. He reached over to rub at his left shoulder, moving it gingerly.

He jumped when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, the air around him warming. Sergei looked back at Lailah, surprised by the frown on her face. He expected the expression more of Dezel or Edna. Lailah could be serious, but she usually had some kind of smile on her face. That she didn’t have one on now made him worry, because it made it wonder how much of her cheerfulness before had been an act.

Sergei felt heat sink into his shoulder. He sighed and reached back, stopping short of touching Lailah’s hand. “That’s not necessary, Lady Lailah. It’s an old injury.”

Lailah huffed, but she moved her hand from his shoulder. “You’re too young to have old injuries.”

Sergei turned to look at her, staring at her in confusion. “I’m twenty-six, my lady.”

Lailah blinked at him for a moment before shaking her head. “Seraphim are a long lived race. It’s hard to remember exactly how humans experience time. Still,” she gave him a soft smile, “there’s no reason for you to be sore, not when it looks like we’re going to have to go back to chasing.”

She held her hand up. Sergei stared at it for a moment before nodding, trying his best not to tense as Lailah rested her hand on his shoulder again. The heat sunk into the muscle, a gentle heat that felt like some of the baths at Pendrago. Sergei cautiously rolled his shoulder back into it, sighing when the heat started to relax the tense muscles.

He thought he heard Lailah laugh, the seraph shifting her hand slightly. “Has the armatus really been that hard on you?” Sergei made a confused sound, Lailah giving his shoulder a reassuring pat. “I know that Edna’s can be a bit strenuous and my own can be overwhelming…”

“It’s not that.” Sergei stepped away as soon as the heat stopped flowing over his shoulder. He reached back to prod at it, smiling when it felt as good as new. “It’s an old arrow wound that acts up.”

“Arrow?”

Sergei nodded, easily finding the scar with his fingers. He traced the shape of it over his clothes before shrugging. “An injury gotten in the service of the emperor.”

He snapped his mouth shut before he could say anything more. He was used to the usual formula, where a wound in the service of the emperor was considered a badge of honor. Certainly he had always considered it such, since he had gotten it saving Sorey all those years ago. But now it was different, Sorey wasn’t the same person as before. Now having a wound gotten protecting him didn’t feel as right as before.

“Sergei?”

He jumped when Lailah spoke his name, quick to shake his head. “It’s better now, thank you.”

She gave him a wry smile before stepping back. Lailah folded her hands in front of her, giving him a long look. Sergei tried to ignore the feeling of unease that came with it. Lailah was nothing if not perceptive. Sergei didn’t know it if was because she was a seraph or it was just Lailah. What he did know was that age had to have something to do with it. Lailah had never mentioned an age, but Sergei knew that it could be counted in centuries.

She searched his face for a moment more before nodding to herself. “You must know Sorey well.”

“I do. I’ve served him for nearly thirteen years now. I used to know him well, but,” Sergei shook his head, “it’s hard to see him now.”

“Malevolence does that.”

“But Sorey wouldn’t have done any of this. He _hates_ war.”

Lailah plucked at her skirt, not meeting his gaze for a moment. “Malevolence doesn’t create. If anything it takes the hidden depths and pulls them forward. Sorey may hate war, but the malevolence has made him want something else. The war is just a means to an end. Malevolence takes the easiest path. That is its way.”

Sergei frowned, considering what she had said for a moment. He had never really thought about malevolence, other than it existing and it causing trouble. He drummed his fingers against his shoulder before dropping his arm.

It made perfect sense, the malevolence convoluting a desire until it became something to be achieved despite someone’s morals and better judgment. After all malevolence was a corruption, twisting everything upside down. Men became monsters, so it made sense that their ideas become strange as well.

He looked up to meet her gaze, seeing the concern in her eyes. It made him want to reach out and pat her shoulder like he would any other comrade, but there was a span of centuries between them, and the divide was too large. Instead he nodded slowly. “He wants peace. War has destroyed everything else he’s had; dreams, his family, everything.”

Lailah hummed, playing with some of the slips of her paper. She stared at one particularly hard before tapping them into a neat pile again. “But war is all he’s known.”

Sergei nodded. “It’s the only thing that’s worked. It’s won his crown, the crown of all his cousins and his father.”

Lailah jerked at that. “His father?”

“Emperor Georg made his name in war. He brought Hyland to its knees and reclaimed the Great Lord Maotelus. The sword that held him was displayed in the shrinechurch, until he had to defend his crown from Leon.”

The papers in her hands crumpled as Lailah gripped them. She stared off down the path with such intensity that Sergei turned to look, expecting to see Sorey and Mikleo standing there. Instead he saw Natalie staring down the path like she had been since they had finished purifying the soldiers. Sergei frowned and looked back at Lailah.

She was still staring off into the distance, the papers crumpled in her hand like she didn’t notice them. “Heldalf.”

“You knew him.”

“Yes.” The word was spoken so softly that Sergei almost missed it. The spell of motionless lasted a moment later before Lailah snapped out of it. She shook her head and looked at her papers. She made a soft noise of distress before she began straightening them out.

Sergei watched her for a moment, waiting for anything more to be said. Lailah looked too engaged in fixing her papers to speak, but he was curious.

“Lady Lailah?” Her head jerked up slightly at his question, but she didn’t look away from her papers. Sergei let her stay quiet for a moment more before pushing a little bit further. “How do you know him?”

Lailah sighed and shook her head, keeping quiet as she worked the final crease on the last bit of paper. She ran her fingers over the edges, playing with a corner before finally speaking. “It would be better to say that I knew of him. I was evacuated from Ladylake before he could take it over, but Michael and I watched him take the city, just to be sure that the hellions from the battle wouldn’t come after the people. I saw him there.” She took a shaky breath, letting it out slowly. “There’s something of him in Sorey.”

Sergei winced at the assessment, but he couldn’t ignore it. There was no use in denying that Sorey looked more like Heldalf the older he grew. There had been a portrait hanging of him in the long gallery, even after he had been hanged under Leon’s orders. After all, the long gallery belonged to the emperors and Heldalf had been one of them. With it hanging there, it had been easy to compare Sorey with his father, but that still didn’t make the idea sit right with Sergei. He shifted in place before shrugging. “He may look like his father, but there’s more of his mother in him. And he’s more like himself than either of them.”

Lailah hummed, studying her papers again before tucking them away. When she looked back over at him it was with a smile. “I can see why you’re so determined then.”

“I swore to protect him.” Sorey swallowed, trying to push the image of the frightened four year old boy that he had made that oath to. That was the Sorey he wanted to remember, not the one who stood calmly and told him that he had allowed Mikleo to murder his brother. He closed his eyes for the span of a breath before opening them again. “If it’s from Mikleo or himself, I gave him my word.”

Lailah gave him another one of her long looks, Sergei trying to meet it the best he could. She didn’t give him much time to meet her gaze, Lailah smiling at him and turning away. “Take care of yourself, General Sergei. We like having you around, some of us a bit more than others.”

He caught the moment her smile turned mischievous, Sergei blushing bright red. He ducked his head, staring at the ground as he waited for his blush to abate.

The seraphim and their ways were truly mysterious, or maybe it was just Lailah; he wasn’t quite sure which it was. Still, he didn’t dare look up at her in case she gleaned more from looking into his soul.

Sergei swallowed and dared a quick glance up at where Alisha was. The princess was talking with Rose, the two of them in deep conversation. He meant to jerk his gaze away as Lailah walked over to them, but the two women looked over his way. Sergei wasn’t sure if they had looked over because they realized that he was looking at them or because Lailah had given them some sort of clue.

Rose smiled at something Alisha said, the two of them giggling and knocking shoulders. Then Rose stepped to the side, leaving a purposeful space in their group.

Sergei hesitated, waiting to see if Lailah or one of the other seraphim would fill it in. None of the seraphim moved, all of them fixed on their tasks, which meant that the space was for him.

He felt his pulse jump, watching as both of the woman tipped their heads up slightly. They were probably smelling him, and a little bit of his eagerness. Sergei blushed, quickly clearing his throat. It was something a young omega would do or someone who was desperate, and he was neither. He was old enough to know better and his next heat wouldn’t be for another few months, if it even decided to appear. The stress of warfare and then becoming a Squire had seemed to send his already irregular heat into hibernation.

He swallowed and walked over to them, carefully watching for any of the seraphim moving his way. There was still a chance that the space was for one of them, but none of the seraphim came away by the time that he stepped into place. He tensed when Rose and Alisha were quick to move in on either side of him, closing him in. He glanced down at where Rose’s shoulder was pressed up against his arm.

Sergei jerked his gaze up to Rose’s when she turned her head to look at him. He jumped when she leaned more fully against him, Alisha doing the same on the others side. He had to struggle to meet their gazes, jumping between one and the other until Rose spoke.

“We’ve been talking about what we have to do.”

“R-really?” Sergei winced when his voice cracked.

Rose gave him a wide grin, Sergei surprised when she rubbed her cheek against his arm. It was tempting to lean into it, especially when it was so calming. He found himself tipping his head to the side slightly, hearing a soft rumble from his other side where Alisha was pressed against him.

He looked at Rose hopefully, feeling a bit disappointed when she just patted his arm, but she didn’t move away. “We have to stay until all of the men are awake. Alisha will give them a pass to get through Hyland and back over the border. This is your chance to leave if you want to get back to Pendrago. With the way things are going, we have quite the chase in front of us.”

“But I gave you my word.”

“I know, but this might go beyond what you agreed to.” Rose lifted her head to jerk her chin in Alisha’s direction. “Alisha has agreed to go on. So it’s only fair to ask you.”

“I’ll stay.” There was no other answer that he could give. He had his duty to Sorey and his own oaths to Rose to uphold. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He looked over at where Lailah was standing close by. “You’ll need someone who knows him. We can track him, but that won’t corner him. And if we get Sorey, we’ll have Mikleo.”

It should have felt like betrayal, but all he could think about was what Lailah had told him about malevolence. This wasn’t what Sorey wanted, not really and they were just saving him. Sergei wanted to be there for that, not that he didn’t trust Rose and Alisha, but it was something that he owed his emperor.

He sighed as he felt Alisha lean more into him, feeling her fingers tangle with his for a moment before she pulled away. Sergei swayed after her before he stopped himself. Alisha wasn’t going far and it was embarrassing how much he wanted to trail after her. Then again, it was the same with Rose. He looked down at the top of Rose’s head, his attention lingering there for a moment before it was pulled away as one of the soldiers groaned and started to sit up.

Sergei felt Rose’s hold on him tighten before she let him go. She gave his arm a pat, using the same hand to motion towards the soldiers. “Go on, work your magic.”

He stepped away from her, pausing before he could get to the soldiers. Sergei glanced over his shoulder as Rose went to talk to Edna, smiling at her. He was quick to turn around before she noticed.

He rolled his shoulders, momentarily surprised by the lack of a catch in his shoulder. He shook his head, chalking up the lack of soreness to the miracles of the seraphim before going over to speak with the soldiers.

* * *

The rain fell down at a steady pace, just on the edge of turning into a downpour. Boris frowned out at it from where he had his hand raised above his head to hold his coat above his head. It wasn’t the best cover, but it was far better than riding without it. Uno had offered to keep him and Bee dry, but Boris had turned it down. He wasn’t sure if the sudden rainstorm was their daily dose of Eizen’s curse or if it was just the weather. If he was the latter, then he wanted the seraphim to be fresh for any hellion that came their way.

They were getting better at working as a unit, to the point where Boris didn’t feel the need to keep Uno practically glued to his side. He preferred for the seraph to stay close, but it was definitely better than before. Besides, they were getting close to Pendrago, which meant that they were close to the border where the war would be going on and where the malevolence would be the thickest. Boris assumed that the worst of the hellions would stick close to the border, but the presence of so many powerful hellions might be enough to encourage the weaker ones further into Rolance.

Boris cast a wary glance at the small stand of woods that they were riding past. He couldn’t see anything moving and Bee wasn’t kicking up a fuss. Then again, the mare was probably focused on plowing through the thick mud on the road. He couldn’t rely on her natural skittishness, at least not on a day like today. She was more likely to startle, slip and break something.

He felt Eizen tense up at the thought, Boris shaking his head. It didn’t matter that the seraph wasn’t out to see it, Eizen would get the message well enough.

He wouldn’t let anything happen to Bee. He had gotten attached to the little mare.

Boris shifted his grip on the reins, focusing ahead of him again. He didn’t want to risk carrying on too long in the rain, just in case it did turn into a downpour. What would be ideal was a village, but Boris wasn’t too sure how far the next one was. He could ask Eizen or Zaveid to sense ahead, but he was sure that it would take most of their attention, and he needed it elsewhere at the moment. He and Bee would focus on moving forward, the seraphim would keep him up to date on anything that was going on.

He narrowed his eyes as the wind changed. Boris loosened the reins a bit, letting Bee lower her head and snort. He agreed with her, the rain was getting annoying. But there wasn’t a place where they could really get dry. A stand of trees was temping but very small and sparse. They wouldn’t get any firewood there, not even with Melody’s coaxing. Boris cast a quick look at the sky before adjusting his hold on the coat. Until they found something, they had a long and annoying trudge ahead of them.

Boris huffed, hearing Bee echo the sound. He patted the mare’s neck awkwardly with the hand that held the reins. “Just a little longer.”

Bee didn’t respond, but he got the feeling that she was annoyed with him. He couldn’t blame her for that, not when he was the reason that they were pushing on through the rain. Anyone else would have stopped by now, but Boris wanted to cover as much ground as he could. If he wanted to stop off at Pendrago before heading down to the border he had a lot of ground to cover. Having Bee and Zaveid to help windstep them along was helping them immensely, but Boris was very aware of the passage of time.

Anything could have happened, and that was what worried him the most.

Boris sat back in the saddle, shaking the coat a bit to try and get some of the puddles that had collected to roll off the sides. His arm was starting to ache from holding it above his head, which meant that he was either going to have to let it drop to resting on his head or just let it down completely. He closed his eyes, allowing them to rest for a brief moment before opening them again.

Nothing about the road had changed, it continued straight ahead, rising and falling a little with the land. The clouds were unchanged too, hanging dark and low over the land.

The rain didn’t feel malevolent, or at least not caused by it. Boris was sure that most of the rain hitting the ground was tainted in some way, just like everything else, but he was also sure that the rain would clear by the next morning. Tainted or not it was desperately needed if the people wanted to get another harvest it before the winter came. He’d seen how the fields were doing on his way in. They weren’t tall and full quite yet, and Boris was sure that they wouldn’t achieve the height that the regular harvest would, but it was more food and Boris was sure that no one would complain. He certainly wouldn’t, not as long as the people were fed.

He sighed and shifted in the saddle, casting a glance over at the grassy verge. He was tempted to pull Bee off the rutted and puddle filled road to see if it would be better going. Maybe they could get up to a trot to cover some more distance.

Boris dropped his arm, settling his coat over his shoulders. He shivered as water dripped down his neck, gathering the reins in both hands. Bee perked up slightly at the motion, Boris watching as her ears flicked back towards him. Then one flicked to the side, Bee’s head quickly following after it. Boris shifted in the saddle to see what had caught her attention, feeling her sides tremble against his legs.

He shifted his grip on the reins, twisting them around one hand as he reached back for his sword. Boris could feel the seraphim perking up. He could feel the low rumble of Eizen’s power as the seraph reached ahead of them. Melody’s fire rushed through him, drying him off quickly and making the coat over his shoulders steam as the fire seraph kept the rain off of it as well. He curled his fingers around the hilt of his sword, staring at the road that joined theirs.

Bee remained focused until the first rider’s head came over the rise. Then she snorted and shook her head, Boris feeling her start to move away. The mare probably intended to get to cover, but Boris didn’t let her move off too far. He recognized the rider coming towards them and, by the look on the man’s face, he did too.

“Boris?”

“Andrei!” He grinned at the man, expecting something similar back. Instead, Andrei blanched and pulled his horse up.

The man twisted in the saddle, making a frantic motion over his shoulder. Boris frowned and went to stand up in his stirrups, quickly dropping back down when Andrei drew his sword. He sucked in a quick breath, feeling the seraphim shift in his head. As it stood, Eizen would be the first out, but Boris wanted to try and diffuse the situation before it got to that.

He dropped his hands to the reins, keeping them in sight as he held Bee in place. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know if you’re a ghost or some sort of hellion, but I’m not going to stand for this.” Andrei drew his sword, the man leaning forward to start a charge.

He didn’t get too far, the ground roiling in between the two horses. Bee snorted and took a step back, far too used to Eizen’s artes to react badly, but Andrei’s horse squealed and backed up.

Boris glanced down as Eizen materialized, the seraph standing calmly in the mess of flowing mud and earth. He let it go on for a moment before clearing his throat, Eizen glancing back at him as the earth stopped rolling abruptly. Boris nodded his thanks, not surprised that Eizen took a step back so he was pressed against Bee’s shoulder. It was strangely casual, but Boris knew better. Eizen would be ready for any other attack, and the three other seraphim were ready to back him up in a moment. Boris could already feel the back of his throat getting dry and his hair moving slightly as Zaveid tugged at his attention, anticipating an armatus. Boris swallowed, pushing him back a little bit.

Andrei didn’t look like he was going to charge forward, not with the way that he was staring at Eizen. Boris watched the man’s gaze jump between the seraph and him, Andrei’s mouth dropping open. He didn’t get the chance to say anything because a woman struggled up the muddy slope.

The woman gave Eizen one look before dropping into a curtsey. “Lord Seraph.”

Boris saw the corner of Eizen’s mouth twitch up into something like a smile. Boris heard what he thought was a laugh from one of the others, but he ignored the sound, focusing on Andrei.

He gave the man a slow nod. “I’m not a hellion or a ghost.”

Andrei shook his head, pointing at Eizen. “That’s a seraph.”

“Yes.”

“He appeared from nowhere.”

“Not exactly.”

Andrei frowned, looking up at him again. “You’re dead.”

“I can prove I’m not.” Boris tried to ignore the chill that ran down his spine.

He couldn’t imagine why Andrei would think he was dead. He had gone off on Sorey’s orders. Unless something had gotten jumbled in the telling, there was no reason for the others to think that he was dead. Boris shifted in the saddle, giving up on figuring it out. “Where did you hear that?”

“Sergei. He told us Sorey let Mikleo kill you.”

Boris felt Melody start inside of him, her fire blazing up for a moment before cooling down. He wanted to reach in and tell her that everything was alright, because it obviously wasn’t true. She’d been there for the whole thing. Still, there was the source of the rumor to consider.

Sergei wouldn’t lie, not to the Platinum Knights. They were family and Sergei took very good care of them. Besides, Sorey had said that he was going to tell Sergei was what going on and he had never thought to question that. Sorey didn’t lie, he couldn’t without being caught.

Now that he was thinking about it, he didn’t know why Andrei was in the empire when Sorey was fighting, unless the war was already over.

He swallowed, trying not to get too nervous. He didn’t need Bee acting up while he figured this out. Boris lingered over it for a moment more before shaking his head. “What are you doing back here?”

It took Andrei a moment to respond, the man still looking like he had seen a ghost. “A-acting as an escort for the current talks. There have been some worries about the hellions attacking the representatives or the Pope’s men trying to get revenge.”

“The Pope?”

Andrei glanced around, his gaze dropping to the woman. He glanced over his shoulder before shaking his head. “Come on. It’s better if we ride and talk. There’s a village just a few minutes up the road that should have the space for us.”

Boris nodded, tipping his head to the side as he prodded at the seraphim in his head. He got approval from all of them, along with some interest. Boris agreed with them, because it was too good of a chance to miss. He’d been out of the loop for too long and he trusted Andrei to tell him the truth. Besides, there was always something to be gleaned from conversation. If he didn’t catch it then one of the seraphim would.

He clucked to Bee, urging her up alongside Andrei’s horse. He twisted slightly in the saddle to look back at the people that Andrei was escorting.

There weren’t as many as he expected to warrant an escort, which made him curious. Either the threat of the hellions were worse than he thought or the problems with the Pope were far beyond what he expected. He bit his lip, quickly letting up when Andrei reached over to touch his shoulder. He started at the touch, hearing Eizen snort before the seraph returned to him.

Boris heard Andrei suck in a quick breath, glancing back at him to see the shocked look on the man’s face. Boris offered him a shrug. “You were saying?”

Andrei shook his head, squeezing Boris’ shoulder to the point to where it got painful. Andrei let up a moment later, jerking his hand back and staring at it. “You’re alive. Sergei will be thrilled.”

Boris tensed at the mention of his brother, watching Andrei closely for any clue of where Sergei was. When Andrei didn’t say anything else, Boris pressed on. “Where is Sergei?”

“Still on the border.” Andrei motioned vaguely in the direction of the border. “He stayed back to help the Shepherd hunt down Sorey.”

“What?!” Boris stared at him in shock, not sure how to take the news.

He could feel the seraphim start to stir, the start of a conversation flash between the four of them. He was tempted to focus on it and see what they had to say, but then Andrei was patting his shoulder comfortingly. He met Andrei’s gaze, his stomach turning at the sad smile that the man gave him.

“A lot changed after…whatever happened. Sergei came and told us what Sorey had done. We took a vote and decided to leave, because it wasn’t Sorey anymore. It was unanimous.” The last was added in a low voice, like that would help. Boris remained silent, staring at Andrei as the man took a deep breath before continuing. “Princess Alisha took us in, and we tried our best to stop Sorey from gaining any ground. And we were mostly successful. It took longer than anyone thought because Sorey would never stay in one place for long. But it worked, the army has been run into the ground. No one wants to fight anymore.”

“Or they’re dead.” Boris wasn’t sure if it was his thought or one of the seraphim, but he was sure that it didn’t matter.

Andrei looked taken aback for a moment before he nodded. “Yeah. It was all wrong. Sorey wasn’t himself, he didn’t stop or seem to care. That’s why Sergei stayed behind to help Shepherd Rose find him, before he does something worse.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. But he allowed Mikleo to eat half of his army once, and if he could do that, I don’t know what else he’ll do.”

Boris frowned, feeling Melody quake inside of him. He was sure that it was the mention of the dragon, which was part of the problem. The other part was how wrong that sounded. It almost didn’t make sense, because he knew Sorey. He didn’t know him as well as Sergei did, but he knew that Sorey would never do something like that. It didn’t sound like a way to stop the war.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “It sounds unbelievable.”

“I don’t know what else to tell you.” Andrei sighed, Boris peeking over at him as the man let go of his shoulder. “That’s not all of it. The Pope was running Pendrago in Sorey’s absence, but then the people started rising up. No one knows how it happens, because there wasn’t a riot or a protest, but the Pope was killed.”

“Damn it.”

Andrei nodded. “His supporters are rioting, but thankfully they are few and far between.”

“So who’s running the empire?”

“A council of sorts. Vanya managed to talk the guilds into calling members and sending representatives. Some of the village chiefs have come too, mostly just to watch the proceedings.” Andrei shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going to come out of it though, just that they’re going to make Sorey abdicate as soon as he’s caught.”

“But that will only be a formality.” Boris didn’t have to look over to see Andrei nod. The explanation made a horrible kind of sense, and it made his stomach twist.

Sorey had known where he was going, he’d been leaving on orders. There was no reason to lie to the rest of the Platinum Knights that he could see.

 _“Protection.”_ Boris perked up at the sound of Melody’s voice. She paused for a moment before speaking up louder. _“He destroyed his army. Would the Platinum Knights have left his side?”_

_“No. They’re all loyal to a fault.”_

_“Would they die for him?”_

Boris felt his blood run cold. He stared at the road in front of him, restructuring everything he knew.

Sorey was protective, not just because he was an alpha, but because he had always been that way. He’d never said anything about not wanting the Platinum Knights by his side, but he’d done plenty of things to keep them out of danger; getting Mikleo was the most obvious one. Before, Boris would have said that there was nothing that could get them to leave, unless Sorey made them chose between him and their duty. And it sounded like he had done just that. If he had ridden into a war with the Platinum Knights at his back, they would have fought for him until the end. So he had made sure that they would live.

Boris tightened his grip on the reins, ignoring the way that Bee tensed up in protest. “Damn it.”

Andrei laughed, shaking his head. “I know. It’s a bad situation, but we’re trying to make it better. These should be the last of them and then we’ll figure out something to help the empire. Hopefully Hyland will be ready for a treaty by then and all of this will be over.” He gave Boris a wry smile. “Now that you’re back you can help us with this. Vanya is good, but having the brother of General Strelka might help things move along faster.”

Boris didn’t even need to wait for Zaveid to pipe up, he knew the answer that he had to give long before. He sighed and shook his head. “I can’t. I have a duty.”

Andrei startled at that, giving him a strange look. “But your oaths as a Platinum Knight-”

“Are void.” Boris forced the words out quickly, not wanting to linger on them, not when he was sure that he could imagine the exact look that his brother would give him. He swallowed, working to keep his voice steady. “I’ve given my word to Lord Maotelus and the seraphim that I would help them. And that comes first. The most I can help you is by watching.”

Andrei’s mouth opened and shut like he was trying to say something. Boris purposefully didn’t meet his gaze, not daring to. He’d made his choice months ago, and there was no taking it back. He rolled his shoulders, focusing on the road ahead. “I won’t be in Pendrago long anyway. I have to go down to the border.”

“T-the war is over.”

“But it needs a Shepherd to clean it up, and it wouldn’t be fair to make Shepherd Rose handle it on her own.”

Boris saw Andrei’s gaze dart to his sword before the man shook his head. “What have you been up to?”

“Traveling mostly, trying to get back here.” Boris gave him a crooked smile before sitting back in the saddle.

Andrei sighed, Boris glad to hear annoyance in it instead of anger. He glanced at Andrei, watching the man shake his head. “The things you get yourself into, Boris. Or do I have to use a title now.”

“No titles.” Boris flinched, hearing Zaveid laugh in his head. “Please, no.”

“You’re going to get them whether you like it or not. The empire hasn’t had a proper Shepherd for a long while. Most of them don’t know that there’s another one out there.”

Boris turned to look back at the people following them, watching as they spoke among themselves. A few of them looked up at him with awe, Boris surprised how quickly he had gotten used to that look. He supposed that part of it was because he was used to it being directed at the seraphim because they were usually beside him. He sighed and pushed his hand back through his hair, slicking it backwards. Even with Melody’s quick dry, it had gotten soaked again.

He shook his hand off, freezing when he saw Andrei move out of the corner of his eye. The man twisted in the saddle to dig at his saddlebags, shaking his head the entire time. “I would have thought you would have known better. You were always the most prepared out of all of us.”

Boris huffed. “It’s not my fault. I’ve been traveling for months now. Everything is worn out.”

“Useless. You’d think a Shepherd would think a bit further ahead.”

“I had other worries.”

Andrei laughed and tossed something in his lap. “There, before you get a cold.”

Boris shook out the pile of fabric, staring at the black and white cape. He turned it over in his hands, staring at the intricate knot work that ran along the collar and sleeves.

It wasn’t the traditional Shepherd’s cloak by any means, the colors were reversed and Boris had always thought that the shapes there were more geometric than intricate. Still, it felt like it would keep him warmer and drier than the coat that he was wearing. The thing was just keeping out the water, but the rest of it was threadbare between traveling to Lohgrin and back.

Boris dropped the cape back into his lap, giving Andrei a look as the man laughed. Andrei just waved him off. “Consider it an early retirement present.”

Boris shook his head, but he didn’t bother to respond. He just pulled the cloak on over his coat. He tugged it into place, his fingers lingering on the knot work on the shoulders before he focused on the road ahead. He couldn’t let his guard down, not when there were miles to go until Pendrago and plenty of hellions in between.


	31. Chapter 28

“Men’s fortune there is virtue: reason, their will;  
Their licence law; and their observance, skill.  
Occasion is their foiling; conscience, their stain;  
Profit, their lustre: and what else is, vain.”  
– _Sejanus_ , Ben Jonson

* * *

 

Sorey pulled the horse to a stop, staring at the sign at the crossroad. There weren’t many branches on it, just two pointing down one side of the road towards Ladylake and another pointing back towards Marlind. Slightly behind the sign itself was a mossed over stone. Sorey tempted to step forward and try to read it, but he was sure that it may be wrong or another way to direct them to Ladylake.

They didn’t have the time to be standing out in the open for too long. Rose, Alisha and Sergei were still after them, and Sorey didn’t know how far back they were. It was hard to tell when he was jumping at any sound from the road behind them. It didn’t matter that he knew that they wouldn’t be galloping past, or that Mikleo’s wards would warn them of anything. It was hard to relax when he knew that they were hunted.

He ran a hand over his face, rubbing at his eyes. He could feel the pull of exhaustion on him, almost enough for him to forget about the drag of malevolence. Almost.

He dropped his hand away, staring at the signs for a moment more before shaking his head. He stepped to the right branch of the crossroads. Sorey didn’t know where it went, but he was sure that heading to Ladylake was a bad idea.

They were already pushing their luck by traveling close to the main road, but it was the only road that Sorey knew. He had stared at the maps of Hyland for so long he had felt like he had memorized it, but he had only bothered with the main roads. There was no point in conquering a country through the backroads. The main ones would be better kept and wider. And there was a risk to using the backroads; no one knew the backroads like the locals, and to use them was just inviting an attack

Sorey winced, purposefully ignoring the small voice in the back of his head that said that there was a simple solution to his problem. To be safe, all he had to do was turn around and walk down the road until he found Alisha, Rose and Sergei again. The three of them would be wary of him trying to negotiate with them, but Sorey was sure that Sergei would believe him. He had gotten them to agree to the surrender, it was just a matter of going through with it quickly. But that was the start of the problem.

He looked over his shoulder, his gaze flicking over to the road before he dragged it back up to where Mikleo was sitting in the saddle.

The seraph looked half asleep, although Sorey doubted it. Mikleo wouldn’t risk falling asleep on the horse or else he’d fall off. Sorey wasn’t in the saddle to hold him in place, so he had to do it all himself. It was tempting to swing himself up into the saddle to allow Mikleo the rest, but he had to spare the horse, just in case the worst happened.

Sorey swallowed and looked back at the road, focusing on the point where it turned around a large tree. There was every chance that he could turn around and try to find the Shepherd and her Squires to renegotiate his surrender, but there was every reason not to, and all of those were tangled up in the seraph slumped in the saddle. No matter where he ran he was sure that Mikleo would find him again and use any means necessary to get him back. And Sorey couldn’t risk that, not when artes wore him out so completely. He was already worried that the wards that Mikleo laid down every night were taxing him too heavily, but he hadn’t found the right moment to introduce the topic.

That was a lie.

Sorey tightened his fingers on the reins. He was quick to avert his gaze when Mikleo started and looked down at him.

If he was honest, he was avoiding the topic completely. Mikleo made it easy; the seraph hadn’t talked to him beyond what was strictly necessary since they had run away from the Shepherd. There were no chances to talk to him about it. Sorey was sure that, if he tried, Mikleo would walk away and end the discussion. If he wanted to talk about it, he would have to plan it carefully.

He sighed and let his eyes fall shut. The road was easy enough to walk on, and the horse would probably head towards the nearest town, where it new other horses and food would be. Mikleo would probably stop the horse before it got anywhere close to a town, and he would get the chance to sleep.

Sorey forced his eyes open, blinking them to clear his vision. He doubted that there would be anyone on the road. It was heading away from Ladylake and all the major cities and into the mountains. If they were lucky they’d find a pass to the other side. If not, then they would have to find their own way through the mountains.

He might not have gotten his surrender, but he was going to make sure that Mikleo got to Lohgrin. The seraph needed to be away from the malevolence for his own sake and the sake of the baby. He could worry about his own rest then.

Sorey stumbled, cursing under his breath as he pulled the horse up awkwardly. The animal snorted and backed up to the end of the reins. Sorey twisted around to hold the horse steady. He reached up to grab the bridle, about to hush the horse when he saw Mikleo start upright in the saddle.

The seraph reached out for the pommel, holding onto it as he looked around. Mikleo frowned the longer he stared, his gaze dropping down to Sorey.

There was a moment of silence, like there usually was now, while Mikleo decided if it was worth speaking to him or not. Sorey held his gaze for a moment before turning to look back at the road. He didn’t know if he was frustrated or relieved that Mikleo wouldn’t bring up the topic. It was hard to tell through the haze of exhaustion. From what he could guess it was more likely that Mikleo would decide that it wasn’t worth it, which meant that there was nothing to stop him from continuing down the road.

Sorey clucked to the horse, walking it forward. The animal went eagerly enough, Sorey watching as the horse raised its head before picking up the pace.

Sorey jogged a few steps to keep up, forgetting the silence in favor of staring up ahead. The curve of the road still blocked most of his view, but he could see smoke just rising through what must be a space in the trees. It wasn’t the single wisp of a campfire, but a more concentrated grouping. More like a small village.

He took a deep breath, not bothering to hold the horse back. The village meant shelter that wasn’t a tent set up to the best of his abilities. It meant a roof over their heads and a bed. It meant that Mikleo wouldn’t have to be standing out in the cold as the seraphim whiled away the hours of the night. It meant that he wouldn’t have to lay down a ward and stress himself out even more. It was dangerous because a village meant people, and there were only the two of them. Sorey was sure that Mikleo would fight, ability to use his artes or not, but Sorey wasn’t about to raise his sword against people. He never wanted to do it again.

Even with the chance that they could be overwhelmed Sorey found that he didn’t care. He needed to rest and the village was perfect for that.

Sorey clucked to the horse again, jogging alongside it as it broke into a trot. He heard Mikleo make a startled sound, but his attention was on the road. The forest took up most of the view, but the road dipped down to a little sheltered clearing. Sorey could see a small cliff rising to either side, providing protection for the village that he was just starting to see.

He scanned over the roofs, counting them under his breath as he jogged along. From what he could see, there were only twelve houses in the village, a good size. It was out of the way and small. Sorey doubted that any army would through it and that lessened the chances of a hasty escape. It was a village that would have missed the brunt of the fighting, which meant that they wouldn’t be turned away immediately.

Sorey pulled the horse up when they reached the point when the road started to slope down. The horse snorted and pulled at the reins to go forward. Sorey cursed under his breath and pulled back hard, trying to slow the horse.

He was surprised when a hard yank nearly pulled the reins right out of his hands. He shot a glare behind him, Mikleo returning it evenly. “What are you doing?”

“I could ask the same of you.”

Sorey groaned at the answer, glancing down at the town before shaking his head. “I’m finding us a place to stay for the night.”

“In there?”

“If you don’t like it, then you can get off and find another place to stay.” Sorey snapped the words out, regretting them the moment they left his mouth. He swallowed, glancing back over his shoulder at Mikleo.

The seraph looked surprised, but it didn’t last long. Mikleo snapped his mouth shut and purposefully dropped the reins back to the horse’s neck, leaving them there as he crossed his arms over his chest. Sorey took that as his answer. No matter how sorry he was, he wasn’t in the mood for dealing with Mikleo at the moment. He was tired of the silence and the annoyed looks.

He was just tired.

Sorey tipped his chin up and walked down the hill towards the village. He glanced between the villagers that were out, noting the exact moment that they realized that he was coming. Most of them stopped what they were doing. Sorey’s gaze dropped to his clothes and the dressing of his horse, then to Mikleo sitting astride it.

He had hoped to be an unknown, like he had when he had been when he was just a prince. But that was impossible now. The news of his coronation would have traveled far and Sorey doubted that anyone else would have a seraph with them. He swallowed and kept his pace steady, trying not to hold their gazes for too long. He wasn’t in a position of power at the moment; he was at their mercy.

Sorey pulled the horse up towards the center of the village, glancing around. His gaze lingered on the sign of what looked like an inn, but it was hard to tell with the way that it was faded. He shifted his grip on the reins, breathing out slowly. Everyone was still staring, but no one was acting aggressively which had to be good. Sorey wasn’t sure if that was because they were surprised or if they didn’t know who he was.

Sorey was sure that they had figured out that he was someone of higher status, his clothes gave that away. It was just a matter of what they would do to him. Hyland had been struggling for years, and he wouldn’t blame the villagers for trying to get what they could. They would just be disappointed. He wasn’t carrying anything but the essentials with him.

He sighed, giving the sign one last look. There was nothing else to do but ask, and the worst that could happen was that he and Mikleo were chased away. The horse was fresh enough that it would carry them away faster than the villagers could run. Sorey doubted that they had anything more than a cart horse, which wouldn’t keep up with theirs. If that was the case, then they would keep heading into the mountains. Seeking the border had to be better than continuing to push deeper into Hyland.

Sorey pulled on the reins, heading to the inn. The people close to the building quickly moved out of the way, Sorey watching as they started to whisper to each other. He glanced at them before shaking his head. It was better to ignore them and focus on what needed to be done. He also doubted that Mikleo had the patience for sitting through the gossiping. It was probably a good thing that the seraph was having trouble using his artes or else the village could have turned into another Gododdin.

He shivered and shifted his grip on the reins, about to knock on the door of the inn when a woman came around from the stable yard.

She stared at him for a moment, Sorey fully expecting her to demand that he leave them alone. He took a step back, ready to swing himself into the saddle when the woman gasped and turned. He watched as she ran back to the corner of the house to shout into the stable yard. “Emma! It’s him!”

Sorey let go of the reins, feeling Mikleo take up the slack. He reached back to curl his fingers into the horse’s mane, ready to swing himself up into the saddle. Sorey held his ground, watching the two women.

He braced himself for the two of them to start shouting, which left him stunned when both women dropped into curtsies. He stared at them, watching as Emma straightened up from her curtsy with a smile on her face. “It’s an honor, your majesty.”

“I…what?”

Emma laughed, shaking her head. She brushed off her apron, looking slightly embarrassed. “I thought that you wouldn’t recognize me. You must have seen hundreds of us. And it’s been so long since you were in Rotherhithe. We might have been the first one you came to, you were so young then.”

Sorey stared at her, the words starting to make sense. He didn’t remember her personally, but he vaguely remembered the village. Rotherhithe had to be one of the ones that he had gone to when he had just left Pendrago. He remembered seeing the name on the map, but nothing about the village. He doubted that he had done anything differently from any of the others; but it was just surprising that anyone remembered him.

He inclined his head slightly, too afraid to ask why Emma was in Hyland instead of back over the border. He’d never found out how many villages Lyte had slaughtered to try and cow him. His promises to Mikleo and the war had taken up most of his attention. There was every chance that Rotherhithe had been one of them. And that made it impossible to accept her thanks.

Sorey swallowed, trying to manage something around his suddenly dry throat. He started on something like a croak, but Emma was already stepping forward. “We can have food ready within a few minutes or a room if you will be needing it. I’d suggest the latter, there isn’t another town for days. Sitole is the last one on this side of the border, and who knows what you’ll run into on the other side.”

He tightened his hold on the horse’s mane, not quite ready to give it up completely. “W-why?”

That brought Emma up short, her confusion clear on her face. “Why? Because you’ve done nothing but help us. I heard what you tried to do in the empire, and I wish that it worked.”

“But the war…”

“It has touched many but this one didn’t hurt us like the others.” Emma chuckled, Sorey surprised when he heard the sound echoed by the other woman.

She nodded her head slowly before gesturing at the rest of Sitole. “We’re on the road to Ladylake and close to the border. When General Heldalf came through here, the town was razed to the ground because it could be a supply point. Nothing like that has happened since hostilities started. We’ve been listening carefully, getting ready to run. But you kept it on the border and to the forts.” She paused to motion to her right. “Geoffrey served with the Hyland army before he had to be sent home, and he told us enough about it. It sounds like you didn’t want to fight it.”

Sorey shook his head, not sure if he was trying to convince her or himself that he wasn’t hearing the truth. After all, he had started the war again to break the back of the empire. He had acted just like all the other emperors who had come before him. It was nothing that was worth thanks or forgiving.

He leaned against the horse, tempted to tell the women that they were just passing through, but they were smiling and Sorey could hear the whispers of the other villagers more clearly now. It wasn’t the angry mutterings that he had expected. They sounded happy, like everything he had been trying to do hadn’t been one failure after another. Like their lives were being made better by all of his fumbling at politics.

Beyond that, he was tired, so tired of running and waiting for someone to catch up. He just needed a night where he could be sure no hellions would come to attack them, or Rose and the others wouldn’t catch up with them. He needed a night where he knew that Mikleo and the baby would be safe.

Sorey let his hand fall from the horse’s mane, nodding wearily. He dropped his hand to the horse’s reins, offering the woman a smile. Sorey was sure that she would be able to see through it immediately because it felt weak and wavering. But the woman gave him an eager smile and took a step away. “We are at your disposal, your majesty.”

“A room would be nice, for the night.” Sorey fidgeted with the reins, trying to ignore the way Mikleo huffed. “But I’ll take care of the horse.”

“Of course, your majesty.”

The two women bowed and bustled off, their heads together as they talked. Sorey watched them until they entered the inn. He turned slightly, watching as the rest of the villagers lingered. He was sure that they weren’t going to go back to their work while he and Mikleo were standing out in the open. Sorey gave them one last look before sighing and leading the horse back into the yard.

It went willingly enough, something that Sorey was glad about. He was sure that it would kick up a fuss, if only because Mikleo was bound to protest. But the horse was quiet, which meant that the seraph was quiet and Sorey was not above taking advantage of it. As long as Mikleo was stewing in his anger, he could act freely.

Sorey led the horse into the small stable, pulling it to a halt outside one of the stalls. He couldn’t lead the horse in without Mikleo dismounting, but that would come with a struggle. He sighed, leaning against the horse for a moment. What he wanted above everything was to just ignore it and let Mikleo do his own thing, but that hadn’t worked for the days that they had spent traveling and it certainly wouldn’t work now.

He turned around, fully expecting the furious look on Mikleo’s face. Sorey met Mikleo’s gaze for a moment before going to take the saddlebags off. He worked at the leather straps, carefully disconnecting them from the saddle.

He set the saddlebags on the ground near the stall before turning and bracing his arms on either side of the saddle. “Come on.”

Mikleo snorted and looked away. It was enough of an answer, and the same one that Sorey had been getting for most of his questions. It had never bothered him before, but it rubbed him the wrong way now.

He tightened his fingers around the saddle, glaring up at Mikleo. “I can’t finish this unless you get down.”

“Good then I won’t.” Mikleo crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. “I don’t see why we have to stop. We have plenty of daylight left.”

Sorey took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice even. “I need to sleep.”

“Well I don’t.” Mikleo reached down to gather the reins up. “I’ll just keep moving and you can catch up. It worked before.”

Sorey reached for the reins, yanking them from Mikleo’s hands. He ignored the way that the horse snorted, too busy pulling the reins over the horse’s head and out of Mikleo’s reach.

Mikleo leaned forward, straining after them before throwing a glare at Sorey. “Give them back.”

“No.” Sorey reached up to undo the buckles of the bridle, yanking them free with more force than was necessary. “We’re staying here for the night. And that’s final.”

“Says who.”

“Me!”

Mikleo growled, leaning forward so he was practically nose to nose with Sorey. “I don’t have to listen.”

“Fine! Then don’t.” Sorey threw the bridle down with the saddlebags. “Just get off the horse!”

Mikleo held his gaze for a moment more before shrugging and sliding off the horse. Sorey shot a glare at what he could see of Mikleo before shoving at the horse to get it to move forward. The animal snorted, but went into the stall, Sorey following after it.

Removing the saddle proved a momentary distraction, but it was enough for Sorey to wish that it would take longer. He could hear Mikleo shuffling around outside of the stall. More than that, it was clear that there was another argument brewing, one that he didn’t want to have in the first place. Staying for one night in a town wasn’t that bad. If Mikleo so desperately wanted to keep him away from Alisha and the others they would need to keep the horse fresh. Besides, no one would ever imagine that they would stop in a village. Sitole was the last place the three of them would look.

He hauled the saddle into his arms, carrying it out to the aisle. He shot a glare at Mikleo before setting the saddle on the bar provided for it. Sorey crouched down to sort through their things, draping the bridle of the saddle. Sorey only got a moment more of peaceful sorting before Mikleo made an annoyed sound. Sorey paused, one arm resting over the back of the saddle. He was tempted to check back at Mikleo, but that would only make things worse. Instead, he just tipped his head forward so it was resting against the saddle. “If you want to do something, go and check on the room.”

“Why? We won’t be staying.”

“Of course we-”

“We don’t have that kind of luxury, Sorey! Those three are right on our heels.”

Sorey swung the saddlebags over his shoulder, staggering a bit under the weight. He took a moment to breathe deeply before turning to look back at Mikleo. “I know that. But they’ve been behind us for days now. We could use the rest.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“No, I’m speaking for all three of us.” Sorey used his free hand to gesture at Mikleo. “You’re in no better condition than I am.”

He watched as Mikleo went stiff, the seraph staring at him before shaking his head. “You mean the two of us.”

Sorey stared at him, feeling his annoyance rise. “I mean what I said. Unless you lied to me.”

“I didn’t.” Mikleo looked offended by the suggestion. He turned away, staring out the open stable doors as he spoke. “You deserved to know, and now you do. End of discussion.”

“End of…” Sorey stared at Mikleo, feeling anger churning in his gut. He stormed forward, reaching out to grab onto Mikleo’s arm. He felt the seraph flinch, but he ignored it in favor of tugging the seraph back around so Mikleo was facing him.

Sorey took in the surprise on Mikleo’s face, slightly glad of it. He wanted Mikleo to be paying attention, and he didn’t want this conversation to happen to Mikleo’s back. Sorey didn’t bother to keep his voice level, practically growling when he spoke. “This is _not_ the end of this discussion.”

Mikleo dropped his gaze to Sorey’s hand, considering it for a moment before pressing his hand over Sorey’s. “Then what else would you like to discuss?”

Sorey winced when he felt Mikleo dig his nails in. “Do you want to talk about how you ran right into the teeth of the enemy and nearly got yourself killed?” The sharp bite of pain from Mikleo’s nails faded as cold started to creep over his hand. “Or do you want to talk about how you’re being an idiot now and leaving the both of us open to attack by resting in this village?”

Sorey gasped in pain as Mikleo grabbed onto his hand, the seraph peeling it off of his arm and pulling Sorey’s fingers back. “What about your sudden interest in staying with me when you were all ready to leave me on my own?”

He yanked his hand back, surprised that Mikleo let it go. Sorey cradled it against his chest, not daring to look down at it. It was better to glare at Mikleo instead. “You’re going to blame _me_ for trying to stick around? You were the one begging for me to extend the pact.”

“Clearly I was being stupid.” Mikleo sneered at him. “I’ve had plenty of time to think about my choices. If you’re just going to go running off and trying to turn us into our enemies at every chance then I’d have a better time getting to Lohgrin on my own.”

“So you’re just going to cross all of Rolance by yourself?”

Mikleo shrugged, giving him a smile that was all teeth. “I survived eight years without you.”

“Pregnant?” Sorey felt his voice crack over the word, but that wasn’t as important as watching Mikleo. He expected the flinch, but not the nod that followed.

Mikleo straightened his back, leveling a glare at Sorey. “I’ll get where I need to go, with or without you.”

Sorey bristled at that, not sure what offended him more. He decided that it didn’t matter, because that wasn’t the point. He took a step forward, careful not to reach out for Mikleo in case the seraph sent ice at him. “Then why do you care so much about what I do?”

Mikleo stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. “I guess I don’t.”

“Then you have no right to tell me what I should do.”

“Then you don’t either.”

Sorey sputtered for a moment, watching as Mikleo turned on his heel and walked away. He struggled with his words until Mikleo was nearly out of the stable, and then they came out of him in a rush. “You have no right to-”

“No.” Mikleo turned on his heel “ _You’re_ the one with no right.”

Sorey opened his mouth, snapping his mouth shut as Mikleo started stalking towards him. “You may have put this… _thing_ in me, but that does not mean that you get any say in what happens.” Mikleo made a dismissive motion. “Go off and turn yourself in that helps your guilt, but leave me out of it.”

Mikleo turned and walked out of the stable, Sorey staring after him. He wanted to rush out after him, but he was still reeling from what Mikleo had said.

He’d never acted for himself, it had always been for Mikleo. It had been to keep him safe and secure. It had been to keep the pact to the best of his abilities. And, when it hadn’t been for Mikleo, it had been for the people. The people who had struggled and fought for years. He had wanted to make sure that they wouldn’t have to. He had wanted to make sure the seraphim could be free.

He had given so much that he wasn’t sure what else he had left to give.

Sorey stumbled to the side, leaning against one of the stalls. He shut his eyes, taking deep breaths as he trying to control his anger. Running after Mikleo to tell him that would get him nowhere. It was obvious enough that the seraph didn’t care, so he shouldn’t either.

The problem was that he did, and it had always been his weakness.

He reached up to clutch at his chest, curling his fingers into his clothes as the knot of malevolence pulsed hot and painful. It was tempting to give into it, but it would get him nowhere, not even when it whispered that it would help him get even with Mikleo. He didn’t want that, he just wanted Mikleo safe. Both Mikleo and the baby.

Sorey sighed and let his head fall so it rested on the wood of the stall. He closed his eyes, forcing the malevolence back until it was the normal background pulse that he was used to. Any temptation would come later, after he had finished with everything that needed to be done.

He opened his eyes as he heard someone’s shoes scrape against the floor. Sorey looked up, quickly pushing away from the wall. He gave the innkeeper a strained smile, sure that she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. “I’m sorry if you heard any of that.”

The woman shook her head, wringing her hands in front of her. “I just came out to see how you were doing. Are you alright?”

Sorey tried his best not to flinch at the question, focusing on making his lie believable. “I’m fine.” He pushed away from the stall, walking down the aisle towards her. “I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you or Emma in any way.”

“Oh no.” She shook her head, turning the motion into a glance over her shoulder. Her hands dropped to her apron, Sorey watching as the closed around fistfuls of fabric. “Will the lord seraph be staying as well?”

Sorey shook his head, quickly turning the motion into a shrug. “He does what he wants.”

“I see.” The woman seemed mystified for a moment before she cleared her throat. She dropped into a curtsy. “Your room is ready, your highness.”

“Thank you.” Sorey reached back for the saddlebags on his shoulder, reaching into one only to stop when the woman jerked forward suddenly.

“You don’t need to pay.”

Sorey paused, studying her closely. “That’s not fair.”

“It’s for what you did for my sister. I can’t ask you to pay after that.”

Sorey pulled his hand out of the bag, considering the woman. He didn’t doubt her sincerity, but there was no question that she would need the money. Sitole didn’t look particularly prosperous, probably because it was situated so far away from the main roads. And then there was the upcoming winter to consider. Hyland’s forces had been occupied with him for the past few months, which meant that the soldiers hadn’t been back home. The recruits wouldn’t be back on their farms, so the harvest would be small. Alisha herself had told him that Hyland was in the same straits as the empire, which meant that times would be hard even if the countries were at peace. Anything would help in those circumstances.

Sore offered her a smile, nothing the way that she relaxed at the sight of it. “Can I at least repay the favor then? There has to be something that I could lend a hand with.”

The woman shifted in place, Sorey worrying for a moment that she would refuse, but she was quick to relent. She nodded slowly. “There’s a few things that need doing that Emma and I haven’t gotten around to. I’ll show you what you can do.”

Sorey nodded his thanks, following her out into the stable yard. He meant to keep himself from looking around, but his gaze strayed towards the street. Some part of him hoped that Mikleo would be there, although what good it would do Sorey didn’t know.

The seraph wasn’t in sight, although that didn’t surprise Sorey. Mikleo had probably finally had enough of him and made good on his threats to leave, and Sorey wasn’t about to stop him. Mikleo could start to make his way to Lohgrin. Sorey would pay back the favor that Emma and her sister had done for him and then find Alisha, Sergei and Rose again. They might not be able to escort Mikleo directly, but they could at least make sure that the seraph wasn’t bothered.

Sorey gave the street one last look before following the woman into the inn, trying to ignore the persistent throb of malevolence in his chest.

* * *

Rose leaned back into Dezel as she watched Lailah coax the fire to life. It was always a treat to watch the fire seraph work at her element. Rose could remember watching Lailah do the same thing when she was younger. Rose sighed and leaned her shoulder further back into Dezel, relaxing the pressure when he responded in kind.

They might have temporarily lost Sorey and Mikleo, but they were fine. She tipped her head back to look at him, watching as he grimaced. Dezel was probably still searching the wind for Sorey and Mikleo and still running into the problem that had dogged them for the past few days.

Rolance was experiencing heavier than usual seasonal storms, something that would have worried her if Dezel hadn’t been able to find an end to the front. Since there was an end, they didn’t have to worry about pulling away from chasing Sorey to turn their attention to the malevolence seeping into the land. Rose was sure that they would be able to dispel the storms, but it wouldn’t be a permanent solution, nor would it stop the malevolence. It was thick in the land by now after years of war. Another rainstorm wouldn’t be too bad in the grand scheme of things, especially when both Rolance and Hyland needed it. All the rain would do was slow them down, and hopefully it would slow Sorey and Mikleo down too.

She leaned forward as Lailah moved away from the fire, Rose warming her hands over it before glancing up. Lailah was arranging herself by the fire, probably ready to keep it up until the humans went to sleep for the night. It didn’t take more than a turn of her head to see where Natalie and Edna were.

Edna was watching the road as usual, although what she expected to find Rose didn’t know. She doubted that Sorey would be moving so late at night so there wouldn’t be a chance of pinpointing them. It would all be going quiet or some last traffic on the road. Rose wasn’t even sure how much Edna could pick out individuals from the rest, but she wasn’t going to question the seraph, not when it kept her happy.

Rose sighed and dropped her hands back into her lap, twisting over her shoulder to look at where Sergei and Alisha were rubbing down the horses. It looked like they were almost done, which meant that they were going to be coming over soon enough. The thought made Rose smile, Rose allowing herself a moment to imagine settling down between the two of them before she shook her head. She could allow herself her fantasy later, and when Dezel wasn’t close enough to sharply elbow her in the side.

She winced as the seraph dug his elbow into her side, Rose reaching back to push it away. “Stop that.”

Dezel huffed, Rose seeing the corner of his mouth twitch up. “You’re clouding the wind. If you want to think about the two of them, step away so I don’t have to smell it.”

Rose reached back to poke her fingers into his side. “You don’t hear me complaining about you and Brad.”

Dezel reached up to tug his hat down, Rose grinning at the slight flare in Dezel’s scent. She tried not to breathe the scent of orange blossom too deeply, although she did see Lailah perk up. She ignored the fire seraph’s interest. Lailah was probably just trying to keep tabs on all of the seraphim. Besides, Rose would have found it strange if an alpha didn’t look up at the scent of an omega, especially one that was so strong outside of heat.

Rose shook her head and tapped the brim of Dezel’s hat further down. She heard him mutter something that managed to be both a curse and his thanks, but she ignored it. She had teased him enough as it was. It was just an unfortunate fact of biology, one that she would have to keep tabs on. Rose took a deep breath, cataloguing the familiar scents of her seraphim and Squire. The check came in as it usually did, three alphas, two betas, and two omegas, all in good health and in no danger of delays. She flicked her gaze back over her shoulder at Dezel before focusing back on Sergei. Well, she knew that at least one of the omegas was good, she could never tell with Sergei.

She kept her gaze on them as they moved back to the fire. Rose shifted in place, leaning forward as Dezel moved from his place at her back as Alisha and Sergei came to bracket her on either side. Rose glanced over at the seraph, watching as he made a restless circle of the campfire before finally settling down with a sigh. It was only when he was settled that she leaned over into Alisha.

She kept their shoulders pressed together for a moment before shifting to repeat the motion with Sergei. It took him a while longer to respond, Rose smiling when he finally leaned into her. She raised an eyebrow when he tipped his chin up slightly in an invitation, but she ignored the offer. There were more important things to work on.

Rose looked away, sighing when she saw Natalie lowering herself to the ground by the fire. The water seraph gave her a tired nod before slumping forward slightly, a sentiment that Rose was sure that everyone shared. Lailah, Dezel and Edna were still fine, but they were more used to the workload. Still, it made her consider their situation.

Chasing Sorey would have always been a time consuming endeavor, Rose never expected it to be easy. But there were other things to consider, like sparing her seraphim from total exhaustion and the welfare two countries. She had gotten the squires that she had wanted, but she was well aware that they had other obligations. Keeping them with her would be disastrous for her, especially since she would need to be moving through both countries if she wanted to do her job effectively.

Rose drummed her fingers against her leg before lifting her head slightly. “Edna.”

The earth seraph twitched at the sound of her name. Edna didn’t immediately glance back at her but remained staring at the road for a moment more. Even when she moved, it was backwards, her gaze not leaving the road.

It wasn’t until she got to the ring of light around the fire that Edna turned around. She grumbled to herself as she settled down, Rose feeling her low rumble of annoyance through the ground. “They’re keeping quiet.”

“It’s getting late.”

Edna shrugged, pulling her legs up to her chest. “It’s still annoying. And we’re getting close to villages, that’s confusing things.”

“It’s a smart move.” Rose hesitated before looking back over at Sergei. “Would he know to do that?”

Sergei frowned, his gaze going unfocused as he thought it over. “I don’t think so. It’s not something that I think Mikleo is purposefully doing either.”

“I don’t think he can do much.” Alisha spoke up from her other side, Rose turning to look at her. Alisha was biting her lip, seeming to realize what she was doing. She shook her head, leaning back on her hands. “He didn’t look too good the last time we saw him.”

Rose immediately looked over at Natalie, watching as she winced. She picked nervously at her sleeve as she spoke, her voice wavering as she spoke. “He looks sick.” The last word was strangely choked off, Rose jerking forward only for Lailah to beat her to it.

Lailah stood up and walked over to Natalie, dropping down beside her. She draped an arm over Natalie’s shoulders, Rose watching as Natalie tensed before leaning into her. Natalie took a few deep breaths before looking up again. “I think it’s the malevolence. It’s making him sick.”

Dezel knocked his hat back, the motion drawing her attention to him. Dezel gave her a slow nod. “It’s thick around the both of them. As far as I can tell, it’s from both.”

“No surprises there.” Edna snorted, wrinkling her nose. “You can smell how close they are. With everything else they’re sharing, why not malevolence?”

Rose frowned at the low growl that Natalie gave, sure that it wasn’t directed at Edna. That didn’t make what Edna said any less true.

As far as she was concerned, there was no reason to figure out which one tainted the other. The two of them were so deep in it that their only option was purification. That was the easy part, it was everything after that got complicated.

She scrubbed a hand through her hair, letting it drop with a sigh. Rose threw a quick glance at Lailah before leaning forward, seeing the seraphim copy her motion. She could hear Alisha and Sergei shifting in place behind her, probably confused by what she was doing. It was rare that they got so serious at night, only because they were usually so exhausted by the time they got to this point. They would have been fighting hellions all the way to their camp for the night. Then, Sergei and Alisha would have been practicing with the seraphim while she would ride out a bit further to see if anyone could pick up where they were going.

Rose looked over the seraphim before nodding to them, sitting up and twisting to bring Alisha and Sergei into her line of sight. Alisha was the one to reach out for her, stopping halfway through the motion as she seemed to recognize what was going on. Alisha tucked her hand under her thigh, a serious expression crossing her face. She looked she was attending another council of war, which Rose was sure that this counted as. She gave Sergei one last glance before draping her own arms over her legs. “So, this is the point where we have to talk about what we’re going to do.”

She heard all of them suck in a quick breath, Rose taking the chance to give them all a serious look. To her surprise, they all looked like they were thinking hard about what she had said. Rose tipped her head to the side, waiting for one of them to speak up. None of them did, although Natalie looked a bit hopeful.

Rose sighed, giving Lailah a long look. The fire seraph patted Natalie’s shoulder, but gave her no other clue. Not that Rose needed one. She knew what she had to do as the Shepherd. It was what everyone else would do that worried her.

She smoothed her hands over her legs, curling her fingers around her knees. “We’re going to purify them, if it can be done.”

“If?” Sergei sounded worried.

Rose reached out to pat his leg. “If he believes in what he’s doing, then there’s a chance that I won’t be able to purify Sorey.”

Sergei shook his head. “No. Sorey wouldn’t have wanted this. Something…went wrong.”

Rose noticed the way that he glanced over at Natalie, but she didn’t follow his gaze. That was something that she didn’t want to encourage. She sighed and leaned forward. “That doesn’t matter. Once we find him, we’re going to purify him. Then it comes down to what the two of you are going to do.”

As far as she was concerned, that was the important part. She would have to go back to moving through Glenwood and fighting back the malevolence as much as she could. Rose knew that she would have to find some more Squires, because this job would take more than just her. She bit at her lip, releasing it after a moment. She shifted to look at Alisha. “Are you going to honor the surrender?”

Alisha looked taken aback for a moment, but she was quick to nod. “It would be the best solution. We need to keep him from gaining more allies, or being used again. Having him would make the treaty go more easily.”

Sergei frowned. “But Mikleo-”

“Can’t be held or tried under human laws.” Rose was quick to interrupt, giving him a serious look. It wasn’t exactly true, but she didn’t want to let the seraph slip away, or anything that they could use to keep Sorey under control. Besides, setting that precedent could be dangerous, especially when there were still people who believed that seraphim were tools to be used. She threw Lailah a quick glance before straightening her back. “Sorey did say that his surrender was conditional on us escorting Mikleo to Lohgrin.”

“But would we really do it?”

Rose shrugged in answer to Sergei’s question. “It seems as good a place as any and I doubt that Mikleo will want to remain as Lord of the Land. It will be safer for him, and keep him in one place. It will also keep him out of the way for upcoming peace talks.”

Sergei seemed to get what she was saying, but the serious look on his face didn’t shift. Rose watched him for a moment more before looking over at Natalie.

The seraph didn’t seem too happy with the answer, but Rose didn’t see her coming up with anything else. Rose tipped her head to the side, mentally reaching through the link that their pact gave them. She felt a flutter of emotions, but Natalie didn’t seemed inclined to share. Natalie was quick to look away, Rose expecting as much. She sighed and looked back at Alisha and Sergei. “I can’t speak for the seraphim, I’m just the Shepherd.”

“Then who can?”

“The Great Lords?” Rose shrugged. “That’s something only they can answer.”

“And they won’t be keen on coming to speak with us.” Alisha rubbed at her eyes. She sighed and leaned to the side, not seeming to notice that Sergei started a bit when she leaned against him. “What about you?”

“Politics and Shepherds don’t mix.”

“I’m not asking for that.” Alisha waved her hand like she was trying to sketch out an idea. “I’m asking for someone to stand by to guard the seraphim. I know none of the others will come to speak with us, so our best chance is one of these four. Sergei and I certainly won’t forget, but the others might if they find something they really want.”

“Lailah?” Rose shifted to look at Lailah, watching as the seraph sat up. She could feel the faint buzz in her mind as the seraphim thought over what had been asked.

She thought she knew what Lailah would say. It would be better for them to remain outside of the politics, because that was the way to being used in favor of one country or another. That was the way to malevolence or another war. It was something that both Lailah and Michael had told her many times.

To her surprise, Lailah nodded slowly. Rose expected one of the other seraphim to immediately refuse, so she was surprised when Edna made a sound that could have been a laugh. “Might as well. If nothing else, we won’t have to say anything. They might be scared into being smart for once.”

Lailah made a chiding sound, but she didn’t bother to disagree. “It may be good, just as a presence.”

Rose watched them carefully, waiting for one of them to start putting conditions on the agreement, but neither Edna nor Lailah looked like they were going to back down. A quick look showed that Natalie was just as determined as the other two and Dezel had his usual implacable expression. Rose lingered a moment on him, before looking back at Alisha and Sergei.

She gave them both a shrug. “You heard them. That’s all I can promise.”

“It will be enough.” Alisha smiled at her. “More than enough. “

Sergei wasn’t so vocal in his praise, but he had definitely perked up. Rose looked over the two of them, wanting to shake her head at how eager the two of them looked. Then again, they were probably glad to have a solution to their problems. There would be more piling up, but solving some of them had to help. Besides, if it helped them it would help her.

The rest of the seraphim were in Lohgrin and she would have to check on them soon. Maybe there would be some willing to help. Even if they weren’t, she wanted to make sure that they were alright. The world couldn’t exist without the seraphim to help the humans, and it was her job to make sure that the connection was kept strong. That was what Michael had always told her.

She shifted in place, turning so she could lean her back against Alisha and Sergei’s legs. Alisha was quick to lean over her, resting a hand on her shoulder with a soft squeeze. Sergei didn’t move to touch her, but he didn’t move away. Sergei was a man of protocol and it was more telling that he allowed the break in it than anything else. She reached back to drag her fingers over his leg, feeling him twitch a bit at the contact.

Rose smiled to herself, tipping her head to rest her cheek against Alisha’s hand. She basked in their presence for a moment before focusing on the seraphim that were gathered at the other side of the fire.

All of them were looking more relaxed, although Rose didn’t know if it was because that they had settled what they needed to do or because they were done for the day. Dezel and Edna were still on the alert, but they would be for a while. Rose made a mental note to make sure that they got a chance to rest while they were traveling. There was no point in exhausting their seraphim, not when anything could happen.

Rose tipped her head back, resting it against Sergei’s knee. She was momentarily distracted by the feeling of Sergei combing his fingers through the ends of her hair. She smiled and tipped her head back a bit further, hoping to encourage him to continue while she spoke to Alisha. “Where’s your best guess about where they will go?”

Alisha hummed, her hand tightening on Rose’s shoulder for a moment before relaxing. “The road leads to Ladylake, but they won’t go there. There are a few small towns that they could get to, and most of them are closer to the border. They could be hoping to slip through there.”

“So we run a check of those villages. How many are there?”

“Three or four, no more.”

Rose nodded, stopping the motion quickly when it jostled Sergei’s fingers slightly. She remained still until he started petting again. Rose smiled and rolled her head slightly to look at the seraphim, watching as they nodded.

She felt herself relax a bit more at the agreement. They had a plan. It was solid enough to make her feel comfortable with allowing herself a little more optimism than usual. Chasing after Sorey and corralling him without pushing him over the edge or calling down Mikleo’s wrath would be tricky, but hopefully the two of them would be exhausted by the time that they caught up. That just made her want to hurry, just to keep the three of them together. Alisha and Sergei were experienced in combat, and she didn’t want to go charging after the emperor and his seraph with some inexperienced Squires. Besides, all three of them had something to settle with Sorey. Alisha had the matter of the peace she had tried to work out, Sergei had his brother and Rose had the villagers of Gododdin.

If they worked fast enough, they would have time to get all the answered they wanted. And then, Sorey would be turned over to the proper authorities and order could start to be restored to the world.

* * *

Mikleo watched the clouds move through the mountain peaks. He couldn’t see the peaks themselves, but he could see how they interfered with the pattern, the clouds moving around them.

Elysia had been up there, above the clouds and the world. It had felt so safe up there, like nothing could ever touch them. But it had.

He clenched his hands into fists, ignoring how they shook. It was more important to trace the path that he would be taking. He didn’t know the mountains at all, he had only known Elysia and then the approach to the mountain on the empire’s side. This side of the border was a mystery to him, but he didn’t think that it would be too hard to figure out a way to cross over. He just had to make his way through the mountains. It would be easy on foot, but it was his only option. Once on the other side, he would just continue to…

Mikleo gritted his teeth, dropping his gaze down to the path. It was familiar to him by now, Mikleo sure that he had memorized the placement of the trees and rocks close to him. He had been coming out to the same spot for the past three days, waiting for the moment that he finally walked away from Sitole and towards where he wanted to go.

Part of the problem was that he wasn’t sure where he wanted to go.

The smart thing to do would be to Lohgrin; it was where the other seraphim were and it was the furthest point away from the closely packed malevolence that hovered over the rest of the continent. It would get him close to one of his sisters, considering the other was traveling with the Shepherd. Mikleo still had his suspicions about why she had come back, but it would all be solved if he went away. Natalie was bound to come back to Lohgrin if he was there.

If he was going back to Lohgrin, he would need to start moving, because it would take a long while to get there and he would have to avoid any troops that were stumbling back from the border. Mikleo wasn’t sure that they would let him pass, not when he had allied himself so visibly with Sorey. Without his artes, the trip would be even longer because he’d have to avoid both human and hellions instead of fighting them. Mikleo dropped his hand to his stomach, rubbing it nervously. He didn’t have the luxury of too much time.

Then again, if he had wanted to leave he should have gone three days ago. Instead he spent his days standing on the path and staring at the mountains, going over his plans without doing anything until night fell. Then he would go back and prowling through the town and forest, trying to work through his own anger or testing out his limits with his artes. He wasn’t completely defenseless just yet but it wasn’t by much, and it annoyed him.

Mikleo swayed in place, trying to get himself to walk forward. He needed to leave, to get out before he was trapped in Sitole and Hyland with no way out. But he knew himself, and he knew that he wouldn’t. He would spend another day and night in frustration.

He growled under his breath, glancing up at the mountains before turning on his heel and storming away. He wasn’t going to waste more hours of the day doing nothing, so he might as well do something useful. He might have better luck heading to the other road. It would lead him out onto the main road, but at least he would be moving. If he was lucky, he could make it to where he could climb up to Elysia from the Hyland side.

Mikleo walked back into the village, lifting his chin slightly. He didn’t want to look approachable. The people of Sitole had been looking at him with the same awe and reverence that the people in Pendrago had. Mikleo fully expected them to reach out for him or beg him for favors, and he wasn’t in the mood. Besides, there was nothing he would be able to do for them. There was nothing that he _wanted_ to do for them. He was still angry.

They shouldn’t be waiting in the village, they should be moving to Lohgrin. He knew that and Sorey had to know that, but the human was ignoring him. Mikleo was sure that Sorey was just being stubborn. He just wanted to get them caught for reasons that Mikleo couldn’t agree with.

Just because he was pregnant didn’t meant that they had to give up everything.

It didn’t mean that he was just a thing to protect.

Mikleo rumbled out a growl, turning as a couple of villagers rushed away from him. He watched them go before focusing on the main road again. He didn’t care what they thought of him, not when he was sure that he knew how they saw him. He was the emperor’s dragon, something to be feared and avoided. That worked for him, especially with the constant roil of anger and something else that consumed him. Mikleo was sure that he would lash out at someone, and there was still enough left of him that protested that it wouldn’t be fair. Then again, he wasn’t inclined to be fair.

Sorey wasn’t listening to him. His own body wasn’t listening to him. He felt scattered and all over the place and he didn’t like it at all.

It was a feeling that made him want to pace, because motion would relieve the feeling of being trapped. But that didn’t even make sense because he could leave any time he wanted.

He just couldn’t.

Mikleo ducked his head, feeling the familiar grip of the cold that crept through him when he was angry. Just as it rose, it was gone, sinking away with the rest of his powers. It left him feeling shaky, Mikleo too annoyed to care that he wasn’t nauseous for once. He wanted to be able to use his artes without bracing for them to fail. He wanted to be allowed the full range of his expression without being punished for it. He wanted to be able to do what he was used to without being held back.

He slowed his pace, realizing that he was panting for breath. Mikleo sighed and leaned against one of the houses, trying to catch his breath. It was ridiculous for him to be so tired just from walking and calling on his powers. It was unacceptable.

He squeezed his eyes shut, counting under his breath for a moment before pushing away from the house. If he stopped then he was sure that he would just end up continuing the same pattern of standing at the end of the village, doing nothing.

Mikleo fixed his gaze on the other end of the village. It wasn’t a far walk, Sitole had a single road that ran through it and out into the mountains again. The only thing that prevented him from seeing into every house was the small walls that were set up, either in stone or brush, not that Mikleo would want to look in on the humans. As far as he was concerned, he was done with them. He would go to Lohgrin and get himself away from humans and all of their problems. Hopefully the walk would be long enough for him to smother the small part of him that protested that. It was part of the tangle of feelings that he didn’t want to bother to sort out.

He let the sounds of the village filter past him without paying them much attention. They were just humans, living their short lives. It wasn’t worth his concern.

Mikleo strayed to the other side of the street to avoid a knot of them standing by the inn. He shot them a quick glance, surprised to see so many of them in one place. The villagers were usually in constant motion shoring up their defenses against the hellions of the forest. Mikleo shot the forest a nervous look.

The hellions weren’t avoiding him like before, but they weren’t coming after him either. Mikleo didn’t know how long that would last, and it made him shiver. He had depended on the fact that he was stronger than the other hellions for so long he had never thought about a time when he wouldn’t have that protection, and it was frightening.

He caught himself reaching for his stomach, Mikleo jerking his arm back. He wasn’t going to give into that, not when there was no reason to be protective of it.

He swallowed and tipped his chin up again, intending to walk faster when he caught the sound of Sorey’s name.

Mikleo turned around, taking a step towards the old women before he could stop himself. He jerked to a stop, swaying in place.

He shouldn’t be interested, he was still angry with Sorey. But he couldn’t help moving closer, trying to hover on the outskirts of the conversation.

Mikleo recognized one of the women from the inn, having to wrack his brains to pull up her name. Emma. The other two were just village women, ones that he’d seen but never bothered to talk to because he thought that he would be leaving. The way that the three of them talking meant that they were close, which was better for him. They were all involved in what they were doing, which meant that they wouldn’t be paying attention to him.

He inched closer, listening as their low conversation carried on underneath the steady chopping of wood.

“He’s nothing like what we’ve heard.”

“It makes sense though. The empire has been our enemy for so long now.”

“And there were some stories about the start of his reign that sounded promising. How has he been Emma?”

“The perfect guest.” Emma leaned her shoulder against the wall, Mikleo freezing until he was sure that she couldn’t see him.

He didn’t want to get caught listening, not after days of careful indifference. He didn’t want to be pitied by the villagers or asked to talk, because they weren’t the ones that he had a problem with.

Mikleo took another few cautious steps forward, stopping when that brought him into view of the stable yard. He could see Sorey working at chopping wood. He almost shrunk back, but he wouldn’t allow himself to be chased away. He had every right to be there as Sorey, no matter what he had said.

He huffed and looked away, staring down the road. It was more tempting now to leave, especially since he had seen Sorey. There was every chance that he could get away before Sorey noticed him and started trying to coddle him again, like he had ever needed it. It burned all the worse because they had been equals once, and then Sorey had decided to change all of that, and it rankled.

Mikleo bit his lip to keep any sound from escaping. He gave Sorey a long look over, trying to ignore how strange it was to see Sorey without all of his layers. The human had stripped down to his undershirt, leaving him all in black. It was probably for the best considering the work that he was doing. The quick look reassured him that all was fine, which meant that the decision that he had made was still the best one. Sorey could handle himself, and he didn’t need Mikleo around anymore.

After all, their pact was finished.

He went to turn away, freezing when one of the woman sighed. He turned his head slightly, his eyes widening as the woman shook her head. “He reminds me of Mary.”

Mikleo expected the other women to laugh, not the sad and understanding sigh that came from them. He turned his head to get a better look at the woman, watching as a clustered together a bit closer. His position didn’t let him see their faces, so he took a step to the side right as one of the women turned around.

She stared at him in surprise before quickly curtsying. “Lord Seraph.”

The motion and the title were enough to get the other two to follow, Mikleo shifting in place as they made their curtsy to him. Two of them were quick to peel away from Emma, one leaning close to whisper something to her before they were hurrying away. Mikleo turned his head to watch them go before looking back at Emma.

The woman gave him a slow nod, looking like she wanted for all the world to dart away from him. Mikleo would have let her go without a protest, but Emma remained in place to give him a deeper curtsy. “Lord Seraph, I didn’t expect to see you here. His majesty said you wouldn’t be in the village much.”

Mikleo tensed, just barely stopping himself from growling. “Sorey doesn’t speak for me.”

He saw her look up, surprised at the hopefulness in her eyes. And then her eyes were downcast again. Mikleo watched as she picked at the edge of her apron for a moment before moving his gaze back to where Sorey was working. He narrowed his eyes as he got a better view of the human, his gaze lingering on how loosely Sorey’s shirt fit him. He allowed himself the twinge of concern, not quite able to push it away the longer he watched.

Sorey wasn’t chopping smoothly, it was a jerky motion that surprised him. He didn’t think that swinging an axe would be too different from swinging a sword, and Sorey had done plenty of that in his life. Even more than that, it was the way that Sorey was breathing heavily. Mikleo would have excused it if Sorey had been working at the task for long, but the pile of split wood next to him was small.

Mikleo watched Sorey go through the motions for a moment more before turning to look back at Emma. “What did you mean he reminds you of Mary?”

Emma seemed shocked for a moment, the woman still bent slightly in a partial curtsy. She quickly straightened her back, shooting Sorey another look. Mikleo growled when it looked like permission, the sound making her snap her attention back to him. He was taken aback by the anger in her gaze, getting a quick whiff of wood smoke and lye soap as she broadcast her anger before it was quickly quashed.

She cleared her throat, regarding him with a steady gaze. “Mary was one of the girls in the village, apprenticed to the blacksmith. She had malevolence, as we all do and she was aware of it. She was lucky in that she knew her faults and tried to make her peace with them, but she couldn’t make peace with the malevolence in her. So she fought against it, and it fought back. She rode the edge of becoming a hellion and none of us knew, not even the priest in the next town over. Mary felt tired and sick all the time, and stopped eating. Eventually, she died.”

Mikleo felt his blood run cold, fighting against the urge to look over his shoulder at Sorey.

If Emma noticed his stillness, she didn’t comment on it. She seemed to be too caught up in answering his question. She took a deep breath, wrapping her arms around herself. “I guess you could say that she won, because she never turned into a hellion, but it’s not the kind of victory that anyone would want. If she had talked to us, then we could have helped her. The Shepherd might not have been in the area, but there were other things that we could have done. There are plenty of others that she could have talked to, but we didn’t notice.” Emma made a soft sound close to a whimper, the woman abruptly cutting it off. She shook her head. “At least we know what to look for now. We might not be able to save everyone, be we’re damn sure we’re not going to lose anyone else to that fight.”

She looked up at him, Mikleo pinned in place by her gaze. He shuddered under her gaze, not daring to move even when she approached him.

Emma reached out for him, stopping herself abruptly before she touched him. Even when she kept her arms out, like she wanted to pull him close and shake him. “I could be wrong. Maotelus knows what war does to people, but I can’t help but worry. And I owe his majesty too much to just stay silent.”

“I-”

“He might not speak for you, but you can at least speak to him.” Emma dropped her hands back to her side. “Certainly he’ll listen to his seraph.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that he wasn’t Sorey’s seraph, not the way that everyone thought of. He wasn’t owned by anyone, everything he had entered into had been his own choice, and he’d already made up his mind to leave.

Mikleo glanced up again, ready to stutter out some kind of refusal, because Sorey wouldn’t listen to him. Sorey only thought of the thing inside of him and had started to ignore what he was saying entirely. With the way they were now, it would explode into another argument that would get them nowhere. Besides, Emma had said it herself, it could just be the war. Sorey hadn’t gotten a lot of time to recover from what had happened over the past few months.

Then again, he knew about the malevolence that Sorey carried inside him. His own called out to Sorey’s like the stories of the Lord of Calamity. He didn’t know who the malevolence had come from, it had broken through sometime in Gododdin and Mikleo was sure that it was both of their faults. But he knew Sorey, and he knew that Sorey would blame himself, which would make everything worse.

There were many things that Sorey would blame himself for.

He felt the icy clutch of fear crawl up his spine, Mikleo mistaking it for an arte for a moment. He expected it to dissipate and leave him feeling sick like the others did. But it didn’t, and it left him in shock.

After everything, he would have thought that he would have been triumphant or have no reaction at all. But there was nothing but fear and panic.

He swallowed, watching as Sorey continued to chop wood, oblivious to the two of them. He felt his heart clench, Mikleo opening his mouth to speak. Words failed him, catching in his throat and tangling on his tongue. Mikleo swallowed, settling for a nod.

He tensed when Emma darted forward, his eyes widening when she hugged him. He went tense in the woman’s arms, relieved that she was quick to let him go.

Emma backed up a few steps, giving him a quick curtsy before rushing off. Mikleo watched her go, still in shock from what she had told him and how she had been so quick to touch him. He reached up to rub his arms, not sure if he was comforting himself or trying to rub her touch away. Mikleo swallowed and looked back over at the stable yard, watching as Sorey split two more logs before he had to stop and lean on the block.

Mikleo watched him pant for breath for a moment before turning on his heel and walking away. He needed to talk to Sorey, but he needed time. If he didn’t he was sure that he would just charge in and start shaking Sorey, because that wouldn’t help anything. He needed to be calm and collected, something that he didn’t think that he could manage at the moment.

He threw one last look at Sorey over his shoulder before picking up his pace, seeking the calm and privacy of the woods.


	32. Chapter 29

“Ever it was, and ever it shall be, and yet it behoveth us, when we yearn mercy, that we should have mercy…”   
– _Brut_ , Layamon

* * *

 

Sorey adjusted the bit of tile, holding it awkwardly in place as he reached around for the hammer that had slid somewhere down by his leg. All of the roof tiles had a ridge were they would lock into place on the roof, but it was better to tap them lightly into the join for a better hold. Sorey remembered Fyodor telling him that in one village, although he couldn’t remember which one anymore. He just remembered the subject coming up and how it had changed into a talk about what Fyodor’s family did. It had led to a long discussion of what the other Platinum Knights knew and how they could use that to help the villagers.

Now that he thought about it, it could have Rotherhithe, or at least one of those early villages.

He pulled the hammer up from where it rested against his leg, using it to tap the tile gently down into place. Sorey tipped his head to the side, listening for the moment when the sound changed. He smiled when he heard it, setting the hammer down on the roof to gently wiggle the tile. It didn’t come loose. Sorey was sure that it would be more secure as soon as he was done with the row above it.

He shifted to grab the next tile, settling it in place. Sorey was about to reach for the hammer again when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Sorey turned to look, expecting to see Emma or her sister-in-law calling him down to lunch. Sorey was trying to think of a polite way to bow out without making the two of them worry when he recognized the seraph standing in the yard below.

He hadn’t expected to find Mikleo watching him, especially when he was sure that Mikleo had left days ago. He had heard that some of the villagers had seen him around, but Sorey had been more than willing to let them go as stories. But the seraph was right there, staring up at him with the usual annoyed look.

It didn’t last long. Mikleo took a step closer to the building. Sorey shifted on the roof to follow him, stopping when Mikleo stopped.

The seraph stared up at him for a moment longer, Sorey waiting for Mikleo to make some sort of comment or some noise of disgust. Considering the way that things had been going between the two of them, Sorey fully expected them to have another argument. A roof wouldn’t be the best place for it, but he didn’t want to get down if they were going to be shouting at each other, especially if they would be going over the same things.

That didn’t stop him from leaning down slightly, watching as Mikleo tensed. It was habit to look back at the forest, searching for any hellions. When he couldn’t see any, Sorey looked back down at Mikleo.

Mikleo looked at him for a moment more before shaking his head. “Can we talk?”

“I don’t know. Can we?”

Mikleo looked slightly offended by the question, but Sorey wasn’t the least bit sorry. All they had done was shout at each other, and he was tired of it. He was tired of many things.

The seraph stared at him for a moment more before shaking his head. “Sorey…”

There was a warning in his voice, the kind of warning that would have come before an arte if Sorey hadn’t known better. It didn’t make him feel any better about his chances, save for the fact that Mikleo didn’t push beyond that. Besides, if Mikleo had wanted to argue he wouldn’t have wasted time coming back. Their last argument had sounded pretty final, and Sorey had expected Mikleo to carry out his threat in full. That he had come back meant something.

Sorey shifted on the roof, getting a better grip on it. He leaned out, stopping when Mikleo flinched. He shifted to more comfortable position, intending to wait Mikleo out. To his surprise, it didn’t take too long.

Mikleo shook his head. “I think we need to. Can you come down?”

Sorey tipped his head to the side, surprised by the question. It wasn’t the opening to an argument, at least not one that he recognized. And it was a reasonable request. He glanced back at the remaining titles before giving Mikleo a nod. “Let me finish up here.”

“But-”

“I’m almost done. And then I’ll be down. I promise. Meet me in my room?”

Mikleo nodded and disappeared from sight. Sorey was tempted to lean out over the edge of the roof to follow the seraph, but he ignored the temptation. He had given his word that he would meet with Mikleo, and it was better for him to keep that promise, if only to keep the peace. And he would be lying to himself if he wasn’t curious. Mikleo had said that he wanted to leave, but he had stuck around.

Sorey frowned as he clambered back up to his spot. He stared at the tiles, picking up the next one and staring at it. He shook his head, trying to focus back on the roof, but it was hard. He couldn’t figure out why Mikleo would want to talk to him, and it started a curl of worry in his gut. Sorey tightened his grip on the hammer, taking a few deep breaths before setting the tile in place.

Mikleo looked fine, which was more than enough of a reassurance. He hadn’t seen Mikleo anywhere in Sitole, which meant that he had been spending most of his time out in the forest. Sorey adjusted his hold on the hammer, shooting the forest a quick glance. He hadn’t heard of any hellions in the area, but he wasn’t naïve enough to think that Sitole was safe. There were plenty of nights that he had helped pull the spiked wagons into place at either end of the village, even if no hellions had been sighted. He gave the woods one more worried glance before setting the next tile in place.

There were only a few more to place until he was done, Sorey locking the two remaining tiles before tapping them gently into place. He reached out to wiggle them, checking to see that they would sit nicely together and cover the patching that he had done. He grinned to himself when everything held. That was the last of the holes on the roof patched up, which meant that Emma and her sister-in-law could start using the pots and pans that they had set under the leaking parts of the roof for cooking again. It wouldn’t make the inn suddenly fill up, but it would at least make it more welcoming as soldiers and people started to filter back.

Now that the war was over there would eventually be a ceremony in Ladylake, and Sitole would make a good stop off point. That would mean that the village would get some income, which would be useful. Sorey wasn’t optimistic enough to imagine that things would be settled by winter, but it would at least be a start towards recovery. Sorey just didn’t know if it would be enough.

He glanced up at the sky before tucking the hammer into his belt. Sorey made his way carefully over the roof to the back of the building where the ladder was still leaning up against the side of the inn. Sorey tested it for a moment before letting himself down carefully. The ladder wobbled a bit under him, but it held steady. Sorey swallowed before climbing down quickly. It might be holding up under his weight, but he didn’t want to spend any more time than he had to on the thing.

Sorey breathed a long sigh when he stepped off of the ladder and onto the ground. Sorey pulled the hammer out of his belt, dropping it into the box at the back of the inn. He made sure to close the box, leaning against it for a moment as he looked into the kitchen.

He could see Emma and her sister-in-law waiting standing by the other side of the room. They were whispering low to themselves, Sorey taking it as confirmation that they had seen Mikleo pass. The villagers weren’t used to seeing Mikleo, especially since the seraph had been avoiding all of them. Sorey swallowed, staring at the women for a moment longer before shaking his head.

There was no point in avoiding Mikleo, not when the seraph had sought him out first. Besides, he had been sure that their last argument would be the last time that he saw Mikleo, and that hadn’t sat right with him. He wanted Mikleo to be safe and happy, but some selfish part of him wanted that place to be with him.

He wiped his hands on his pants before coming into the kitchen through the back door. The two women spun to face him, Sorey seeing Emma blush. The two of them curtsied, the sister-in-law the one to extend her arm. “The Lord Seraph is waiting in your room.”

Sorey nodded, giving her a smile. “Thank you.” He went to walk away, pausing to awkwardly motion up at the roof. “It should be good now.”

He left before either of them could thank him, he wanted to get to Mikleo before the seraph changed his mind. He had the feeling that, if Mikleo left, it really would be the last time that he saw the seraph.

Sorey strode through the halls of the inn, trying not to think too much about what was waiting for him. If he did that then he might be tempted to think too hard about what he was walking towards. Mikleo was bound to be furious with him and could probably kill him easily, use of artes or not. He licked his lips, trying to calm himself down as he approached the door.

He didn’t give himself the luxury of lingering at the door, Sorey reaching out and pulling it open. He expected to see Mikleo sitting on the bed, but Mikleo was standing in the center of the room. Sorey swallowed and stepped into the room, gently nudging the door shut behind him.

Mikleo didn’t look at him, the seraph’s gaze on the door until it swung all the way shut. Mikleo tipped his head as the door clicked shut. It was only then that some of the tension leaked out of Mikleo, but Sorey didn’t miss the quick glance that Mikleo threw back over his shoulder at the window. The window was closed, but his room was on the ground floor and it was a perfectly viable escape route if Mikleo wanted to get away.

He sighed and moved over to sit on the edge of the bed, giving Mikleo the route to the door. From the way that Mikleo tensed again, the seraph knew what he was doing.

Sorey sunk down on the bed, making sure to keep his hands visible. He wasn’t sure if it would help, but it had worked before when Mikleo had been more likely to shy away from him. From the expression on Mikleo’s face, he couldn’t tell if the offer was worth it or not.

He swallowed, not liking the silence. He was working his way up to breaking it when Mikleo sighed and turned away.

Sorey watched the seraph pace across the width of the room, Mikleo’s gaze darting between him and the windows. Sorey didn’t know what he was looking for, but he didn’t get the chance to ask before Mikleo turned on his heel and fixed him with a steady stare. “Emma says you aren’t eating.”

Sorey frowned, curling his hands into fists. His first instinct was to snap at Mikleo, because this was exactly the kind of thing that he hadn’t been allowed to do to Mikleo. But that would just goad Mikleo on, and he wanted to at least try to get the rift between them settled.

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I didn’t think you would talk to her.”

“I didn’t intend to.”

“Then why?”

Mikleo flinched his gaze dropping away. Sorey watched Mikleo’s fingers flex at his side for a moment before the seraph gave in with a sigh. “Why are you still here?”

Sorey huffed, annoyed that his question had been dodged, but it didn’t look like Mikleo would be willing to give up anything more. He settled for shaking his head. “I have to pay back Emma and her sister-in-law for allowing me to stay.”

“And you’re waiting for them, aren’t you?”

Sorey averted his gaze. There was no point in denying what was true, but he couldn’t figure out the words to explain himself. But it seemed like his silence was enough for an answer for Mikleo.

The seraph swayed in place, reaching up to comb a hand through his hair, stopping when his fingers got tangled in his braids. Mikleo pulled his fingers away, staring at them for a moment before curling his fingers in towards his palm. “Why?”

Sorey gave Mikleo a weary smile. “Because you were leaving, and there’s really no point in drawing out this chase if that’s the case.”

Mikleo made a pained sound, jerking forward a step. He reached out like he wanted to grab onto Sorey, but the distance between them was too great. “ _Why_?”

Sorey stared at him, giving a small shake of his head. “The war is over, Mikleo, but no one will feel safe until we’re caught. And I can’t allow that to happen to you.”

“And what will happen to you?”

Sorey shrugged. “You said it yourself. They might kill me.”

He looked up in time to catch Mikleo vehemently shaking his head. “I won’t allow that.”

“And how would you do that?” Sorey chuckled. “Are you going to stay with me for every moment of the rest of my life?”

He expected Mikleo to laugh him off or try to backpedal out of the situation. The last thing he expected was for Mikleo to nod.

“If that’s what it takes.”

Sorey stared at Mikleo, watching for the seraph to take back what he said or put conditions on it, but Mikleo remained resolute. He lifted his chin slightly. Mikleo’s shoulders twitched a bit, but his resolution doesn’t disappear. “I’ll stay with you.”

Sorey stood up, taking a few shaky steps towards Mikleo before bringing himself up short. He swallowed, reaching out for Mikleo before remembering that he wasn’t allowed. He dropped his arms to his side, pulling his gaze down as well. “I can’t ask you to do that. The whole reason you helped me was for your family. You wanted to go back to them.”

“I…I still do.”

It was what he expected to hear. Sorey nodded, taking a step back towards the door. “I understand.” He took a deep breath and looked up to meet Mikleo’s gaze. He took in the confusion there, feeling his stomach twist.

What he wanted to do was gather Mikleo into his arms and savor the moment, because he was sure that it would be the last that he got for a while. It would be nothing compared to what Mikleo was offering, but he couldn’t take the offer, not when he knew what Mikleo wanted. Mikleo had been separated from his family for so long that it wouldn’t be right to take him away from all of that. Besides, it would be the best place for him.

He swallowed, stepping aside slightly to give Mikleo a clear line to the door. “I’ll get you an escort to Lohgrin. And I won’t leave you out of the negotiations this time, so you can be sure about what’s going to happen. We can leave whenever you’re ready.”

Mikleo shook his head. “No. Things have changed.”

“Mikleo-”

“IT WON’T BE RIGHT WITHOUT YOU!”

Sorey jumped as Mikleo shouted, watching as the seraph reacted the same way. Mikleo looked at him with wide eyes before wrapping his arms around himself.

Mikleo took a step back, Sorey ready to take that as a retreat when Mikleo met his gaze again. “I don’t want to separate. I did once, but that was back at the start of everything. I don’t now. I want to stay with you, and not be shoved away like I’m a burden.”

“But your family...”

“Natalie is with the Shepherd.” Mikleo paused to take a quick breath, Sorey tipping his head at the pause. Mikleo didn’t let it linger long, giving Sorey a shaky smile. “And Melody is in Lohgrin. I can’t see the two of them coming together for a while. Besides, if Lohgrin is the safest place for me, then it’s the safest place for you too.”

Sorey shook his head, watching as Mikleo’s face fell. “They won’t stop coming after me, not after everything I’ve done. I’ll be a threat to whatever peace they make. They’ll come after the both of us.”

Mikleo snorted, tipping his chin up slightly. “They’ll have to go through me first. No one takes my family away from me.”

Sorey froze at the phrasing, staring at Mikleo as the seraph approached. He expected Mikleo to stand close to him, or even start to push into his space, not for Mikleo to reach out and trace fingers along the edge of his jaw. “No one will take you away from me.”

He shivered, wanting to reach out and pull Mikleo close. He wanted to whisper his own promise against Mikleo’s skin, to leave a trail and bruises to mark the seraph. This was something no one could have, because Mikleo had chosen it for himself. Mikleo had chosen _him_.

Sorey felt his breath catch in his throat, not realizing that he was crying until Mikleo made a chiding sound and reached up to wipe some of the tears from his cheeks. Sorey shivered and leaned into the touch, not daring to look away from Mikleo, not even when the soft slide of Mikleo’s thumb across his cheekbones made his eyes flutter shut. He caught the gentle smile that Mikleo gave him, the seraph rocking up slightly so they could press their foreheads together.

He hesitated, his hands hovering just above Mikleo’s waist before he dared to lower them into place. Mikleo just hummed and leaned further into the touch, Sorey shivering and wrapping his arms around Mikleo to drag him close. He heard Mikleo squeak, but there was no sign that Mikleo wanted him to let go. Mikleo leaned further into him, the seraph’s fingers curling into the hem of his shirt. Sorey could feel Mikleo playing with the hem, sure that Mikleo would push his fingers under his shirt.

He wanted that, the closeness, the contact. Sorey took a deep breath, somewhat disappointed by the way that Mikleo didn’t smell like the two of them anymore. It was wet earth and rain made softer and gentler, but there was nothing of him. He whimpered, gathering Mikleo closer to him.

That was enough to get Mikleo to start to protest, although it was done with a gentle hand pressed over his heart. “Sorey?”

Sorey shook his head, trying to form words that would make sense. Mikleo had said that Sorey was his, but he couldn’t smell that. The fight still lingered there because they were separate again, and it hurt. He was on his own, feeling the drag of exhaustion and it was strange after so many months of being able to be as close to Mikleo as he wanted.

He swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady as he spoke. “C-can I scent you?”

Sorey stopped himself short of begging, watching as Mikleo’s eyes widened slightly. He winced, sure that he had pushed too fast.

They hadn’t solved all of their problems, they had just settled the looming problem of the future. There were still other things to work on, and Sorey wasn’t even sure he was properly forgiven. But he didn’t want to be drifting, he wanted to belong.

He held Mikleo’s gaze, watching as the seraph sighed and closed his eyes. Sorey was ready to take it as a no when Mikleo nodded, his fingers curling more tightly into Sorey’s shirt. “Not here.”

Mikleo tugged at his shirt, Sorey following along without hesitation. He glanced back towards the bed before his gaze dropped back to Mikleo. He swallowed at the look of Mikleo’s face, wanting to lean closer. Sorey wasn’t sure if he wanted a kiss or just to nuzzle into Mikleo’s neck and tuck himself in there. He didn’t feel any urgency, just a sort of lazy contentment. All he knew was that Mikleo had to be close to him.

He stumbled as Mikleo stopped abruptly, nearly tipping the two of them back into the bed. Mikleo dropped to the edge of the bed, reaching up to press his hands against Sorey’s chest to keep him from moving forward. Sorey swayed forward anyway, hating the distance. He swallowed, trying to hold still as Mikleo got a better hold of his shirt.

The seraph tugged at his shirt, pulling it up slightly before stopping. Sorey sat out the pause for a moment before nodding, feeling his heart pounding. He tried not to show it, instead being as helpful and pliant as possible as Mikleo started to pull his shirt up.

Mikleo could only get it halfway off, Sorey taking over the moment Mikleo hesitated again. He pulled the shirt off, about to toss it to another side of the room when Mikleo snatched it out of his hands. Sorey could only watch as Mikleo clutched it to him, nuzzling into it. The distraction only lasted a moment, Mikleo letting the shirt fall from his hands in favor of reaching for Sorey.

Sorey didn’t bother to wait for any coaxing, only stopping to allow Mikleo to clamber back further onto the bed. Sorey shifted so he was more completely on the bed, ready to fall to the side and gather Mikleo close when Mikleo sat up, his back to Sorey.

It took a moment for the request to sink in, Sorey staring at the ties on the back of Mikleo’s coat before reaching out to undo them. His fingers moved through the motions automatically, undoing the bow at the small of Mikleo’s back and pulling the laces loose enough that Mikleo could wiggle out of it.

The coat was thrown to the end of the bed, Sorey already helping Mikleo out of the robe that he wore underneath. Sorey was left holding the light blue robe as Mikleo shifted up to the head of the bed. He tossed it to the end without looking at it. The robe smelled like Mikleo, but it wasn’t as much of a temptation when he had Mikleo reaching out for him.

He took Mikleo’s hand, sliding their fingers together. He reached down for the hem of Mikleo’s undershirt with his other hand. Sorey barely touched it before Mikleo was sitting up.

Mikleo reached down with both hands and yanked Sorey’s hand away, holding it away from him as he stared at Sorey with wide eyes. Mikleo held onto Sorey’s hand for a moment more before dropping it and curling in on himself.

Sorey rocked back onto his heels, watching as Mikleo pulled his knees up to his chest. He swallowed, trying his best not to let his gaze drop back to Mikleo’s stomach. It was easier with Mikleo’s legs in the way, but Sorey couldn’t keep his gaze from lingering. He could feel the worry and panic building again, spurred on by the change in Mikleo’s scent. He had to protect him, to keep Mikleo and the baby inside of him safe at all costs. It was partially instinctual, partially conscious. His chest ached at the thought of anything happening to Mikleo, which made him want to hold Mikleo close and send him far away for his own safety. But that hadn’t worked the first time.

He dropped his hands down to his sides, curling his fingers into the sheets to keep himself from grabbing onto Mikleo. Sorey swallowed, trying to figure out what to say. The last time he had brought it up, the discussion had escalated into a fight and they still hadn’t reached an understanding. Sorey doubted that they had reached any real understanding as it was, just that the assumed plans wouldn’t work out. The big problem hadn’t even been touched on.

He was tempted to sneak a glance at Mikleo, but he held himself still. It had felt so good to break down some of the barriers between them, but Sorey was sure that he would bumble right into the next one. He licked his lips, listening as Mikleo shifted at the head of the bed. The sound was enough to make him want to retreat to the end of the bed or to another part of the room entirely, anything to give Mikleo the space he would probably need.

Sorey started to pull back, freezing when he heard Mikleo make a soft sound. It was enough to make him look up and meeting Mikleo’s gaze. He wasn’t sure if what he saw was hurt or the prelude to another argument. Whatever it was, it was enough to stop him from moving away quickly. Sorey swayed in place before sighing and shaking his head. “They’re not going to stop coming after me.”

Mikleo clutched at his legs, he eyes wide. He hesitated a moment before releasing his hold on them. Sorey watched him carefully, watching as Mikleo twisted to sit on the edge of the bed, partially turned away from him. Mikleo hunched over, the posture enough of an indication to stay back.

Sorey resettled himself, crossing his legs and settling back down on the bed. He plucked at his pants, watching Mikleo out of the corner of his eye. He waited for Mikleo to respond, wanting to see if the seraph would storm away again before continuing. “Even if they don’t catch us, Lohgrin is a long way away. There will be hellions, and your artes are-”

“Practically nonexistent.” The words were whispered so quietly that Sorey almost didn’t catch them.

The words were enough to bring him up short, his heart pounding faster at the thought. He could beat back the hellions, maybe kill them if he got desperate, but that was in a one on one situation. If more than one hellion came after them, then he would easily be overwhelmed. If Mikleo couldn’t help then their only hope would be to run, and they couldn’t run like that forever.

He shook his head, not even sure that Mikleo saw it, but it didn’t matter. “But we need to get you somewhere clear of malevolence. It’s not good for you, and it can’t be good for the baby.”

Mikleo winced at the word, his breath hissing out between his teeth. Sorey expected another demand to shut up, surprised when Mikleo just curled further into himself.

Sorey watched him for a moment before daring to scoot closer, trying to keep his voice as low and calm as possible. “I know you asked me not to say it or talk about it. And I’m sorry, but I have to ask this now. I just need to know, do you want this?”

Mikleo didn’t immediately respond, he just slumped further forward. For a moment, it looked like Mikleo was going to get up and leave because he rocked forward, but then he sat back. Mikleo remained on the edge of the bed a moment more before turning to look back at him.

The frightened look on his face was enough to make Sorey want to grab him and gather him close because Mikleo looked so lost. He scooted forward a little bit, reaching out his hand so it was resting in the space between them.

It was a familiar motion, one that Sorey had used plenty of times when they had just been starting to get to know each other. It was a request for contact, one that Mikleo could decide to take or ignore. Sorey didn’t dare to look away from Mikleo the entire time, watching as the seraph’s gaze dropped to his hand.

Mikleo reached out for him, his hand stopping just above Sorey’s. He took a deep breath, Sorey watching the way that Mikleo shuddered with it. When Mikleo dragged his gaze back up to meet Sorey’s, the same lost look was still on his face.

“I…I don’t know.”

Sorey bit his lip in the crack in Mikleo’s voice, the sound the last crack in his attempt to pull back from the situation. He lifted his hand slowly until their hands were pressed palm to palm. He couldn’t thread his fingers with Mikleo’s, but he could drag them against his wrist, not wanting any kind of stillness.

When Mikleo didn’t pull away, Sorey changed his grip so he could bring Mikleo’s hand to his mouth. He pressed a kiss to Mikleo’s knuckles, not looking away from the seraph. “It’s fine, you don’t need to say anything else.”

“But-”

“Mikleo, we have time.” Sorey paused, trying to run the calculations before giving up. He didn’t know enough about seraphim to be able to guess a date, and he almost didn’t want to. Putting a time limit might make Mikleo jumpy. He tugged gently on Mikleo’s arm, the motion an invitation to join him as he laid back.

Mikleo followed, quick to tuck himself against Sorey’s chest. Sorey kept himself still as Mikleo adjusted, carefully keeping his hands away from Mikleo’s stomach. He didn’t want Mikleo shying away again, not when Mikleo was moving into a perfect position for him to nuzzle into the crook of Mikleo’s neck or rub their cheeks together.

Sorey was tempted to do just that, because it would mean comfort and Mikleo looked like he needed it. Sorey shifted, waiting for Mikleo to protest as he leaned close. When he didn’t, Sorey gave Mikleo’s neck a gentle kiss. He thought he heard Mikleo whimper, Sorey pausing to glance up only to have Mikleo’s hand stroke through his hair.

He took that as encouragement, kissing his way up Mikleo’s neck until he got to his scent gland. Sorey skipped over kissing it for rubbing his cheek against it, feeling Mikleo shudder. He hummed, letting his eyes fall shut as he rubbed his scent back onto Mikleo. Sorey felt Mikleo relax further, Mikleo’s hand flexing in his hair.

Sorey made a soothing sound, dragging his other hand down Mikleo’s back and making him arch. “We have time to figure this out. We have time to prepare if you want it, and time to figure out what to do if you don’t.”

Mikleo sighed, Sorey ready for the subject to be dropped when Mikleo moved. He tried to roll onto him to keep him in place, stopping when Mikleo rested their foreheads together again.

Mikleo stared into his eyes for a moment, his hand tightening in Sorey’s hair. “What about you? What do you want?”

Sorey shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does!” Mikleo gave him a little shake, some of the panic coming back into his eyes. “We’re equals in this, so it matters.”

Sorey sighed, giving in and leaning more into Mikleo. He was tempted to give Mikleo a lie to take off some of the pressure, but he was sure that Mikleo would see right through it. He nodded slowly. “Yes…but eventually. Now might not be the best time.”

Mikleo hummed, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. That seemed to be as much of an answer that Mikleo was willing to give, but that was more than Sorey had expected. He sighed and nuzzled close, relieved when Mikleo allowed him. He relaxed into Mikleo, going back to lazily rubbing their scent glands together.

He could feel Mikleo relaxing the longer he carried on, the two of them shifting slightly to get into a better position. It was nicer to be pressed up against each other, Mikleo’s other hand splayed over his heart and their legs tangled together. It was wonderful when Mikleo started to return the motion with a content sound.

Sorey lost track of the time, too busy breathing Mikleo in. It felt like forever since he had last gotten to hold Mikleo. It was enough to make him consider drifting off to sleep. He doubted that it would help with the exhaustion that tugged on him, but he would be more comfortable.

He closed his eyes, intending to only rest them for a moment when Mikleo’s hand moved from over his heart. Sorey kept his eyes closed as he felt Mikleo trace under them, the seraph making a chiding sound. “We need to get you away too. The malevolence is hurting you.”

Sorey wanted to protest, but it was hard when Mikleo was sweeping his hands down his sides. It was hard to hide his dramatic weight loss or the dark circles under his eyes. It was impossible to hide the malevolence that he carried, not when he was sure that Mikleo could feel it just as clearly as he could.

That still didn’t quash the urge to try and hide it. Mikleo had enough on his mind without having to worry about him, but he didn’t think it was the time to push. He just let Mikleo run his hands over his sides, only opening his eyes when Mikleo shifted from exploring to just holding him.

He tipped his head forward, leaning their foreheads together. Mikleo huffed, probably angry that he couldn’t get at Sorey properly to scent anymore, but he allowed the motion. Sorey smiled at the allowance, scratching his nails light over the back of Mikleo’s neck.

He wouldn’t argue with the assessment, because malevolence hurt everyone, but he didn’t know a place in Glenwood that would get them far away enough that they would all be safe.

If they ran for Lohgrin than everyone would know where they were going. Lohgrin was the only place where the malevolence wasn’t concentrated, and it was where the other seraphim were. Besides, Sorey had mentioned it to them before, meaning that it would be the first place Rose and the others would look for them. Sorey couldn’t think of a place on Glenwood that the two of them would be safe.

Sorey sucked in a quick breath when he went back over his thoughts, feeling Mikleo shift against him. He made a calming noise, going back to stroking the back of Mikleo’ neck. “It was nothing. I was just thinking.” He paused when Mikleo hummed, watching the seraph closely to judge his reaction. “The safest place for us would be away from Glenwood.”

Mikleo narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t immediately protest. If anything, he scooted a bit closer, looking like he was listening. Sorey took that as his cue to continue. “There are other places that we could go, the Far Continent or some of the small islands. They’ll be so busy here that no one will bother to chase us there. And the malevolence should be less.”

Mikleo chuckled, one hand sliding into Sorey’s hair. “I never expected you to suggest running away.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” Sorey blushed, but he didn’t look away from Mikleo. “It doesn’t have to be forever. Just until things settle down. I’m not taking you away from your family.”

“I know, but I…” Mikleo bit his lip, silencing himself for a moment before speaking again. “I want you to stay.”

“I will.” He didn’t hesitate in his response, because there was no other answer that he would consider. “I’ll stay as long as you want.”

Mikleo chuckled, shifting his hold on Sorey. “Careful. I may just ask for all that you can give me.”

“You can have it. It might be only eighty years-”

“I’ll take them.” Mikleo cupped his cheeks, tilting his head so his lips were hovering over Sorey’s. “I’ll take everything that you are willing to give.”

Sorey smiled before moving to close the distance, kissing him gently. Mikleo made a contented sigh and melted into him. Sorey kept the kiss soft, anchoring himself with the one hand he had on the back of Mikleo’s neck. What he really wanted to do was to let his hands wander, but he didn’t dare, not when Mikleo was so touchy about the subject of the baby. He didn’t want Mikleo shying away from him, not now.

He hummed against Mikleo’s lips, his eyes fluttering open when Mikleo pulled back. He smiled at the seraph’s contented sigh, lifting his chin slightly so Mikleo could tuck himself closer. Mikleo took the invitation, snuggling close to him as his hands came to rest on Sorey’s lower back. Sorey cradled Mikleo’s close to him, nuzzling into the seraph’s hair as he finally allowed the tension he was carrying to slip free.

* * *

Sunlight sparkled off the lake, the shine partially blocking the city that was at the center of it. Alisha was sure that part of the problem was the distance that they were at, and she almost regretted it. It was the first time she had been close to the city since she had fled ahead of the empire’s troops and she could barely see anything.

She pulled her legs closer to her chest, leaning further back against the tree. What she wanted to do was walk closer to try and get a better look at Ladylake. She wouldn’t be able to get too close because they were still days away from it, but the pull was still there. She had spent years promising herself that she’d go back to Ladylake as soon as the war was over and it was so close now.

Alisha swayed forward slightly before remembering herself. The war wasn’t over yet, they still had to catch Sorey. She bit her lip, allowing the temptation of Ladylake to tug at her for a moment before she groaned and let her forehead fall against her knees.

They had lost Sorey somewhere in the tangle of small villages between Griflet Bridge and Ladylake. Alisha wasn’t quite sure how they had managed it, only that there were far more small villages that she had thought.

She was surprised that they had managed to hang on for so long between having to support the empire and supporting the resistance. Alisha had seen plenty of families moving back into larger villages for the protection they offered and because they had no other place to go. But the villages along the road had toughed it out, Alisha sure that it was because of the foot traffic along the road that had helped them survive, although it made her worry.

Ladylake had always been held by the empire, at least until Sorey had withdrawn all of his troops. Alisha could remember dodging the invading force as they had come to join the others. Nervous soldiers and the populace was never the best combination, but she could only hope for the best.

The soldiers were gone now, leaving only the nobles and people who had assisted the downfall in the first place. Alisha didn’t think that they would be much of a problem once the word got out. She expected riots in Ladylake to throw them out, if they hadn’t happened already. It was enough to make her want to rush off to Ladylake and check, but she couldn’t. For one, she had promised to help Rose out as her squire. For another, Alisha was sure that, if she returned, she wouldn’t leave.

She swallowed and lifted her head from her knees. Alisha looked away from the city and back towards where the trees closed over the road again. They were lucky that they had found one place where the forest curved with the foothills, giving them a view of the city, although Alisha was sure that it was only lucky for her. She was the only one who had come away to look at the city. Rose was pacing up and down the road with Dezel and Edna, the three of them in close conversation. Alisha was sure that they were trying to track Sorey.

They had lost track of the two of them somewhere along the road for different reasons. The storms moving towards Hyland were messing with Dezel’s ability because of the changes in the wind. The soldiers rushing back home were impeding Edna. Both of those meant that the seraphim needed time to focus harder on just who they were tracking, leaving the rest of them at loose ends for a while.

Alisha didn’t particularly mind, not when they were spending most of their time fighting off hellions and rushing after a fading trail. Any downtime they had was while they were setting up camp and, by then, they were either rushing to be able to go practice with the seraphim or too tired to do anything else. The only thing she did mind was the fact that it gave her more time to think over just what was happening.

Her title had never been more than a polite fiction. She had been attached to the royal family, but no one had bothered to bring her father back into the fold after he had chosen to marry her mother. The title had been one given in vague deference and only made real when she had been the only surviving member of the royal family and people had attached themselves to that. The only logical thing to do had seemed to be attach herself to the title in return, because she didn’t want to disappoint them.

Alisha sighed and looked back out into the open space, pushing those thoughts out of her mind as she watched Sergei. She wasn’t surprised to see him practicing with the seraphim; he was always trying to get one of them to work with him on the armatus. He was with Natalie today, and the two of them were struggling.

She watched them move jerkily along the edge of the woods, her amusement distracted by the soft swish of skirts. Alisha titled her head back, watching as Lailah came to stand beside her. The fire seraph watched the two of them before calling out to them.

“Try to loosen up, Sergei.”

Sergei grunted an affirmative, but the armatus didn’t mesh any better. He still moved stiffly, and Alisha was sure that Natalie was lending him just enough of her power for the armatus to remain intact.

Alisha hummed, shifting her position so she could lean back onto her hands. “He’s able to do this when we’re up against hellions.”

“I think it’s because he doesn’t have to think about it. I’ve known Shepherds like that.” Lailah sat down next to her, brushing her skirt out as she settled. “They overthink things when there’s no pressure, but under pressure they shine. It may be a soldier thing, or it may be an individual thing. I’ve never been able to tell.”

Alisha frowned before pushing the thought away. She was a soldier, but she was sure that Sergei benefited from formal training. Maltran had trained her like a Blue Valkyrie, a shock unit that worked apart more than it did together. She had seen the Platinum Knights fight, shoulder to shoulder and all in a line. It was mechanical and orderly in its own way, and probably nothing like having a seraph riding along.

Knowing Sergei, he was reluctant to mesh too deeply because of a question of propriety. In the heat of the moment, those could be ignored, but outside of it there was a strict protocol. That too was probably the product of his training.

She drummed her fingers against the ground, shaking her head. “We should get Edna to help him when he practices. That might snap him out of it.”

“Alisha.” Lailah sounded shocked, the effect ruined by the way she giggled the next moment. Alisha turned to look as Lailah dropped her hands from her mouth. “That would be horrible. At least let someone warm him up first.”

“I don’t think Dezel will. He doesn’t seem to like armatizing with anyone but Rose.”

“Dezel’s armatus takes a little getting used to. It comes with…difficulties.” Lailah paused for a moment, thinking hard over something before she shook her head. “The armatus means that the human and seraph become one, and that comes with everything that the human and seraph share. Rose and Michael said that things start to blur when they armatize with him. Michael always said that it got worse the longer he stayed in armatus.”

“So Rose is used to it?” Alisha waited for Lailah to nod before looking back at Sergei.

It sounded right, because Rose and Dezel had always been together for as long as she had known them. Besides, Rose was always quick to claim Dezel if there was a need to armatize and the other seraphim were quick to grab them. Alisha had always thought that it had been a division of labor, but it might have been protection. The armatus was disorienting enough, but adjusting to it in the midst of battle that might be too much while they were so inexperienced.

She sighed and looking beyond where Sergei and Natalie were struggling to raise a small waterspout, her gaze going back to Ladylake in the distance. She leaned forward, hoping to catch something that she could remember, but the city was a vague shadow on the horizon, lost amid the shine of the sun off the lake.

The seraph hummed, Alisha turning her head at the sound. Lailah was looking down at her lap where she was folding a flower out of paper. Lailah rubbed her finger along a crease, her finger lingering at the edge of it before she shook her head. “Do you regret becoming Rose’s Squire?”

Alisha was surprised by the question. She stared at Lailah before shaking her head. “I don’t. I’m glad that I can help, because she’s done so much for us. It’s only fair to return the favor.”

“But you want to go back.”

Alisha winced, but didn’t bother to refute it. She had been happy to get away from the army and the war, if only just to refresh herself. It had been a long and hard road to get to where they were. Besides, it had meant that she would get time to spend with Rose and Sergei before she was buried in the task of bringing Hyland back to itself. Once she was busy with the country Alisha didn’t know the next time she would be able to see the two of them.

She had expected the hard work, just like she had expected the lazy evenings full of laughter. She just hadn’t expected to feel the pull of responsibilities back towards Ladylake.

She swallowed and looked down at her hands. “I do. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. It might be because we’re so close to Ladylake.” Alisha shifted slightly so she was no longer facing the city. It was easier that way and just as engaging to watch as Lailah worked at her flower. Alisha watched as Lailah patiently went through a few more folds before speaking up again. “I barely remember the city, but you were there longer than me. Do you miss it?”

Lailah hummed, turning the half folded flower over in her hands. She took a long time in answering, playing with the flower before finally allowing it to drop to her lap. “I was only in the city for ten years. I went there after Michael briefly retired.”

Alisha frowned, tipping her head to the side. “But there’s always been a Lady of the Lake in the city.”

Lailah nodded. “There always has been, but it hasn’t always been the same one.” She smiled, starting to work on the flower again. “Seraphim sometimes get the urge to roam. Nerida had been there for a few centuries and she was getting a bit of wanderlust, so we swapped places.” Lailah’s smile faltered for a moment. “I don’t know what happened to her, but I assume the worst. But I tried to do justice to her beloved city.”

Alisha reached out, hesitating a moment before patting Lailah’s shoulder. “You did more than enough.”

Lailah reached up to pat Alisha’s hand, putting pressure on it for a moment before letting her hand slide away. “Thank you.”

The words were barely a whisper, Alisha having to lean close to hear it. Alisha wavered for a moment, not sure if she could pull away or remain close. The pull of Ladylake was strong, Alisha could feel it pressing down on her. It was the heart of Hyland, the thing that they had struggled to recover for so long. It was a responsibility that was looking her right in the face, and she knew that she was going to turn and walk away because she had promised. It could only be worse for Lailah.

She leaned closer so their shoulders were touching. Lailah started at the touch, but she didn’t move away. Alisha smiled when she heard Lailah sigh just before she leaned into her.

The seraph remained pressed against her for a moment before sitting up to finish up her flower. Alisha watched as the final folds went in, Lailah holding the flower up before setting it delicately in Alisha’s hair.

Alisha laughed and lifted it free, cradling it in her hands. It was a beautiful flower, Alisha amazed that Lailah had managed it just by folding the paper. She stroked one of the petals, freezing when she heard Lailah speak.

“I should thank you too. You and Sergei both. Rose needed the help.”

Alisha curled her fingers protectively over the flower, considering what Lailah had just said. “Will she be alright after we leave?”

“She will.” Lailah chuckled her herself. “We’ll take care of her. And I don’t think she’ll be shy about asking for Squires. There’s a lot to do.”

Alisha nodded, taking a deep breath. She could feel the press of malevolence all around her. It was usually something that she could ignore, if only because it was so familiar. But, sometimes, she became more aware of it. She could only imagine what it felt like for the seraphim. She stroked over the petal of the flower before shaking her head. “I’ll help in whatever way I can. With the world the way it is, I don’t think that the Shepherd should be left to face it alone.”

Lailah looked shocked, but her expression quickly slipped into a smile. She nodded, carefully picking out blue and red pieces of paper from her pile. “That’s good to hear. Rose might not say it, but I will. Thank you.”

Alisha nodded, glancing back over at where Rose was conferring with the seraphim. “She has her own ways of doing things.”

“Oh, she does.” Lailah giggled, holding her papers in front of her mouth. It took her a few tries to regain control of herself, Lailah finally lowering the papers into her lap again. Even then she had to reach up to wipe at her eyes. “Michael was always baffled by her. They’re both very straightforward people, but in very different ways. Michael never knew how to deal with it. There was this one time where-”

Lailah cut herself off, standing up abruptly as Rose started to walk towards them. Alisha stood up more slowly, taking a moment to glance between Lailah and Rose. Rose was grinning, but Lailah’s expression was serious. The fire seraph tucked her papers away, her fingers curling into her skirt as soon as they were safely away. Alisha swallowed and looked back at Rose.

Rose gave her a nod, her gaze darting over to where Sergei and Natalie were still practicing. “You guys ready to go?”

“You found them?” Alisha felt her heart start to beat faster at the thought.

She had never thought that they wouldn’t find Sorey and Mikleo, but she expected it to take longer. Mostly she had thought that they would have to visit each village along the road until they found the two of them. Alisha looked over at where Edna and Dezel were still standing on the road. They were talking to each other, Alisha watching as Edna tapped her umbrella against the ground. She wasn’t sure if it was impatience or if it was because the two of them weren’t as sure of what they had found as Rose. Either way, any sighting was a good one.

She swallowed, trying to ignore the rush of excitement. It was too early to be sure of what would happen, too early to be thinking about victory and what she would do afterward. But Ladylake was at her back, and Alisha was tempted to turn around and look at the distant city. It was far too soon for that kind of thinking, but that didn’t mean she wanted it any less. Nor did it mean that she wanted to run away with Rose and Sergei any less.

Alisha took a deep breath, catching Rose’s distinct scent. It made her want to stumble forward and hold Rose close because this was ending. The three of them would go their separate ways and anything else between them would become stolen moments. It made her want to reach out for Sergei too, but she held herself back.

It didn’t matter what she thought, this was something that had to be done. There was no question of that.

She smiled at Rose, indulging herself by reaching out to touch Rose’s arm. She was relieved that Rose met her halfway, touching her wrist before reeling Alisha in by her waist. The motion turned her so they were facing Sergei and Natalie.

Rose shouted and waved her arm, Sergei’s head jerking up a moment before the armatus broke. The two of them stumbled apart, Sergei breathing heavily. That didn’t stop him from jogging towards them.

Rose was quick to reach out and grab him, Alisha biting her lip to keep herself from laughing as Sergei squeaked as he was drawn in. She saw a blush start to creep across his face, sure that Rose’s hand was wandering. She rolled her eyes and nudged Rose with her hip. Alisha wasn’t sure that it helped, but Sergei seemed comfortable enough, if not flustered. Then again, it was very easy to make the man flustered. Alisha ignored the casual thought that she wanted to chase the blush all the way down, there were more important things to focus on.

She knocked her hip against Rose again, getting Rose to turn away from Ladylake. She didn’t need to be focusing on the city and that future just yet. There were more immediate concerns to occupy her, at least for the moment.

* * *

Mikleo leaned back against the wall that ran along the stable yard, watching as Sorey spoke with Emma and her sister-in-law. He smiled to himself, watching as Sorey tried to deal with their fawning praise. It was obvious that he didn’t know how to take it. He frowned, swaying in place before leaning back against the wall. Interfering wouldn’t help, it would just render the women into slack jawed reverence, which meant that things would just be delayed. Besides, someone had to watch their bags.

He shifted his foot back, knocking his heel gently against one of the bags to reassure himself of their placement. Mikleo doubted that anyone would try to snatch them away, not when the whole village seemed to think that he and Sorey were objects of worship. He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

He had expected that Sorey would take a while to say goodbye to the women, and he didn’t mind. It gave him the time to figure out which way they would go. Sorey didn’t have the luxury of a map and Mikleo had no real experience with traveling through the mountains where they were. They would just have to keep going until they reached the other side and then travel along the mountains to the nearest port. It wasn’t a solid plan, but it was better than the one Sorey had before.

Mikleo snorted and rolled his eyes. Like he would happily leave Sorey.

He pressed his nails against his arms at the thought, trying to keep himself steady. The idea of made him feel alternately panicked and angry, because it was nothing that he wanted to do. And it was everything to do with Sorey himself and nothing to do with It.

Mikleo dropped his gaze to his stomach. It didn’t look any different through all the layers of his clothes, which was a relief. As long as he kept something on there was nothing to show. That was almost calming, except that he knew what was underneath all the layers.

It wasn’t a large bump, just a slight rounding of his stomach and it was so small that he couldn’t even tell unless he turned sideways. The problem was that he _knew_ it was there. The problem was that he didn’t know if he wanted to claw at his stomach or cradle it gently, his mind changed depending on the minute.

He swallowed and closed his eyes, tipping his head back. He sighed when it rested back against the wall, Mikleo shifting slightly so his hair ornament wouldn’t be in danger of being damaged by the wall. He just needed something solid to rest against as he thought over the subject.

He’d given an honest answer to Sorey’s question, but that didn’t mean that he was happy about it. Not knowing what he was going to do wasn’t the right answer, but it was the only one he had. And it was driving him crazy. Living in a strange limbo between two answers was not something that he wanted to be doing, especially while he and Sorey would be traveling. There would come a time when he wouldn’t be able to use his artes and It would start to impede their travel, and he needed an answer before that.

Mikleo drummed his fingers against his arm, stopping the motion abruptly when he heard someone coming over. He opened his eyes and tipped his head up, smiling when he saw Sorey standing in front of him. He opened his mouth to ask about how he had managed to get away when Sorey reached out to rub the bridge of his nose.

Sorey smoothed his thumb up just below Mikleo’s circlet, circling it there for a moment before he moved to cup the back of Mikleo’s head. “You’re thinking hard about something. Is it about the bun in the oven?”

Mikleo raised an eyebrow, wanting to reach out and dig his fingers into Sorey’s side just to see him jump. He partially succeeded, reaching out to Sorey, but he let his hand rest on Sorey’s waist instead. He curled his fingers into Sorey’s belt, tugging him forward a bit. Sorey went willingly, stopping closer to him. Mikleo tipped his chin up slightly, shifting his hold on Sorey so he could squeeze his side in a warning. “That’s a mouthful, but yes.”

Sorey hummed, leaning their foreheads together. Mikleo was suddenly very much aware of the two women at the inn. He couldn’t see around Sorey to check if they were still there, and he wasn’t inclined to move too far. If they were watching, then that was their own problem.

He couldn’t help but smile as Sorey grinned back at him. “Just bun then.”

Mikleo huffed, shaking his head. “You’re ridiculous.”

Sorey didn’t argue that, which made his smile a bit wider. Mikleo relaxed against the wall, letting Sorey bracket him with one arm. It was a nice and snug, enough to make him want to tip his head back and invite Sorey to scent him again. He couldn’t remember a time that he’d been more relaxed than the few hours that they had spent holding each other and he made him want to chase after it again.

He swallowed, purposefully holding himself back. If he allowed that, then they would never get moving. That would be a problem, because they had miles to travel.

He smoothed his fingers over Sorey’s side before giving him a light push. Sorey huffed in response, ducking his head to give him a quick peck on the lips.

Mikleo’s eyes widened at the bit of affection, softening a little when Sorey stroked over his arm. “Be right back, beloved.”

His stomach turned at the familiar pet name, suddenly struck by how much he had missed it. Mikleo found himself leaning after Sorey, stopping himself from going far enough that he fell over.

Mikleo rocked back against the wall, pressing one hand against it to keep himself steady. It didn’t help, not when Sorey was turning around to smile at him. It made his heart skip and his stomach turn pleasantly.

It made him feel loved.

“Oh.” Mikleo breathed out the word, his eyes going wide. He was dimly aware of Sorey stopping in the middle of the yard, but he wasn’t paying attention to that. His focus was on the warmth that rushed through him at the thought.

He had known that Sorey was attached to him, but it had been easy to categorize it as an effect of his heats. Of course Sorey would want to keep him close after a heat, it was instinct.

This wasn’t, it was something more and it made him smile.

Mikleo pushed away from the wall, walking across the yard to meet Sorey halfway. Sorey was quick to pull him into a hug, Mikleo feeling his hands start to roam. They stayed away from his stomach or his sides, which is was grateful for, but the worry wasn’t needed. He smiled to himself and nuzzled into Sorey’s neck, the motion getting him to relax a fraction.

He waited until Sorey was pliant in his arms before speaking, keeping his voice low so only the two of them could hear it. “I love you too.”

Sorey tensed at that, Mikleo feeling him jerk. He got a tighter hold on Sorey, pressing his face against Sorey’s shoulder. He couldn’t have misread the situation, but he desperately wanted it to be true. It felt comfortable and right for that to be the truth.

Sorey’s stillness broke suddenly, Mikleo yelping as he was pulled tight against Sorey. He thought he heard Sorey apologize, but it was quickly lost in the words that Sorey was muttering over and over again. “Love you.”

Mikleo chuckled and reached up to stroke his hand through Sorey’s hair. He wanted to bask in this, to hold Sorey close forever and drown in the feeling of contentment and lightness. He was tempted to nudge Sorey back into the inn to indulge themselves a little more. In what exactly he didn’t know, all he knew was that he didn’t want Sorey too far away from him.

He swallowed, about to try and talk Sorey into leaving. If Sorey was willing to leave, then he would follow. But he wasn’t sure he would be able to resist if Sorey agreed with him. Mikleo breathed out slowly, feeling Sorey shudder. He tried to work out the words, all thoughts of what he was trying to say disappearing when he heard someone shout.

He pulled slightly away from Sorey, pushing away from him harder when Sorey went to hold him closer. Mikleo was thankful that Sorey didn’t try to pull him back. He wanted to see what was going on, especially if it was enough to have someone shouting.

Mikleo narrowed his eyes as he saw one of the villagers running into the stable yard. The man leaned forward, panting for breath even as he motioned over his shoulder.

“C-coming up the road. Riders.”

Mikleo felt a chill run down his spine. He let go of Sorey and stumbled closer to the wall. He paused by where their bags rested, but he didn’t dare look out beyond the wall. There were only a few possibilities of what was coming into Sitole. Either they were soldiers from the Hyland army or it was the Shepherd. Mikleo growled low, crouching close to their bags.

No matter who was coming into the village, it was a problem. There was only the small road out of Sitole, unless they turned and rode for the mountains. Mikleo wasn’t even sure that they would have the time for that considering that he could hear the horses coming up the road.

He swallowed and peeked out through the gate, his stomach sinking when he saw Rose, Alisha and Sergei riding up toward the inn. The villagers had gathered to watch, some of them starting to bow to Alisha. It was clear that they were in awe of their princess, which was dangerous. They might decide to side with her instead of Sorey, which would be catastrophic for them.

Mikleo reached out to curl his fingers around the strap between the two saddlebags, about to turn around and motion for Sorey when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He twisted to look back, watching as Sorey leaned around to take a look for his own. Sorey stared at them for a moment, Mikleo watching as he swayed forward. He reached up to grab Sorey’s wrist, surprised by the way that Sorey immediately turned back to him.

Sorey squeezed his shoulder before retreating to grab the second set of saddlebags. “We won’t get past them that way, and the horse isn’t ready.”

“Which ways are open?”

Sorey pulled the saddlebags over his shoulder, hesitating for a moment. His gaze darted to the street before he tipped his head back. “Through the inn and out the back. It’ll put us in the woods, but it’ll be out of their way.”

Mikleo stared at him before nodding. He grabbed the other set of saddlebags and settled them over his shoulder. He gave Sorey a wry look. “This is going to make things more difficult.”

“Do we have another choice?”

Mikleo opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of Sergei speaking to the villagers was enough to spur him into action. They didn’t have the time to discuss it much longer. He gritted his teeth and followed Sorey back to the inn.

Emma and her sister-in-law were busy at the front of the wall, joining the rest of the village in staring at the newcomers. They seemed to be just as enthralled, which made it the best time to sneak away. Mikleo wasn’t sure that he trusted the two women not to betray them, and he wasn’t giving them the chance to prove themselves. Whatever favor that Emma felt she owed Sorey was probably paid, which left her no reason to shield them.

He tensed when Emma turned around, surprised by the nod that she gave him before she reached out for her sister-in-law and tugged her close. Mikleo wasn’t sure what that was a signal of, but he wasn’t about to wait to find it out.

He jogged to catch up with Sorey, ducking into the inn behind him. Sorey was quick to reach back and grab onto his hand, towing him through the hallways and into the kitchen. Sorey headed to the backdoor, holding it open so Mikleo could duck through.

Mikleo’s gaze went immediately to the ridge that surrounded Sitole. It was close to the back of the inn, looming above them. He looked for hand holds, frowning when he saw how crumbly it looked. He flexed his fingers, tempted to try an arte. There were a few small ones that he could use to get them up the wall, but he wasn’t sure how long it would hold with the way his artes were fluctuating. Besides, it would draw more attention than it was worth. He cursed under his breath, turning around to look at Sorey to see if he had a better plan, but Sorey wasn’t right beside him.

Sorey was back by the inn, pulling the ladder away from the side of the house. Mikleo stared at it for a moment before figuring out what Sorey was trying to do.

He rushed over to help with the ladder, bracing himself against the other side as they guided the ladder to rest against the ridge. Mikleo tipped his head back to look at how it rested, wincing when he saw some dirt crumble away. It looked like it would hold, but the angle was awkward. Still, he wouldn’t complain, not when the other option was walking back out into the open. Mikleo shuddered at the thought. He didn’t want to see Sorey kneeling in front of the three of them ever again, not while he was around to protect him.

He jumped when Sorey touched his shoulder, turning to look at him. Sorey leaned close, ushering him towards the base of the ladder. “They could have noticed that. And it won’t take long for them to come through.”

“Sorey-”

“I’ll be right after you. Promise.”

Mikleo stared at Sorey for a moment before reaching up to adjust the saddlebags more comfortably on his shoulder. He grabbed onto the ladder, feeling it shake for a moment. He hissed at the motion but didn’t bother to hesitate any longer. The sooner he got up the ladder, the sooner Sorey would be able to follow.

He scrambled up the first few rungs, moving quickly to try and get up the ladder as fast as he could. It was steady for most of his trip, the ladder only shaking when he was halfway up.

Mikleo grabbed onto the sides of the ladder, pressing himself low even as he looked over his shoulder. He was met with an apologetic smile from Sorey, Mikleo breathing out slowly. He glanced back up at the top of the ladder before pushing onward.

It was harder now that Sorey wasn’t steadying it, but he didn’t dare slow down, not when it felt like they were moving too slowly. Any moment he expected to feel the ladder jerk as someone else grabbed it or to hear someone shouting for them. It was enough to make him want to check behind him, but Mikleo resisted the urge. That would just slow him down further, and he didn’t dare.

Mikleo kept his gaze fixed on the top of the ridge, practically lunging for it as soon as he got close to the top. He hauled himself up, turning around to grab for the top of the ladder. He pressed it down into place, watching as Sorey climbed his way to the top.

He didn’t dare let go until Sorey was safely on solid ground. Mikleo breathed a sigh of relief, glancing down at the ladder and the back of the inn before shifting his grip to tip the ladder away from the ridge. He wouldn’t be able to let it go without it making noise, but it was more important that the others would have to take the long way to get to them. He would take any advantage that he and Sorey could get.

The ladder wobbled for a moment before tipping slowly over. It dragged along the ridge before settling awkwardly in the bushes at the back of the inn. It was less noise than Mikleo expected, but he was sure that it would have caught someone’s attention.

He threw a quick glance back at the village, staring at the crowd that had gathered at the front of the inn. Rose had perked up like something had caught her interest, but her attention was quickly pulled away when someone started gesturing to the other side of the village. Mikleo narrowed his eyes, a low growl threatening to rumble out before he stopped himself.

There were only two roads out of Sitole, and Mikleo doubt that the villagers would put themselves in danger for the two of them. Still, their answer would lead Rose and the others into the mountains, right where he and Sorey were going.

Mikleo swallowed and reached back for Sorey, relieved when Sorey was quick to grab his hand. It didn’t matter if Rose was being properly directed or misdirected, he was not about to lose their lead on them.

He turned slightly, staring at the mountains. If he could orient himself to Elysia then he could figure out the way to go, but all of the mountains looked similar. It was enough to make him wish that he could remember anything from being a drake. He’d seen the world from the air, which would have come in handy, but all he could remember was the anger and the hunger. Mikleo shook his head, giving up on finding Elysia. They generally knew the direction of the border and they could orient themselves once they were over it.

Mikleo huffed and turned back to the forest, expecting Sorey to come with him. He froze at the jerk on his arm, turning back to look at Sorey.

Sorey wasn’t moving, he was still staring down at Sitole. As far as Mikleo could see there was nothing to hold his attention, and he doubted that Rose would hurt the people. There was nothing there for him, but Sorey was still hesitating.

Mikleo tugged on his arm again, his words catching in his throat. Sorey had promised to come with him, and Mikleo depended on that. Sorey was part of the small group of important people left to him, and he would be damned before he let Sorey run right into danger. Sorey was human and fragile and too easy to lose. He cleared his throat, about to try and speak again when Sorey shook his head and looked back at him with a smile.

Sorey shifted, wriggling his arm until he was holding hands with Mikleo again. He slotted their fingers together, running his thumb along the back of Mikleo’s hand. “It’s fine. It’s nothing.”

Mikleo huffed, not quite believing it, but they didn’t have the time to stand and discuss what had been going through Sorey’s mind. They were too exposed on the top of the ridge and it wouldn’t take more than one of the three looking up for them to be spotted. The villagers could only keep them occupied for so long and Mikleo was not about to test their luck. Besides, the more distance that they could put between Sergei, Alisha, Rose and themselves the better, especially since the three of them had the advantage of horses.

He gave the stable a mournful glance before shaking his head. They couldn’t waste the time going back for the horse. It was more important to keep pressing onward before the press of malevolence grew too much for the two of them, or before he couldn’t travel at all.

Mikleo looked away from Sitole when Sorey squeezed his hand. He gave into the tug that followed, jogging beside Sorey as they ducked into the woods.


	33. Chapter 30

“The nets are all in place, and the drag is about to begin.”  
- _The Hound of the Baskerville_ , Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

* * *

 

Pendrago was crowded, much more than Boris was used to. He stood up in his stirrups, staring at the people that clogged the streets. He could see a general movement away, urged on by Andrei’s shouting, but the people were slow to move. Most of them were too busy staring at them in shock. It was enough to make Boris was to tug the cloak off. It was hot enough to excuse it, but he didn’t dare, not when it was the only thing like authority that he had. He was in Pendrago to figure out the situation and advocate for the seraphim, nothing more. That didn’t stop him from pulling nervously at it as the people stared at him.

Everyone who lived in Pendrago knew who he was; brother of Sergei Strelka, general of the Platinum Knights. They were used to the sight of him. But it was different now that he wasn’t wearing the armor and colors of the Platinum Knights. More than that, they had probably thought that he was dead.

He curled his fingers into the collar of the cloak, about to pull it off when he felt a flicker of amusement that left the back of his throat dry. _“Easy there, Sheps.”_

 _“They’re staring.”_ He hadn’t meant to respond to Zaveid, but it was a welcome distraction, especially since he could feel the other seraphim perking up. _“They probably all thought I was dead.”_

_“It’s a miracle. All praise and honor to the Great Lord Maotelus.”_

It took effort not to flinch when he felt Eizen smack Zaveid. He couldn’t feel the impact, but it rang through his head oddly. He could hear the others laughing just behind Zaveid’s complaints. It distracted him for a moment before Uno nudged himself forward. Boris was unsure how the seraph managed to knock politely in his mind before he spoke.

_“If it helps, I don’t think they know. I think it’s just the shock.”_

Boris gave wordless agreement. _“As long as Andrei keeps his mouth shut.”_

 _“Will he?”_ Uno seemed nervous, not that Boris blamed him. There crush of people would be a bit much. Boris could even feel a sort of wariness around Zaveid. It made him want to curl in on himself on the dim hopes that it would keep the seraphim safe. Andrei had said that the war was over, and that things were being overhauled, but that didn’t mean much. The new people in charge might want to use the seraphim in the same way.

He glanced up at Andrei, watching the man shout for the way to be cleared again. Andrei was steady and he seemed more distracted by moving through the crowds than anything else. _“He will.”_

The seraphim all relaxed, Boris not surprised by how relieved they were. They’d spent months on their own and the only contact with people had been through towns. That had been enough to get Eizen, Melody and Uno to relax. Boris was sure that Pendrago might set them back a bit. _“Stay inside if you want to. Zaveid?”_

_“I’ll take front and center, Sheps. Don’t worry. Besides, it’s only right because I’m your Prime Lord.”_

Boris felt the others groan, although Melody giggled a bit. That was something a bit more normal and it settled him enough to settle back down in the saddle.

Bee tossed her head, Boris reaching out to pat her neck. The mare was getting skittish again, and Boris hoped that she didn’t bolt. The last thing he needed was a panicked horse with nowhere to go. Even worse, Boris was sure that Eizen would come out to try and calm her, which would lead to a rush of people. He had seen how they had reacted to Mikleo, how they had crowded around him and tried to touch him. Thankfully, Mikleo had just curled into himself until they had passed. Eizen wouldn’t have that kind of patience, not for himself and not for Bee, and that was not the introduction that Boris wanted.

He felt Eizen give a fleeting and grudging sort of agreement, Boris smiling at that. He gave Bee’s neck and extra pat, looking up at the looming walls of the royal precinct. It felt like forever since he had been back, let alone come through the front gates. It was enough to make his stomach twist nervously. It would be strange to be there without the vague structure of government or anything that he was familiar with.

Already Pendrago was foreign to him. There were too many people. All of the royal banners had been pulled down, leaving the walls of Pendrago bare. There were a new set of guards on the wall without uniforms which made Boris think that they were pulled from the people themselves. They must have started that once the army had moved out. If what Andrei had told him was true, Sorey had stripped every soldier from the city when he had left. That would have made the city panic because hellions were still roaming through the empire and they had no one left to protect them. With that in mind, it was no wonder that the people of Pendrago had taken things into their own hands. Boris was sure that, if someone hadn’t done it for them, the people would have killed Pope Reno themselves.

He glanced back at the crowds, watching as they pushed towards the edge of the street. A few of them cheered, probably at the sight of the people that were walking with them or because of Andrei. Boris shook his head and looked up to where Andrei was riding ahead in his red cape. It should have made him miss his own, but it didn’t. He had other priorities.

He rolled his shoulders, perking up when he saw Andrei swinging them away from the royal precinct. Boris tipped his head, glancing up at the inner wall before focusing on the large building that they were approaching.

On the one hand, he was glad that they wouldn’t have to enter the royal precinct, because he would have to explain why he was there and alive. That and see how everything had changed. On the other hand, the old parliament house wasn’t much better.

Boris didn’t think that the thing had been used for years, not since Emperor Dorann’s great great grandfather had abolished the parliament because it had stalled him in the war far too many times.

Boris wasn’t surprised that the new government had taken over the building. There was nowhere in the palace that could hold all of the people that had been brought to Pendrago. The throne room might, but that might imply a king too strongly. And there were a few grand halls, but Boris didn’t think that they would be good for discussions, not when they stretched the length of the palace. The parliament building made sense, but it was intimidating. He doubted that he would be able to get away with just standing outside, and he had never done well in front of assemblies of people.

He felt Zaveid nudge him, not sure if it was to cheer him on or a promise of support. Boris wasn’t sure of either, at least not in the setting that they were about to go into.

Boris pulled Bee up by the entrance to the building, watching as the people that they had been escorting filed past them. Most of them bowed and a few of them reached out to touch his leg or the edge of his cloak, but Bee shied away from them. Boris shushed her, stroking her neck as he watched them disappear into the building.

He glanced up at Andrei, expecting him to motion back up to the entrance to the royal precinct. He thought that he would be hurried off to meet with the other Platinum Knights, which was only a little bit better than going into the parliament building. Boris just didn’t want to face them, not when he was keenly aware that they had all deserted and marched off to war because they had thought that he was dead. What they had done was important, it was saving the world from malevolence, saving the seraphim and saving the people of Rolance. He didn’t want to cheapen any of that with his return.

He shifted his grip on the reins, trying to steel himself even as he felt the rush of warmth that was Melody comforting him. Boris reached out in return, his attention snapping back to the outside world when Andrei dismounted.

Boris stared at him, watching as Andrei tied his horse by the full water trough. “What are you doing?”

“Going in.” Andrei motioned over his shoulder as soon as the horse was secured. “Gouldman will be waiting for us and I know Nestor will have skipped out on sitting in as soon as he heard that we were close. Vanya needs someone to report to him and Gouldman is too busy sulking over the general to want to meet with him.”

Boris blinked at the flood of information, wanting to ask Andrei to explain, but he was curtailed by Eizen stepping out. He looked down at the seraph, watching as Bee immediately turned her head to put her muzzle into his waiting hands.

Eizen rubbed the horse’s face before nodding up at Boris. “I’ll watch her.”

Boris wanted to take Eizen up on the offer, but he didn’t dare. He wanted all the seraphim close and listening while he was in there. He didn’t know if he would be needed beyond looking impressive, but just in case. It would be their last chance for up to date news before they went rushing off for the border.

He shook his head, ignoring the glare that Eizen shot him. “Bee should be fine.”

He expected an argument, but Eizen just patted Bee’s forehead before retreating. Boris heard Eizen grumbling as he settled back into place. He waited for the other seraphim to chime in and say something, but they all remained silent.

Boris sighed and dismounted, leading Bee over to the water trough. He secured her to the post, taking a moment to pat her neck before turning to look at Andrei.

The man was already at the door, holding it open for him with an expectant look. Boris reached up to tug at his clock, running his fingers along the edge until he felt a push of wind at his back. He frowned at Zaveid’s interference, but he walked forward anyway. There was no point in delaying, not when there were still miles to cover before they reached the border.

That didn’t stop him from gripping the side of the cloak tightly as he entered the building.

He had to pause to allow his eyes to adjust, Boris taking the moment to turn his head to the low rumble of voices. He tipped his head to the side, picking out a few words before they all rushed on him suddenly.

Boris reeled and leaned against the wall, distantly hearing Andrei shouting for him even as he heard Zaveid talk.

_“Sorry. Little too much.”_

_“Little?”_ Boris felt Zaveid give a sheepish shrug, tolerating it for a moment before yanking on the seraph.

It was a clumsy move, but Zaveid seemed to understand. He came out, stretching as he formed. Zaveid seemed to ignore the way that Andrei started and stared. Boris would have thought that Andrei was used to it by now because the seraphim were always popping in and out. They were content to ride along if there were large crowd of people, but Boris was sure that they got cramped inside of his mind or wherever they went. He didn’t want to keep them there, not when he imagined it felt too much like being bound to a weapon.

Zaveid finished his stretch, shooting Boris a grin. “Ready when you are.”

Boris gave him a weary nod, glancing over at Andrei as the man gave a low whistle. “You’re going to turn a few heads.”

“Don’t encourage him.” Boris turned on his heel and walked over towards the door, using the move to hide his grin at Zaveid’s sputter. He was sure that Zaveid could easily read what he was thinking. After all, he didn’t feel a flick of wind or hear anything too indignant. Everything was just for show, which was fine by him. It kept him distracted, which Boris was sure was the whole point.

He didn’t allow himself to hesitate by the door to the main room, Boris swinging it open and stepping through. He shot a glance towards the front of the room, watching as the speaker glanced up at him before going back to their tirade. Only the back row of the room turned to look back at them, but they were quick to go back to the speaker as well. Their disinterest was a relief and it allowed him to focus on the other man standing at the back of the room.

He assumed that it was Gouldman, although he was surprised to see a member of the Blue Storm Knights watching. He would have thought that they were all against what was happening because of the death of the pope. Apparently he had missed something crucial there, and that just made him more nervous.

Boris walked along the back of the room until he was standing next to Gouldman. He bristled when the man looked at him, leaning a bit too close before seeming to realize his error. Boris watched as Gouldman took a deep breath, waiting for the man to catalogue the scent before sticking his hand out, Gouldman quick to take it. He was sure that he shook it with a little more pressure than necessary, but Gouldman didn’t flinch and there was some part of Boris that was disappointed with that. “Gouldman.”

“Boris? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Alive?”

Gouldman gave him a nervous smile, his gaze darting down to the rows of people before looking up at him. “It is a surprise. Sergei always spoke of you like you were dead.”

“He was misinformed.”

“Ah…good.” Gouldman shifted in place, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. Boris couldn’t blame him, it was a topic that he didn’t want to linger on either, but he had a feeling that it would keep coming up. Gouldman cleared his throat softly. “Then he sent you?”

There was a bit of hopefulness in his voice that made Boris bristle. Andrei mentioned some kind of attachment to his older brother, which put him on edge. He couldn’t imagine how the two of them had met considering the circumstances. Nor could he imagine Sergei having any attachment to Gouldman, not unless he had stopped being interested in Alisha. Then again, it had been five months. That still didn’t stop him from being cautious, or allowing Eizen to make the earth rumble slightly.

Gouldman jumped, Boris trying to look innocent as Gouldman looked back at him. The man’s attention didn’t last long, snapping to something over his shoulder. Boris didn’t need to look back to know it was Zaveid, the gentle breeze that always followed the seraph and the expression on Gouldman’s face told him all he needed to know.

He felt Zaveid’s hand rest heavily on his shoulder, Boris tipping his head slightly as Zaveid spoke in a low whisper. “Who’s your friend?”

“Gouldman. He’s a friend of my brother’s.”

“Really?”

Boris gave Gouldman a steady glance before raising his shoulder in a shrug. “Apparently.”

Zaveid hummed like he was considering what he had been told, not that there was much to think over. Boris was sure that Zaveid was doing the same thing he was, which was watching for Gouldman’s reaction.

It was obvious that the man was considering how to react because the situation was strange. Boris was sure that he was easily dismissed, he was the formerly dead brother and a beta. Technically the more dangerous one to Gouldman would be Zaveid because he was another alpha, but he was unrelated and a seraph. It was a difficult mess to figure out and Boris was not inclined to help him out. Gouldman was part of the Blue Storm Knights and Boris wasn’t sure if he trusted him or not. Besides, until Sergei told him otherwise, he would assume that Sergei’s interest was firmly elsewhere.

Gouldman didn’t seem to have come to any decision, so he settled for a low growl, one that couldn’t be heard over the speaker. Boris raised an eyebrow by the threat, unimpressed by it. He ignored the way that Zaveid’s hand tightened on his shoulder. He was sure that the seraph would start growling back because the threat was vague. Thankfully, Melody settled the issue.

The air around the three of them heated up, Zaveid quick to start cooling the air down around himself and Boris. Gouldman however was not as lucky.

The man flushed, his next growl coming out as a cough. Gouldman’s eyes widened and he stumbled back, Boris relieved at the space it gave him. He just smiled and turned his attention back to the speaker, aware of the arm that Zaveid settled over his shoulders. He was tempted to shove it off, but he let it stay. It was comforting in a way, if a bit protective. Boris could hold his own against Gouldman. He was sure that the man would have backed down quickly. It was hard to court anyone if their siblings didn’t approve.

Boris focused on the speaker, trying to piece together what they were talking about. He had been too distracted by Gouldman mistaking him for Sergei and the talks had probably been going on for a while.

He leaned forward around Zaveid to whisper to Andrei. “What are they talking about?”

Andrei tipped his head to the side before shrugging. “I haven’t been around and Nestor was supposed to be here.”

“The monarchy.” Boris leaned back as Gouldman spoke. The man gave him a short nod before continuing, keeping his voice low. “They’ve been working through the government and generally determined that the constitution as it stands should be kept. This week they’re working on how it should be run. They’ve outlawed a single council.”

Gouldman gave him a wry smile before continuing. “They’ve gone through the entire royal line, but it seems to begin and end with Sorey. And he has no children.”

Zaveid huffed, shaking his head. “So they’re just going to keep arguing.”

Boris rolled his shoulders to jostle the seraph. “They have to make up their minds sometime, or else they’re going to be ousted just like the pope.”

He watched Gouldman out of the corner of his eye as he spoke, waiting to see if the man flinched. Boris wasn’t sure if he was disappointed that the man didn’t react.

Gouldman just nodded slowly, his smile smoothing out into a more neutral expression. “They’re getting somewhere. They’ve agreed on how to keep the monarchy going. It’s just working out who they want to elect.”

“Elect?”

Gouldman nodded. “Welcome to the future.”

“Wish you were still dead?”

Boris ignored Andrei’s comment, turning his attention back to the speaker. They were getting worked up about their topic and, by the way that everyone was leaning forward to listen, whatever they were saying was being received well. It was enough to make Boris regret focusing so completely on Gouldman for so long.

Who they would elect would be important, especially for his post. From what he could hear, the speaker wasn’t talking about the person they were representing’s thoughts on the seraphim. For all he knew, he could have missed them. But he wouldn’t be around forever, so he had to act now. How the next monarch would treat the seraphim was just as important as any of the other topics that the speaker was discussing.

He took a deep breath, feeling Zaveid squeeze his shoulder before letting go. “Right behind you, Sheps.”

Boris saw Gouldman start out of the corner of his eye, but the motion was dulled by the rest of the seraphim piping up with their support. Boris sighed, considering how to approach the situation before shaking his head. _“Everyone out. We’re putting on a show.”_

He felt some reluctance from them before Melody _shoved_. Boris stumbled a bit with the force of it, but it got the other seraphim moving. Boris moved over as Melody stepped away, the air around her crackling for a moment before she regained her composure. The slight loss of control was enough to get the people in the back row turn around. Boris watched their jaws drop in shock, swallowing as he pushed the nervousness back.

He stepped down into the aisle between the benches, walking down the steps. He felt Eizen and Uno come away, the two of them falling into place behind Zaveid and Melody. Boris did turn his head when he heard a boot skid over the floor, watching as Gouldman quickly reached out to brace himself against the wall. He gave Uno a warning glance, but he didn’t bother to do anything else. If he did anything it would undermine what he hoped to do. The best way to present this was a united front.

Boris made his way down the steps, listening to everyone muttering in awe at him. He heard the word Shepherd bandied about, the word mostly trailing off into awed silence. He heard his name more often as he reached the front. Boris paused to give the speaker a thankful nod. It gave the seraphim the time to spread out behind him, Boris not minding if they settled a little closer to him. He could feel the pressure of all the eyes on him, and he was sure that it was worse for the seraphim.

He tipped his head up, looking at the speaker. They stared at him in shock before giving him a partially not. “S-shepherd?”

Boris nodded, ignoring the way that Uno bristled a bit at the question. He wasn’t in anything that would mark him as a Shepherd. The only thing he had were the seraphim and a cloak in the wrong colors. Boris looked them over before taking a deep breath. “I apologize for the interruption, but I understand that you are discussing the next monarch. And I happen to have a vested interest on who you choose.”

The speaker’s gaze darted back towards the seraphim, Boris sure that Eizen was just glaring at him. He didn’t dare look back to check himself, nor did he have the luxury too. Boris felt Zaveid bump against him, sure that the seraphim was going to drape an arm over his shoulders, but it didn’t happen. He glanced at Zaveid out of the corner of his eye, surprised to see the seraph looking serious.

Zaveid leaned against him for a moment before giving the speaker a grin that just barely looked non-threatening. “We normally wouldn’t pry, but is a matter of our security as well. Your past emperors haven’t looked too kindly on us.”

Boris turned his head at some mutters about Sorey, bristling slightly. He knew that he was out of the loop but that didn’t make it any better. He had served beside Sorey for many years, and Boris was sure that it was enough to know the man. Boris didn’t feel equal to heaping all of the blame onto Mikleo but, if the two of them were as bad as he was hearing, then it just meant that there was something to look into. It was something that would have to wait until they were done here.

He fixed his gaze back on the speaker, watching as they swayed in place. Boris sighed, inclining his head slightly before he spoke. “We wouldn’t have interrupted the meeting if we weren’t worried about this. After all, I can’t imagine anyone who would want to continue to keep the seraphim bound wanting to keep the peace.”

The speaker shrunk back as the rest of the hall erupted into shouting. From the shock on the speaker’s face, his candidate had never thought of that, but Boris didn’t dare let it slide. This was as political as the Shepherd would probably be allowed to get and Boris intended to use the moment to its fullest.

He turned as someone behind him started banging on the bench in front of them. It was hard to hear over the sound of the shouting for a moment, but then people were quieting down under the influence of the sound. Boris turned in place to look at the man who had been trying to get everyone’s attention.

The man leaned against the bench, glaring at him. “You bring up a good point, but I don’t see why we should listen.”

Boris swayed as the earth rumbled, but he didn’t bother to react to it or the way that a strong, alternately hot and icy wind suddenly whipped through the hall. He watched as the people stood up, all of them jerking like they were going to rush out of the building. Boris shook his head, relieved when it all stopped. He didn’t want them running out, he wanted them paying attention.

As soon as the wind stopped the people started to sit back down, but it took Zaveid reaching back and clamping his hand on Eizen’s shoulder to get him to calm down. Even then the rumbling died down slowly, Boris not daring to take his eyes from the man who had spoken out.

Even after the show of force the man looked shaken but determined. He shook his head and leaned forward. “I’ve seen displays like that. We all have. There isn’t a person here that hasn’t had some uppity captain show off the powers stolen from a seraph. What makes you so different?”

“I-” Boris flinched as he was abruptly cut off.

“Besides Captain Gouldman and General Vanya have already told us that there is a Shepherd. Why would we need more?”

Boris tried not to flinch at the change of title. Andrei had already told him about that, but it hadn’t stopped sounding strange. He swallowed and tried to meet the man’s gaze as steadily as he could. “Because the world is soaked in malevolence and will remain that way for generations to come. Do you really intend to convince everyone that one person will be enough for the job? If you do, then you can explain to the people why they can make do with one guard on the walls. After all, one should be enough.”

The man sat down with a thump, Boris sure that he heard laughing from the back rows. He glanced over the row of waiting people before looking back at the speaker. “And the presence of a Shepherd shouldn’t be necessary to you considering the seraphim. If it is, then we’ll have a problem.”

The speaker cleared their throat before looking down, Boris watching them for a moment before turning around. He glanced at the seraphim, relieved when all of them looked like they were ready to go. He shot a quick look up where Gouldman and Andrei were still waiting at the top. He smiled to himself when he saw Andrei nod. He trusted the Platinum Knights to watch over these matters. His gaze flicked over to Gouldman, Boris considering him for a moment. He didn’t know Gouldman well enough, just what he had heard through rumors. Still, the man seemed to be following things well enough. It wasn’t the best situation, but Boris wasn’t sure that he could justify sticking around for much longer.

Zaveid seemed to think the same thing too because he leaned close to speak in a slow voice. “Let’s get going, Sheps, the malevolence isn’t going to clear itself.”

Boris nodded, pausing to tipping is head slightly to one side. “You good with how things are here?”

Zaveid glanced around the others before lifting a shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t think lingering will help. Gotta keep humans on their toes.”

Boris huffed, but let the comment stand. He gave the speaker a quick nod before turning and starting to walk up the stairs. The silence in the room was still unnerving, but Boris supposed that it meant that his show of force had worked. The new parliament of the empire would think twice before letting things stand as they were with the seraphim, and that was all he could ask. If not, then he and the other Shepherd could come back in and make sure that they were reminded of what needed to be done.

He paused at the top of the stairs, watching as Gouldman shied away before directing his attention elsewhere. Boris meant to walk away, but he stopped when Gouldman made a soft sound and took a step towards him. The man didn’t come too close, not even when Eizen, Melody and Uno retreated back into him.

Boris was momentarily distracted by the feeling of them settling into place before he could turn his attention back to Gouldman. The man gave him a nervous nod before speaking in a low whisper. “Give my regards to your brother.”

The request almost felt like a question, Boris surprised by it. He stared at Gouldman for a moment before tipping his head in acknowledgement. It wouldn’t hurt to pass on the news, and it would at least give him the chance to see how his brother received it. Better yet, it would give him an excuse to see his brother.

Boris looked over at Zaveid, waiting for the seraph to give the room one last look before inclining his head towards the door. “Shall we?”

Zaveid laughed, the sound echoing loud in the room. “Why not? I think they’ll remember our little warning.”

There was a bit of nervous laughter from the back rows, but Boris chose to ignore it. He was more focused on walking over to Andrei and shaking his hand. “Anything you want me to tell the General?”

Andrei sighed and shook his head. “Just to get back soon. We miss having him around and being able to read the roster. Melor’s handwriting is shit.”

Boris squeezed Andrei’s hand before walking to the door, Zaveid sticking by his side until they slipped into the empty hallway. He heard the seraph sigh long and loud before Zaveid retreated back inside. He settled in with the others, Boris feeling Zaveid wiggle as close to Eizen as possible. Boris stood in the center of the hallway, waiting for them all to get settled before extending a question. _“To the border?”_

 _“Why not?”_ Melody was the first to answer. _“We might as well get down there quickly and see what we can help with. Then that will be two brothers found and more news about Eizen’s sister.”_

Eizen perked up at that, Boris smiling. He doubted that their luck would last, but it was worth a try. He was sure that someone would have seen the Shepherd or their Squires, and they could chase them down from there. Just how long it would take Boris didn’t know, but at least they could clear out a swathe of malevolence. He was sure that taking care of the battlefields would help things in a small way, and it would buy him the time to at least be able to visit with Sergei. If Sergei was really going to chase after Sorey, then he might be away for a long while.

Boris sighed and shook his head. There was no point in worrying over what ifs, not when he knew what he had to do. Besides, there were only a few hours left in the day and many miles to go before the border.

He groaned, pressing his hands into the small of his back before making his way outside to collect Bee.

* * *

Sergei stepped forward, wobbling on the heels before quickly regaining his balance. He gritted his teeth, taking another step forward. It was harder than it should have been, and not because of the heels. His whole body felt like it was weighed down, like the earth was trying to pull him under. If that wasn’t enough, a day of hard riding has left him sore.

Sergei glanced up at where Dezel was still walking his and Rose’s horses in patient circles around the camp, but he was too far away to hear what the seraph was saying. He gave Dezel and the horses one last glance before looking over at where he could see the next mountain over the edge of the gorge between them. He stared hard at the trees, trying to catch a glimpse of red or blue through them.

He only got a moment before he felt something smack against his head from the inside. Sergei stumbled forward, practically falling onto his hands and knees before he caught himself against a tree. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself upright, feeling a pulse of amusement from the seraph riding along in his mind.

_“Focus.”_

_“I’m sorry, Most Honorable Seraph Edna.”_

The smack come again, this time slightly lighter. _“Save that for when we’re not in battle, Edna will do just fine. Or Lady Edna if you have to tack titles on.”_

Sergei settled for a nod, not quite sure how to react to the ringing coming from the inside of his skull. He shook his head and focused on the armatus.

It still felt like it was pulling him down into the earth, and he had to struggle to stay upright. Sergei spread his stance a little wider, taking deep breaths as he tried to center himself. That’s what Natalie and Lailah had told him when he had practiced with them. Find the center and stabilize himself on it. Feel the flow of the energies around him and the seraph with him. Feel the way their powers moved. Feel the way that the elements moved around them.

Sergei took a deep breath, seeking out the center of their armatus. He felt something like it, but it shifted, Sergei frowning as he tried to chase after it. It scooted out of his reach again, Sergei growling under his breath and stretching for it.

It was yanked away from him again, Sergei trying to follow after it only to feel the sharp crack as the armatus broke.

He stumbled forward, hopping awkwardly around where Edna had formed in front of him. He quickly regained his balance, looking at the seraph as she stared him down. Sergei swallowed, not bothering to resist the urge to snap to attention. Edna reminded him too much of General Viorel Ardelean to let down his guard. It was uncanny how she could imitate the former general of the Platinum Knights precisely.

Sergei swallowed and tipped his gaze down, watching as she tapped out a steady rhythm on the ground with her umbrella. Edna studied him intently for a moment before stopping the motion. “What was that?”

“I was just trying to do what the others told me, ma’am.”

He watched Edna’s eyebrow twitch at the address, Sergei wincing at his slip up. Then again, she didn’t seem to mind, in fact, she almost seemed amused. She tipped her head to the side, giving him a crooked smile. “And do you do that when we’re fighting hellions?”

Sergei was taken aback by the question. He frowned, trying to pick together what happened when they were purifying hellions. He didn’t often go into armatus because he was aware of how shaky he was in it. But there had been a few times that he had called on one of the seraphim, but he couldn’t remember what he was thinking. Most of his thoughts had been devoted on fighting the hellions.

He swallowed and shook his head. “No. It comes easily then.”

“Because you don’t think about it.” Edna grinned at him before tipping her head back. “Tell me, how did you learn to fight?”

“I…uh…the general set me loose with one of the other Platinum Knights.”

“So the two of you just knocked each other around? Wonderful.”

“That’s not completely true.”

“It isn’t?” Edna laughed and shook her head. “But there was no finesse, no forms.”

“I…I learned a few tricks.” Sergei rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Things that each of the Platinum Knights knew. It was more than just hitting each other with swords.”

“It was practical battle training, which is your problem. You’re not being practical outside of battle.” Edna paused for a moment before sticking her umbrella out to poke the tip of it into his stomach. “You’re going to have to hit things with your sword.”

“But…but…”

Edna sighed and gave him another hard poke with the end of her umbrella. “Let me put this another way. Seraphim don’t just hit things with other things, we channel. We find the center of our element. You don’t. All you’re doing is throwing everything off.”

“I don’t-”

Edna sighed, giving him a serious look. “Fine. We’ll do the hitting things route. Say my name.”

Sergei startled, managing a slightly mangled version of her name. He heard Edna huff before she was inside his head again.

He jumped at the presence, about to recoil when Edna poked at him. _“You’re leaving holes in the line. Stand,_ firm. _”_

 _“Uh…right.”_ He settled himself, considering Edna’s presence in his mind before maneuvering himself behind her, like he would in battle. Like he would if he was fighting with Boris.

He felt Edna perk up at the thought, but she didn’t move from her place. Sergei felt her stretching and moving, but he didn’t let her move too far away, keeping the spacing between them the same. He thought he caught a grin coming from her, but it was gone just as quickly.

 _“Better. You’re not shoving me around willy-nilly. Now, follow.”_ Edna pulled in one direction, Sergei stumbling as he followed. It was actual motion, but there was something else in it, a rumbling in the earth that he wasn’t used to.

He frowned and tried to figure it out, following the pulse of it along with the shapes that Edna was making him pace out on the floor. It took some time for him to realize that it was moving with them. Sergei reached out for it, digging mental fingers in to see what it was. It felt familiar and pulsed to the beat of his own heart. Sergei tipped his head to the side, moving automatically with Edna’s prompting. It was only when he reached for a better hold of the power that he recognized it as Edna.

His eyes widened at the depth of it, wanting to chase it down into the earth until he heard Edna laugh. _“I’m flattered. Now get your hands out of me.”_

 _“I’m sorry!”_ He pulled away as quickly as he could without breaking the armatus.

He dropped his gaze to the ground as Edna laughed, focusing on what she was asking him to do. This time, he only followed the pulse that was Edna, using it to figure out where she would be moving the two of them next.

It was peaceful, and far better than the fumbling he’d been doing while armatized before. It was enough to make him wonder if Edna had been right. Maybe he was better at the more straightforward method of just hitting things.

He pushed the thought out of his head, coming to attention when Edna asked for him to stop. He flexed his fingers, waiting for her to tell him what they were doing next. Instead, he was surprised by her silence. She seemed to be thinking hard about something, Sergei jumping when he felt her prod gently at something in his mind.

_“Who’s Boris?”_

He tensed at the question, his instinct telling him to shove her out and give up on the exercise. After all, he had ridden hard all day and he still had to help set up camp. Tomorrow would be another long day of chasing Sorey and Mikleo through the mountains. Better yet, it would get him away from the question.

But Edna was a seraph, and she wasn’t taunting him, he could tell that from the tone of her voice.

Sergei closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. _“My younger brother. He’s dead.”_

He didn’t mean to say anything else, but more leaked through. It was hard to keep much from the seraphim when they were in armatus, or he just hadn’t gotten the knack for it yet. His memory flashed to the council room, to the way that Mikleo had smiled at him with something that was more fangs than teeth and the way that Sorey had done nothing, which had confirmed it all.

Sergei was surprised by the rush of anger, taking it as Edna’s for a moment before he realized it was him. Sergei frowned and shook his head. He was working through that anger. He was getting close to Sorey and the answers that he desperately needed.

He jerked when Edna broke the armatus, staring at her as she settled in front of him. She met his gaze steadily before nodding. “Humans took Eizen, my brother.”

Sergei blinked, surprised by the information that she offered. Edna was not the most forthcoming of all the seraphim; that was Lailah. She seemed to love talking to all of them. Dezel seemed to prefer his silence and Edna seemed to just stick to teasing comments. Natalie was equally as hard to read, because she seemed to vacillate between happy like Lailah or as quiet as Dezel. But this was not Edna, at least not the one he was familiar with and it made him realize that he had to tread carefully.

He was very much aware of the fact that he was part of the people who had captured her brother. He had probably known the man who had ordered it done.

Sergei swallowed and nodded at Edna. “How long?”

She seemed surprised by the question, like she expected him to let the subject drop after what she had told him. Edna frowned, her fingers twitching on the handle of her umbrella. “Ten years.”

Sergei sighed. Ten years was a manageable time. There was no hard and fast rule for when seraphim became overwhelmed by being bound to a weapon, but there was a higher chance that they were alright if they hadn’t been in there long. Eizen’s chances were better, especially since they had a Shepherd. Even if he was a hellion he could be saved before things went too far.

He looked back at Edna before giving her a firm nod. “As soon as I have word of him, I’ll send him your way.”

Edna jerked away from him, her eyes going wide before she huffed and swung her umbrella over her shoulder. Sergei expected some kind of sharp word, but Edna just looked back at him with something more like a real smile. “Thank you.”

She snapped her umbrella open before he had the time to say anything else. Sergei turned to watch her walk to the edge of the camp, tempted to follow after her. Obviously something that he had said had upset her, and he didn’t want that.

He went to take a step in her direction when he felt a hand on his arm. Sergei turned to look at who was holding him, relaxing when Rose raised an eyebrow. “Leave her be. She’s not mad.”

“But-”

“Eizen is a sore subject. It’s best not to press her on it.”

Sergei looked back at the lone figure on the edge of the gorge, feeling something in his stomach twist. “I’m sorry I brought it up then.”

“No, she needs to let it out sometimes. So, thank you for that.” Rose patted him awkwardly on the arm, turning the last pat into a pull back over to the camp. “Come on, dinner is getting cold.”

Sergei looked at the camp, frowning when he saw that it was all set up. It was obvious that they had taken care of it while he was working on the armatus, but that didn’t make it any better. “I should have helped.”

“You were working hard.” Rose waved him off with one hand. “Besides, it gave us the time to let the seraphim do their jobs.”

“Did they find them?”

Rose’s face fell. She looked away from the camp, Sergei following her gaze over to where Dezel was standing among the horses. “No, although I’m not surprised. Dezel and Edna have worn themselves out the last few weeks trying to track them. I was surprised Edna was even able to armatize.”

“We didn’t do much.”

“Still…” Rose sighed and shook her head. “We’re going to have to do this the old fashioned way for a while, which means backtracking.”

Sergei hissed and glanced down the mountain. They had spotted Sorey and Mikleo hours ago, when they were miles back down the mountain. If they had to do that, they would give the two of them an even larger lead. Still, it was better to save their seraphim for when they were needed. They had been working so hard for so long that it was a wonder how they haven’t collapsed already. Backtracking might take longer, but they owed the seraphim that break.

He was startled out of his thoughts when Rose gave him a companionable slap on the back. “Don’t look so glum! We have a general idea of which way to head courtesy of Natalie. Apparently there’s something around here of interest.”

“Really?”

“It was interesting enough to invade ten years ago.” Sergei jerked his attention to where Natalie was sitting by the fire, prodding at something in the pot. She gave him a quick glance, the harsh expression in her face changing into an apologetic smile. “Elysia is to the northwest. It’s where we all lived before…”

Sergei threw a quick look over to the northwest, trying to pick out a specific mountain that looked likely, but he couldn’t find anything. He rocked back onto his heels before looking back at Natalie. “And they’ll go there.”

She shrugged. “It’s safe and it’s known. If they can find their way there, then they have a clear shot and either side of the border.”

“And if that happens we’re out of luck.” Rose sat down between Natalie and Alisha. Sergei rocked forward as he saw Rose wriggle close to Alisha, eventually getting the princess to rest an arm over her shoulders. Rose shot a grin back at him, Sergei fully expected her to pat the ground beside of her, but he didn’t give her that chance.

He moved before he really thought about what he was doing, but Sergei didn’t think it mattered. All the signs were consistently there that they wanted him with them, and it would be stupid to ignore them.

Sergei settled down on Alisha’s other side, leaving his hand open on his thigh. It took a concerted effort not to jump when Alisha took his hand, Sergei dropping his gaze and blushing. He was glad that Alisha seemed content to leave it there, Sergei curling his fingers slightly. He wasn’t ready to push his fingers between hers, but it was nice and comforting.

He sighed and leaned back against her shoulder, hearing Alisha mimic the sound. It was enough to make him smile, the expression wavering when Rose gave a mournful sigh. “I’m going to miss this. It’s not going to be the same when you guys have to go back.”

Sergei averted his gaze, staring down at the ground. He squeezed Alisha’s hand in his own, trying to come up with something to say. He was surprised when Alisha was the first to make her move, the princess pulling Rose closer with one arm while she slid her fingers between Sergei’s. Sergei looked up at her, watching as Alisha gave her a watery smile.

“It won’t be the end. We’ll just have to work harder at this.” Alisha shifted in place, a blush crossing her cheeks. “I mean, Rose can travel. And Sergei might have to come to Hyland to take care of things. I might be a bit stuck.”

Rose snorted, tucking her face against Alisha’s shoulder. She laughed there for a moment before lifting her head. “A bit stuck is what you call becoming queen.”

“T-there’s no guarantee.”

Sergei shook his head, feeling a little bad for the look of betrayal on Alisha’s face. He tried to soothe it with a shrug, trying to keep his voice level and sincere. “Your people adore you. I don’t think they would willingly choose anyone else.”

Alisha dropped her gaze, Sergei shivering as her fingers moved between his. He swallowed, struggling to come up with something to say, but he couldn’t in the face of the smile that he catch a glimpse of before her hair hid it.

He let her be, leaning forward slightly to look at the food that was cooking. There was no point in lingering over their eventual celebration. There were other things that demanded their attention, things that couldn’t be ignored. But there was also no point in despairing that things would never work out. It wasn’t like they were going to be trapped in one place forever; they just might have to get creative in the future.

He squeezed Alisha’s hand again, feeling a bit daring. They might have been reaching the end of their agreed time, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy what he had now. It would probably be the last time for a while that he was able to spend time alone with Alisha and Rose. And he was already pushing past the boundaries of what he had allowed himself. If they were going to stop relying on the seraphim for tracking Sorey and Mikleo, maybe he could afford to indulge himself just a little bit more in their company in the days to come.

* * *

Sorey tucked the saddlebags between the roots of the tree, shoving at them to get something like a pillow. He rocked back onto his heels, sighing at the messy arrangement. It didn’t look comfortable, but it was far better than sleeping on only the bare ground. It was enough to make him wish for the bedroll, but wishing would getting him anywhere. If he started with that, then he would be wishing for everything that he could think of, and nothing would happen.

He sighed and let his chin rest on his chest for a moment, tempted to just lay down and fall asleep himself. It had been a long day of clambering through the mountains, heading in a random direction. Sorey was surprised that they hadn’t gotten turned around yet or, if they had, they hadn’t noticed. Sorey lifted his chin and stared into the forest.

He had no idea which way they were going at the moment, which meant that it was time to reorient themselves and continue on. They had to go west to cross over the border, and then they could adjust to get to the ocean. It was just a matter of finding the right stars.

Klim had taught him the basics of how to navigate by the stars, just enough to get to where he needed to go. To go west, he had to find Shepherd Eulalia’s constellation and watch for when it set. The brightest star in her cloak, which represented her Prime Lord Mintaka, would show him the way west.

Sorey lifted his head, staring at the sky through the leaves. He couldn’t see the Shepherd from where he was, but it wouldn’t take long to spot it. Until then he could afford to wait. They had most of the night to catch the Shepherd before she set for the night.

He sighed and got to his feet slowly. He looked around for Mikleo, not worried that he couldn’t spot the seraph. Mikleo was bound to be doing his part in setting up their camp for the night. The seraph would be pacing out the boundary of their camp, laying out the ward that would keep them safe from hellions and alert them to anyone that came close. Sorey shuddered, trying to push away the thought of the glimpses that he had caught of Sergei and the others throughout the day. They had always been far away, but they were creeping steadily closer.

Sorey swallowed and walked away from the tree. He didn’t want Mikleo out of his sight for too long, not when it made him nervous. He peered around their campsite, sighting when he saw Mikleo leaning against the other side of the tree, panting for breath.

The seraph wouldn’t look at him, although Sorey was sure that Mikleo knew he was there. He wanted nothing more than to rush over to him and help support him, but Mikleo would never allow that. It would be taken as pity, not that Sorey had any of that for him. He had nothing but awe for Mikleo.

Sorey took a step closer, leaning his shoulder right beside Mikleo’s. He stood like that for a moment before allowing himself to shift so he was leaning against Mikleo. The seraph was quick to return the favor, Mikleo leaning into him with a sigh. Sorey smiled as Mikleo’s head rested on his shoulder, giving into the urge to nuzzle into Mikleo’s hair. Leaning against the tree wasn’t the most comfortable position for this, but it didn’t matter as long as Mikleo was comfortable. They could move as soon as Mikleo was ready.

He heard Mikleo sigh, Sorey reaching out to hold his hand. “Everything set?”

Mikleo nodded slowly, Sorey’s head moving slightly with the motion. “It’s not as big as it should be, but it will give us plenty of notice.”

“That’s all we need.” Sorey was quiet for a moment, listening to the sound of Mikleo’s breathing. It wasn’t as fast as it was before, but it was still labored. Mikleo might hide it well, but the wards were getting hard for him. It was enough to make Sorey want to ask Mikleo to stop, but he didn’t dare. Mikleo would just snap at him for even asking that, and it would do nothing in the end. Mikleo would keep putting them up until he couldn’t do them anymore, just like every other arte he had lost the use of.

Sorey twined his fingers with Mikleo’s. “I got the bed all set up. It’s not as nice as it could have been but…”

“I don’t need the sleep.”

“I know you don’t. But I also know you like to stay with me for a while, there’s no reason to make it uncomfortable.” Sorey smiled as he heard Mikleo grumble, but he didn’t hear a protest.

He sighed and titled his head back against the tree, staring up at the stars. He couldn’t see Shepherd Eulalia, but he could see the dragon Tollak fleeing from her, which meant that they were facing westward, because the dragon Eulalia had slain in life would always retreat from her power in death, or so he had read long ago. Or maybe he had been told it, Sorey couldn’t remember.

He traced the tail of the dragon, following it up to the Great Prickleboar and over to the Washerwomen. There were a few more constellations scattered in between whose names that he’d forgotten. He traced out random shapes in them, trying to make sense of them before giving up and looking at the stars.

He hadn’t gotten the chance to look at them in a long while, not while in Pendrago or on campaign. He whistled his appreciation, felling Mikleo pull away from him slightly. Sorey didn’t even have to look down to see the expectant look on Mikleo’s face. Sorey just shrugged, using his free hand to motion to the sky. “Wow, look at all of those stars.”

Mikleo tipped his head back to look, Sorey dropping his gaze from the sky to watch the reflection in Mikleo’s eyes. He sucked in a quick breath, not daring to look away, not even when Mikleo looked at him.

He watched the seraph’s eyes widen and then soften, Mikleo turning slightly so he could tuck himself against Sorey’s side. Sorey leaned into him, returning his gaze to the sky. “Someone told me that there are as many emotions as stars in the sky.”

He heard Mikleo chuckle, glancing back to watch the seraph shaking his head. “Must have been a romantic who came up with that one.”

“Probably. My aunt always said that Selene - my mom - loved saying things like that.” Sorey paused, tilting his head to the side. “Aunt Nadia was a bit more practical. She was always saying that some stars you can’t see. And because you can’t see them, you think they’re not shining. But they are.”

Mikleo chuckled. “That sounds almost practical, although it sounds like the two of them couldn’t have gotten along.”

“My aunt says they did. Aside from one time.” Sorey swallowed and shook his head. “They didn’t really agree on who my mom married.”

Mikleo was silent for a moment, Sorey sure that he was sorting out the facts. He’d never hidden his lineage from Mikleo, it was hard to in the confines of the palace, especially when there was a portrait of his father hanging up on the wall of the long gallery. It wouldn’t take much to figure it out. Sorey had often been told he looked like his father.

Sorey fully expected Mikleo to change the subject or try to nudge him back to their makeshift bed. Instead Mikleo squeezed his hand. “You’re telling me a lot of things your aunt said.”

Sorey raised one shoulder in a shrug. “That’s because that’s all I have. I was four when they were killed.”

He felt Mikleo shudder, Mikleo getting a stronger grip on Sorey’s hand. When he spoke, it was almost too low for Sorey to hear. “W-what do you remember?”

Sorey frowned, staring up at the stars as he thought hard. He had nothing that he would call memories, just impressions of a smile and someone kind. Someone holding him close and reading to him, although he couldn’t remember the voice.

Sorey sighed and opened his eyes, pointedly not looking back at Mikleo. “I remember…a cellar…”

He felt Mikleo tense before he shook his head. “That’s not much.”

“I know.”

Mikleo bumped up against him again, Sorey looking down in time to catch the smile that Mikleo gave him. “It’s nothing to be ashamed about. You were young. And it’s not like I can remember where I came from either. Gramps,” Mikleo paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and continuing to speak in a softer voice. “Gramps always told me that he found me in the village below Elysia. I must have come from the Earthpulse there.”

“Camlann?” Sorey watched as Mikleo nodded slowly. “I was born around there.”

Mikleo laughed, pushing away from the tree. Sorey let him go, watching as Mikleo rolled his shoulders. Mikleo glanced back up at the stars before shaking his head. “We might have known each other before and been too little to realize it. If the empire hadn’t been so hungry for land and seraphim, we could have been friends.”

Sorey stared at him, watching as Mikleo started walking around the tree. He had never considered that, never thought that the seraphim collective living on top of the mountain would want anything to do with the humans. Sorey knew that none of them would have wanted anything to do with General Heldalf and his soldiers. But thinking about that possibility made him wish that it had happened.

“Mikleo.” The sound of his name got the seraph to stop. Sorey swayed in place, wanting to go to him but, he felt like he was rooted to the ground where he stood. “If…if that happened, you wouldn’t have been alone. I wouldn’t have let it happen.”

Mikleo tensed, Sorey watching him bristle. He was sure that he’d said the wrong thing, Sorey taking a step back. To his surprise, Mikleo took a step towards him, the shock on his face being replaced by a soft smile. “You wouldn’t have been either.”

The words felt like a punch to the gut. Sorey swallowed, trying to force words out past the blockage in his throat. He couldn’t manage anything, but Mikleo looked like he understood. Sorey was grateful when Mikleo tipped his head back slightly, the motion an invitation. Sorey stumbled a step forward, walking towards Mikleo even as the seraph backed around the tree.

Mikleo reached out for him as soon as he was close, Sorey gathering Mikleo into his arms. He pressed his face into Mikleo’s hair, curling his fingers into Mikleo’s coat. “You won’t be again. The two of you will _never_ be alone.”

Sorey felt Mikleo tense in his arms, before shoving him back. Sorey stared at him, realizing what he had said out loud. He reached out for Mikleo, quickly jerking his hands away and tucking them behind his back. Sorey dropped his gaze to the ground, trying to make himself look smaller. “Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“Sorey.” He twitched at the sound of his name but didn’t dare look up.

It was a rule between them, unspoken but important all the same. The topic of the baby was avoided at all costs, at least until Mikleo told him otherwise. And Sorey was more than happy to wait for that answer, it was just a matter of carefully guarding what he was saying.

He swallowed, shifting in place. He expected to hear Mikleo walking off, but he was surprised when he felt two fingers against his chin, the gentle pressure enough to get him to look up.

Sorey gave into the request, meeting Mikleo’s gaze. He was surprised to see a smile there, although it looked a bit shaky. He reached out slowly, watching Mikleo for any sign that he didn’t want to be touched, but the seraph didn’t move away from him. Mikleo leaned into the touch as Sorey cupped his cheek.

Mikleo nuzzled into Sorey’s palm, shifting his hand to mirror to motion. “You won’t be either, because I’ll be here for you.” Mikleo opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else, but he shook his head. He looked away for a moment before shaking his head. “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

Sorey nodded, his breath catching in his throat as Mikleo trailed his fingers over his cheek. Sorey followed after the touch, quick to take Mikleo’s hand. He held onto it, steadying Mikleo as he stepped over the roots of the tree.

Mikleo stepped into the hollow that Sorey had chosen for their bed, pulling Sorey down with him. Sorey carefully kept his hands away as Mikleo settled into place. He thought he heard Mikleo huff, but there wasn’t any further extension of permission, so Sorey shifted into his usual sleeping position with one arm tucked under his head and the other draped over his stomach. It was a cramped position, but it wouldn’t be too hard for him to fall asleep. Now that there was nothing to worry about he could feel himself sinking into it. Sorey sighed, fighting to open his eyes to look at Mikleo.

The seraph had a concerned look on his face, the expression not leaving his face when he realized that Sorey was watching him. Mikleo just sighed and reached out to rub the skin under Sorey’s eye gently. “You’re not getting enough sleep. They’re getting darker.”

Sorey shook his head, catching Mikleo’s hand so he could press a kiss to Mikleo’s palm. “I’m getting enough.”

“No you’re not.” Mikleo dropped his gaze, speaking in a low whisper. “It’s getting harder to wake you up in the mornings.”

Sorey squeezed Mikleo’s hand, trying to ignore the shiver of fear that ran down his spine. He couldn’t be delaying them, not when it was so important to keep on the move. They had a time limit after all.

He sighed, about to make up another excuse. He was sure that Mikleo would see right through it, but as long as it was spoken, it was something that they could both pretend to believe. He was stopped when Mikleo started playing with his hand, the seraph moving his fingers around absently. Sorey tipped his head slightly, wishing that it was safe to get close enough to hold Mikleo tight. It wasn’t the same when they only had words.

He hummed, hoping that it sounded enough like a question. Mikleo heard it, he could tell by the way that Mikleo glanced up at him before looking away. The seraph remained quiet for a moment more before shaking his head. “You can’t just worry about me. Save some worry for yourself.”

“And here I thought I had to worry about where we’re going.”

He hoped that Mikleo would laugh, Sorey frowning when Mikleo didn’t make a sound. The seraph didn’t look away from his hand, Sorey shivering as Mikleo’s fingers moved across his palm. Mikleo seemed content to trace the lines there, his fingers always circling back to the one that curved around the end of his thumb. Sorey tipped his head to the side. “Beloved?”

Mikleo started, looking up at Sorey before letting their hands drop into the space between them. He twined their fingers together, but he didn’t move to look up at Sorey.

Sorey hunkered down further, trying to catch Mikleo’s gaze. When Mikleo wouldn’t meet it, Sorey wiggled his hand out from underneath his head to reach out and touch Mikleo’s cheek. “Hey, everything is going to be fine. As soon as we get away from this malevolence everything will be fine.”

“It won’t just go away.”

“No, but it won’t be that heavy.” Sorey ran his thumb over the curve of Mikleo’s cheek. “And we’ll feel better. Then we can do whatever we want.”

Mikleo sighed, but Sorey could see the corner of Mikleo’s mouth twitching up. “Like what?”

“Well, there’s bound to be some kind of ruins there to explore or some kind of history. We could start with that.” Sorey paused, watching Mikleo carefully before wiggling closer. “Unless there’s something else you’d like to do.”

Mikleo shook his head, finally meeting Sorey’s gaze. Sorey frowned when he saw how lost Mikleo looked, about to say something when Mikleo spoke in practically a whisper. “I don’t…I can’t remember anything I’ve wanted to do. Everything has just been about getting my family back.”

“Then we’ll find something,” Sorey leaned in to press a light kiss to Mikleo’s lips, not bothering to pull back too far. “Something just for you.”

That got the smile that he was looking for, Sorey smiling back at Mikleo. “We’ll figure it out, but we have years to do that.”

Mikleo sighed, relaxing into him. Sorey watched him for a moment, noting the way he was lying down before gently nudging Mikleo’s hand with his own. “Turn over.”

Mikleo made a questioning sound, but he was quick to reply, rolling so he back was facing Sorey with a sigh. Sorey reached out, hesitating before plucking at the laces that held Mikleo’s coat shut. “I’m not going to take it off, I’m just loosening it.”

He got a hum as an answer. Sorey shook his head and loosened the laces, wiggling one hand through the gap to rub it up and down Mikleo’s back. He felt the seraph jump a bit at the touch, but Mikleo was quick to lean back into it with a groan. Sorey smiled at the sound, wiggling a little bit closer to get a better angle.

He pressed his knuckles into Mikleo’s lower back, rolling them carefully as he sought out the tense spots. Sorey was sure that there some all the way up Mikleo’s back, he could see it with the way that Mikleo had been carrying himself lately. It was something that he expected from climbing through the mountains all day, that and the weight that Mikleo was starting to put on. It obvious just yet, but it was there in the way that Mikleo had changed the way that he stood. There wasn’t much Sorey could do about that, but he could at least try to help with the maintenance of it.

Sorey worked his way slowly up Mikleo’s back, targeting the places that seemed tight. Feeling them give under his hand was just as gratifying as the soft moans that Mikleo made, or the way that he leaned back into Sorey’s hand when he found a particularly good spot.

He kept working until he had reached Mikleo’s neck, gently rubbing it before putting a bit of pressure on the back of it. Mikleo whimpered before going limp, his head lolling back when Sorey moved his hand away. Sorey chuckled and scooted closer so he was pressed up against Mikleo’s back. “Better.”

“Yeah.” Mikleo’s voice was soft, Sorey watching the gentle motion of Mikleo’s head as the seraph nuzzled into a more comfortable spot on the saddlebags.

Sorey watched him with a smile, not daring to say anything in case Mikleo realized what he was doing. And it was more important to give Mikleo a moment of calm anyway. He’d been pushing himself just as hard as Sorey, and he needed the rest too, no matter how much he protested that he was a seraph. The two of them had to be careful until they got to safety.

He sighed and closed his eyes, intending to let himself drift off to sleep when Mikleo made a noise. Sorey went to lift up his head, about to ask what had caught Mikleo’s attention when the seraph reached back and grabbed his arm. Sorey let Mikleo guide his arm so it was draped over his waist. Mikleo froze with the action partially completed, Sorey staring wide eyed at the back of his head.

If Mikleo let his arm drop into place, then Sorey’s hand would be resting on his stomach, something that he had never been allowed. Sorey tried to keep his hand still, but his fingers flexed slightly in the air. He was sure that Mikleo saw the motion, Sorey wanting to apologize. He didn’t want to be too eager, it was Mikleo’s choice after all. He had said his piece when Mikleo had asked him about it and he was more than willing to wait.

Mikleo hesitated a moment more before gently setting Sorey’s hand down. Sorey sucked in a quick breath, unable to keep his fingers from splaying out over the bump that had formed. It was impossible to see with all the clothes that Mikleo wore, but he could feel it. It was small, just barely bigger than his hand and firm.

Sorey swallowed and gently rubbed his hand across it, making sure to carrying the motion above and below the bump so it wasn’t focused attention. Sorey nuzzled into the back of Mikleo’s neck, paying close attention to the seraph’s body language.

Mikleo was relaxing slowly, far slower than Sorey would have liked. He stopped the motion of his hand, not daring to raise his head from where it rested. “Is this okay?”

“Y-yeah.” Mikleo’s voice shook over the word. Sorey frowned and went to draw his hand back, surprised when Mikleo was quick to grab onto it. “Keep it there. I don’t mind. I just don’t want you far away.”

“I’ll stay right here then.” Sorey started the petting motion again.

Mikleo relaxed slowly under his touch, Sorey smiling when Mikleo sighed and settled down more comfortably against him. It didn’t take long for Mikleo’s breathing to start evening out as the seraph slipped into sleep.

Sorey sighed and shifted slightly, curling more tightly around Mikleo. It felt wonderful to be this close again after nights of carefully measured space. Sorey was sure the hesitation would be gone as soon as Mikleo made up his mind. He just hoped it was soon, because he had missed this. He sighed, feeling Mikleo shiver at the gust of air over the back of his neck. He apologized with a kiss to the back of Mikleo’s neck, waiting until Mikleo had settled again.

He tugged Mikleo snuggly against him, tangling their legs together. The pull of exhaustion was strong, but he fought against it. He trusted Mikleo ward to keep them safe from anyone who would come, but he wanted to stay up a little while longer. If he fell asleep, then he wouldn’t get to enjoy the feeling of holding Mikleo in his arms. The seraph would get up sometime in the night and roam as his usual wont, which would leave him alone until Mikleo shook him awake. He could fight against the exhaustion, it was second nature by now. It was a beautiful night, and Mikleo looked ethereal under the moonlight.

Sorey shifted his hand so it was more comfortably splayed over Mikleo’s stomach, whispering soft prayers to the Great Lords for their protection. Sorey knew that the Great Lords were too far away and too weak to actually answer him, but it made him feel better. It made him feel like he was doing something to repay Mikleo back for all the times he had helped him. And the rote recitation was calming, Sorey matching the words to the pace of his breathing as he watched the play of light and shadows over the forest and the sleeping seraph.


	34. Chapter 31

“Life is only too short and time demands its toll.”  
 – _Epitaph of Seikilos_

* * *

 

Camlann was the last thing Sorey expected to see as they stumbled out of the trees. He stopped abruptly, staring at the ruins of the village. Some part of him expected to see some kind of change, but there was nothing.

Time hadn’t touched Camlann, not really. It had been forgotten and left to rot as the rest of the world moved on. The war had moved on from it too, but Sorey was glad of that. The village didn’t need another slaughter.

He stumbled towards the street of ruined buildings, looking them over closely. More had fallen over since the last time he had been there, which was just what he’d expected. Most of the houses had looked on the brink of collapse the last time he had passed through nearly a year ago.

The calculation made the breath catch in his throat, Sorey’s eyes going wide. It had felt like so much longer but, then again, so much had happened. He glanced up towards the mountain, staring at the ruins perched on the cliff before tipping his chin up. He didn’t think that he would be able to see the gates from where he was standing, but he still had the urge to look.

Up at the top of the mountain was where he had found Mikleo. He had gone searching for a dragon and had found a seraph. The memory brought a smile to his face, Sorey turning around to find Mikleo.

Mikleo had stopped behind him, the seraph staring up at the mountain with a look of longing on his face. One of his hands twitched by his side before Mikleo curled it into a fist, Sorey wanting to gather Mikleo into his arms when he saw that.

Coming back to Camlann and the mountain couldn’t be a happy experience for Mikleo. It’s where he had lived for eight lonely years. It was where his family was buried.

Sorey turned, reaching out for Mikleo. He was relieved when Mikleo took the offered hand, the seraph tucking himself against Sorey’s side. Sorey looked down at him, watching as Mikleo hid his face in his shoulder.

Mikleo was silent for a moment before he sighed, most of the tension leaking from his body. “I didn’t think we would end up here.”

“Do you want to leave?”

Mikleo shook his head, curling his fingers into Sorey’s coat. He stayed like that for a moment before lifting his head. “It’s getting dark and we have to stop somewhere. Besides, you’re getting stiff.” He uncurled his fingers, reaching back to push them into Sorey’s back. Sorey hissed and tried to move away, but there was no hiding the reaction.

Mikleo muttered an apology, smoothing his hand down Sorey’s back. “There might be something like a bed in there, if not a mattress.”

Sorey was tempted to point out that he didn’t need one. The soreness was something that he could deal with until they got to a port town. It couldn’t be too far away now that they were in Camlann. Before they had just been blindly wandering westward through the mountains, but now he knew where they were and how to get over the border to Rolance. Once across the border, it would be easy to find their way to a port. After all, Sorey was sure that he had the entire map of the empire memorized by now.

He traced idle circles on Mikleo’s shoulder, looking down towards the Rolance border. Even if Mikleo was alright staying close to his old home, that didn’t meant that they had to. There was a good chance that they could make it a good mile or so past the border, which would get them that much closer to their destination. He stopped the motion of his fingers, curling them against Mikleo’s shoulder.

They should keep going, temptation of a better place to sleep or not. The nearest port town couldn’t be more than two days away, and they needed to use every advantage they had.

Sorey couldn’t remember the last time he had caught sight of the Shepherd, which made him worry.

The three of them had been on their heels since Sitole. Sorey not sure what miracle he and Mikleo had managed when they had lost them, but he wasn’t going to question it. The further they stayed away from the group, the easier it was for Sorey to convince himself that just leaving was a good thing. After all, it would have the same effect as him staying. The war was over, and peace was being restored. If he stayed, he would just be tried for his part in the war. He was willing to accept that judgment, he always had been. It was just getting harder to ignore the voice in the back of his head that asked what would happen to Mikleo.

It had been easier when he hadn’t been sure, when it had only been the pact and nothing else. They’d had their own agendas, and it had been nothing to do with each other. Seraphim had always been beautiful but distant creatures, and that had been enough for him. He’d known that he could look, but the distance would never be crossed. But it had been and he ached at the thought of giving that up. He’d already given up so much that he wanted to keep a hold of this. To keep Mikleo close.

Sorey closed his eyes, trying to ignore the way that the knot of malevolence felt heavier with the thought. It didn’t matter if the thought was driven by malevolence or not, he wanted it too badly to just ignore it.

He sighed, swaying in place. He felt Mikleo’s arm wrap more securely around him, Sorey surprised by how much better it felt to have something to lean back against. He was tempted to lean all the way back against Mikleo, but at glance at the seraph was enough to make him stop. Mikleo looked as worn down as he felt. Sorey squeezed Mikleo’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

He expected Mikleo to huff and protest. It was how things usually went until Sorey pulled Mikleo close to steal a few hours close to him. But it never happened. Mikleo just nuzzled closer into his shoulder.

Sorey looked down at him, trying to push back the panic that rushed through him. Mikleo would have told him if something was wrong, even with his reluctance to talk about the baby. If something was wrong, then they were too far away from any kind of civilization to help. Sorey wasn’t sure he would be able to get to a village, or that they would even know what to do about an injured seraph. The only option he would have would be to turn and try to find the Shepherd, something that wouldn’t end well. But he would do it without hesitation for Mikleo, no matter what the consequences were.

He turned, carefully maneuvering Mikleo in his arms. “Hey.”

Sorey heard Mikleo give a muffled version of the same reply, Mikleo slowly raising his head from Sorey’s shoulder. Sorey watched him carefully, noticing the way that Mikleo’s gaze darted over to the mountain before he dropped again.

He shifted his hold on Mikleo, cupping the seraph’s face in his hands. “I’m serious. We can leave it you want to.”

Mikleo shook his head, reaching up to curl his fingers around Sorey’s wrist. “It’s not that I want to leave…”

Sorey tipped his head to the side, considering Mikleo before glancing over at the mountain. He fixed his gaze on the ruin, because the gate was out of his line of sight. He sighed when he remembered the cairns that were on the top of the mountain. Mikleo’s family was up there, and it had been a year since he had left them. Sorey didn’t think that Mikleo had strayed from the mountaintop before he had come. It was his home, and he would be leaving for the foreseeable, all because of him.

He winced at the sharp pulse of malevolence in his chest, taking a deep breath to try and ease the pain that came with it. He looked back at Mikleo at the soft sound that the seraph made. Sorey saw Mikleo’s eyes widen before he reached out to press his hand against Sorey’s heart. He could feel it hammering against his ribs, sure that Mikleo could feel it too.

Mikleo’s fingers curled slightly, Sorey shaking his head before Mikleo could say anything. He reached up to press his hand over Mikleo’s, offering him a smile. “We can go up there if you want. So you can say goodbye to them…or put up something for Kyme.” Sorey watched Mikleo carefully, worried when the seraph didn’t react. He stroked his fingers over the back of Mikleo’s hand thoughtfully before trying again. “Or, I could take care of things here and you could go alone. If you want?”

That didn’t get a response from him either, Mikleo just frowning and pressing his hand hard against him. “It’s hurting you.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.” Sorey squeezed Mikleo’s hand before gently pulling it free. He expected more of a fight, not for Mikleo to give in so easily. He held Mikleo’s hand gently in his own, rubbing his thumb over Mikleo’s knuckles. “I’ll be fine.”

That got the huff that he was expected, Mikleo staring at him for a long moment. It was a searching look, Sorey not sure that Mikleo found what he wanted. The seraph gave in a moment later, wiggling his hand out of Sorey’s hold. “You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

Mikleo hummed before turning his head away, staring back at the mountain. For a moment, it looked like he would take Sorey’s advice, but he jerked himself back. Mikleo glanced up at the sky before shaking his head. “Let’s get settled for the night.”

“But-”

“I’ll have plenty of time after you fall asleep.” Mikleo crossed his arms over his chest. “I want to find a house that won’t fall in on us and get the wards set before it gets too dark.”

Sorey bit his lip, carefully not meeting Mikleo’s gaze. He was sure that the seraph would be able to read him instantly. He didn’t want to goad Mikleo too much, not while they were this close to Elysia. Besides, it would bring up the topic of the baby, which was still prohibited. Sorey was sure that Mikleo didn’t need the reminder that he was starting to sleep through the nights too. His wake up calls were starting to come from a half asleep Mikleo still partially tangled with him rather than one who had gotten the time to put himself together. Sorey wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but Mikleo didn’t look worse for the wear despite the changes, so he would let it slide, at least for the moment.

He swallowed and looked back at Mikleo as the seraph moved off, jogging a few steps to catch up with him. Sorey brushed against Mikleo as he fell into step with him, relieved when Mikleo took his hand. He squeezed it tight, wanting to say something, but he couldn’t think of anything. He was worried about Mikleo, but that was a topic that he couldn’t touch, and he didn’t know what to say about the knot of malevolence inside of him. There were some days when it was worse and some days when Sorey didn’t notice it at all. It was something else they would just have to wait and see what else they could learn about it.

Sorey turned his attention to the old houses, looking them over to choose the most structurally sound one. The ones that backed up against the base of the mountain were out; most if not all of them were buried in the landslide. There were two on either end that had survived, but Sorey didn’t like the way that they were listing. Besides, he couldn’t tell what kind of damage they had suffered from the original attack on Camlann. That left them with the houses that were on the other side of the single road, Sorey frowning at what them.

There was one space in the line where the house had been burnt down completely, the houses on either side showing fire damage. Sorey stared into the main rooms of the houses before shaking his head. The others all had damage to them, which is just what he expected. The village had come under assault by the empire, armed with seraphic weapons and the general with the one that held Maotelus. Sorey would be surprised if anything was safe.

He glanced down the road, having to lean back a little to see the stone steps that led up towards the shrine at the back of the village. He couldn’t see much if it because of the high ridges, but he could see the gate, a sharp diamond peak among the other mountain peaks. It didn’t satisfy his curiosity, but it did interest him. The shrine was bound to be made out of stone, which would have held up well over the years. Even then, Sorey doubted the shrine had suffered much damage. General Heldalf’s forces would have left it alone as soon as they had removed Maotelus from his shrine, if anything there would be scorch marks and nothing else.

Sorey was about to suggest checking out the shrine when Mikleo pulled away from him with an interested sound. He turned slightly to look where Mikleo was going, his eyes widening at the huge monument that he could see between two of the houses. He followed after Mikleo, taking the chance to look more closely at some of the houses. He reached out to touch one as he squeezed between them, shoving against the side of the house. Sorey was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t give. He ran his hand along the side, testing it out as he walked along.

He was about to check the front of the house when Mikleo called him. Sorey paused halfway out in the street, his gaze immediately jumping back towards where they had come out of the forest. He couldn’t see anyone there, Sorey blushing when he realized that Mikleo had just meant to call his attention to the rock.

He stepped away from the house, making his way down to the monument. Sorey gave empty space by the stone a quick glance, tilting his head to the side when he saw that the grass was growing thicker there. There were even a few flowers starting to push up out of the soil, although they weren’t quite in bloom yet. There was something else among the grass and flowers, a gentle curve of something white just barely poking out from the tangle.

Sorey took a step towards it only to stop as Mikleo softly called his name again. He turned his attention away from the patch of grass, about to walk over to Mikleo when he stumbled over something. He hopped awkwardly to regain his balance, reaching out to grab onto Mikleo as the seraph rushed over to catch him. He smiled, pulling his foot out from under the thing it had caught on.

Mikleo looked him over before shaking his head. “Be careful. This place is falling apart.”

“I know.” Sorey let go of him, looking down at the thing that had nearly sent him sprawling. He sighed when he saw that it was a bit of wood, Sorey reaching down to pick it up with the intention of tossing it back away from the path when Mikleo spoke up.

“Let this be the beginning.”

“What?”

Mikleo stepped forward to place his hand on the rock. “It’s what it says.” The seraph traced his fingers over the letters carved into stone. “I never noticed. I must have been here a dozen times but I never bothered to look. I was too busy looking for things that I needed to survive.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Mikleo nodded, but it didn’t look like he was paying much attention. He was still tracing out the letters, continuing the motion until he got to the end of the inscription. Even then his fingers lingered at the end, Mikleo splaying them out there for a moment before he turned to look at him. The seraph’s gaze dropped down, his head tilting to the side. “What did you find?”

Sorey looked down at the piece of wood, about to wave it off as scrap or a piece of firewood for later when he realized that there was something carved in it. He turned the piece of wood sideways, shaking the dirt off of it. He swiped his hand over it to clean it off a bit more before looking at the message.

_In memory of the people in Camlann, killed in a brutal massacre and laid to rest here with great respect by a loyal friend and blessed by Shepherd Michael. Listed below are those who are buried in this grave. May they rest in peace and in the protection of the seraphim._

He touched where the wood had been broken off before looking up at Mikleo. Mikleo had a look of shock on his face that Sorey was sure matched his own expression. He swallowed and turned back to the patch of green grass, his gaze straying to the curve of white among the flowers.

The sight of it sent a shiver up his spine, Sorey taking a quick step back. He’d never heard about what had happened to the villagers of Camlann, he had assumed that they had all gone unburied. He’d fully expected to find bodies in the houses or peeking out of the landslide, but someone had taken the time to lay them to rest. It was more than he imagined, but also concerning. From everything that he had heard about his father, he couldn’t imagine General Heldalf unbending enough to allow this to happen, unless Shepherd Michael had been the one to do it after the troops had left.

Sorey took a step towards the mass grave, gently laying the piece of wood on top of it. He was tempted to look for the second piece, but he didn’t know where to start, and the sight of the grave sent shivers up his spine.

He stood up slowly, backing away from the grave. He sighed when he felt Mikleo slip an arm around his waist, allowing himself to be pulled tight against the seraph.

They stood in silence for a moment, Mikleo the one to break it with a whisper. “You said you were born here.”

Sorey shook his head. “Near here. I can’t remember my mother ever talking about it and Aunt Nadia never said anything about it. She…didn’t like my father much.”

Mikleo snorted out something like a laugh. “I don’t blame her.”

Sorey nodded, giving the grave one last look before tugging Mikleo along. They couldn’t linger too long by it, not with the light going. They had to decide on a place to stay, whether it be one of the houses or the shrine.

The two of them walked up the street of Camlann, Sorey increasingly aware of the way that they were leaning against each other. He looked up the road, frowning at the distance to the shrine. He still couldn’t see the building past the steps, which meant he didn’t know how long they would have to walk to get there. For all he knew, it would be dark by the time they reached it. And he didn’t think either of them were in any shape to try and get to it. He was used to how weak and shaky he had gotten, but Mikleo looked like he wouldn’t get much farther. He was leaning further into Sorey with every step, looking ready to fall asleep.

Sorey sighed and tipped his head so it could rest against Mikleo’s. “I think that one might be our best bet.”

He pointed at one of the more stable looking houses. He felt Mikleo’s head move slightly as he looked, relieved when the seraph nodded.

They stumbled up the steps of the house together, Mikleo frowning at the way that the porch creaked, but he didn’t linger too long on it. He made a beeline for the inside, Sorey biting his lip to keep back a laugh when he saw Mikleo perk up. The seraph quickly disappeared out of his line of sight, Sorey taking his time to enter the house.

It was a small, cozy place; Sorey sure that any family would have been happy to live in it. He eyed a few of the holes in the wall before shaking his head. The nights had been warm enough that they didn’t have to worry. He sighed and turned his attention to the room itself.

It was bare, just like Sorey expected. Anything useful had been taken and anything not had been broken. Heldalf’s soldiers had probably been the first to loot the houses, but Sorey doubted that they had been the last. It had been nearly twenty years since the attack and there were plenty of desperate people on both sides of the border. All that was left were scattered pieces of broken furniture and a pile of blankets in the corner that Mikleo was picking over.

He gave the seraph a quick glance before tipping his head back to look at the second floor. Sorey didn’t want to chance walking up to the second floor, but it didn’t hurt to inspect it. As long as it didn’t come down on them in the middle of the night it was fine. Still, it wasn’t makeshift, like the people in the house had been trying to make more space. The boards were nailed in place instead of just being laid over the beams. It was more than he expected from such a small village. It meant that Camlann had had some kind of wealth, and its location made Camlann the perfect target. Not that the explanation made what had happened any better.

He dropped his gaze from the ceiling. Sorey shifted in place for a moment before making a beeline for Mikleo.

Mikleo had rocked back onto his heels, frowning at the blankets. Obviously he had been thwarted in his search for a mattress, which is just what Sorey expected. Mikleo glared at the blankets for a moment longer before starting to sort them into some kind of order. Sorey came to kneel beside him, Mikleo throwing him a quick glance before focusing on his task again. “At least we can have padding.”

Sorey chuckled, reaching out to rest his hand between Mikleo’s shoulders, rubbing the nape of Mikleo’s neck with his thumb. He smiled when Mikleo shivered. “I spoiled you, didn’t I?”

“Yes.” The answer had a bit of bite to it, but it was muffled by the quick smile that Sorey saw flash across Mikleo’s face. “Before you I didn’t sleep much.”

Sorey bit back an apology, instead shifting his hand so he could put pressure on the back of Mikleo’s neck. “Do you need another massage?”

He got a sound that was practically a purr in response. Sorey was about to move his hand when Mikleo shook his head and moved away. “Later. I’ve got to put up the wards before dark.”

Sorey nodded. “I’ll go with you.”

“No.” Mikleo grabbed onto his shoulder, his hold strong and insistent. “You stay here and eat. You didn’t this morning.”

“Mikleo-”

“I’m not carrying you when you collapse from hunger.” Mikleo squeezed his shoulder, his stern look softening a bit. “Please.”

There was nothing to do in the face of that look but nod, Sorey sinking back onto the floor. He let the saddlebags on his shoulder slide off, watching as Mikleo slipped outside and out of sight. Sorey shivered, trying to push back his worry. Mikleo could handle himself, there was no question about that, but the village made him wary. Sorey didn’t know if it was the gutted buildings or the grave that they had stumbled across. Whatever it was, he would be glad to leave by morning.

Sorey sighed and turned his attention to the saddlebags, pulling one set closer and rooting around in it. Emma and her sister-in-law had been kind enough to refill their rations, adding a bit of variety to the soldier’s rations that he had stolen. Sorey picked out an apple, making a face at it before reaching back in for a strip of jerky. It was equally as unappetizing as the apple, but he wouldn’t feel as bad when he inevitably didn’t finish it.

He turned the piece of jerky over in his hands before giving in. He sank back into the nest of blankets that Mikleo had made and braced himself for eating another meal where he wouldn’t to be able to taste a thing.

* * *

Mikleo stared down at Camlann from above, frowning as he tried to work out what he should do. The most obvious answer would be to lay a ward around the entire village, but that would be impossible. He had barely managed to lay out a ward around the house they were in, and that had been when he was laying it as close to the house as he dared.

He looked back at the house, catching the shimmer of water around it. It wasn’t as robust as he would have liked, but that was the price he had to pay. He hated the slow decline in what he was able to do, but he was becoming resigned to it. At least he still had some power to use, which just left him hoping that it would last until they got to a port town. After that, he would have to rely on Sorey for protection, which rankled.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Sorey. It was that he didn’t want to be so dependent.

Mikleo glanced down at his stomach, not sure if he watched to stroke it or glare at it. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

Mikleo immediately felt stupid for speaking to it, looking away from it to try and find something else to hold his attention. His gaze strayed up to the ruin on the side of the mountain before he stopped himself.

He didn’t have time to walk all the way up to Elysia. There were wards to put down and Sorey would worry if he was away for too long. It was very likely that Sorey would come to find him as well, and he couldn’t have that. Sorey might be worrying needlessly about him, but at least Mikleo knew his limits. Sorey seemed to be blithely ignoring his own. It was something that they would have to discuss, because Mikleo was tired of being able to run his hands up Sorey’s sides and count his ribs.

He rubbed at his arms, staring down into Camlann. They just had to tough it out until they were away, then they would get the rest they needed and, more importantly, the time to fix things.

Mikleo sighed and let his arms drop back to his sides, focusing on the task at hand. The wards around the house weren’t enough, he had to place more with what little he had left in him. Maybe if he dozed with Sorey for a bit he would be able to wake up and lay more. Certainly, a few hours of sleep would have to help. For a moment, he toyed with the idea of eating. It could help by giving him a little boost, but he wouldn’t risk it. Any food they had was for Sorey, he needed it to survive while Mikleo didn’t.

He surveyed the village, nodding as he made his decision. He first obvious places were the ends of the road through the village. The second would have to be somewhere between the houses and the forest. He wouldn’t be able to stretch a ward that far, but he could at least start it. Mikleo took a deep breath, releasing it slowly before he walked back down the path.

Drawing out and laying the wards would be the easy part, it would be the summoning up of power that would be hard. It was enough to make him wish that he had demanded more from the seraphim in Elysia, no matter what his age had been. The world was harsh on seraphim, so he should have learned something more about artes and the possibilities of his body instead of stories. It was far too late for all of that, but that didn’t stop him from mentally adding it to the ever growing list of things that he would have to teach himself.

He held his hand over the ground, breathing out a sigh of relief when the water came easily to his call. It didn’t matter that his control over it was shaky, it was getting to the point where he could do wards in his sleep.  And this one wasn’t long, just the width of the road. It was easy enough to draw it out while pushing the intent to listen and warn. Mikleo watched the shimmering line spread out in front of him, the water sinking into the ground to wait. He let out a sigh of relief before walking to the other side of the village.

He repeated the process, drawing the ward out and ignoring the way that it wavered. The only thing that mattered was that it would hold. It had to. Mikleo pushed a little harder with his will, cursing his impatience a moment later. He was scraping the bottom of the barrel again, Mikleo too used to the feeling to be anything more than annoyed. He’d become used to that during the last two months of his slow decline. Or was it three now?

Mikleo winced at the thought, purposefully not looking not looking down at his stomach. His answer about it had to come soon if he was going to be of any use, or if he wanted the chance to do anything about it. Mikleo waited for the sense of confidence that would come with a sure answer, but he still wavered and it made him growl. Things would be so much easier if Sorey just told him his opinion. Then again, he liked the fact that Sorey had left it entirely up to him.

He groaned, letting himself linger over his choices before shaking his head. He turned and started to the space between the village and the forest, resigning himself to indecision for a while longer.

He didn’t bother to start the ward until he was even with the house beside theirs. He knew he couldn’t stretch it the whole length, even with the way that he was shoving his anger and frustration into the ward in the place of finesse. As it was, he barely lasted the span of three houses before the ward stuttered to a stop.

“Damn it.” Mikleo looked back at the wavering line. It wasn’t long, but it would hold. That was all that mattered. He could come out later and extend it, when he didn’t feel like his legs were trying to give out.

Mikleo leaned forward, giving himself a few minutes to pant for breath. It wasn’t what he would call a success, it was more something that he would have managed at ten, maybe even younger. But it was the best that he could do now, and it would hold.

He stumbled back to the road, trying to ignore the way his legs shook. They would stop eventually. Besides, he wasn’t trying to hide his condition, Sorey would know immediately. Sorey always knew. He shook his head, staggering up the porch steps and into the house.

Mikleo stopped just inside the doorway, frowning when he saw that Sorey already looked like he was asleep. He would have been willing to let Sorey sleep, because it was getting more obvious that he needed it, but he could see a half-eaten piece of jerky resting on top of one of the saddlebags. Considering the way that Sorey had been lately, that was all he’d been intending to have, and it wasn’t enough. If the pattern continued, Sorey wouldn’t eat in the morning and might eat even less later. It was untenable, Sorey would kill himself doing this.

The thought made panic rise in him, Mikleo rushing across the room to grab onto Sorey’s shoulder. He gave Sorey a hard shake, growling when Sorey didn’t immediately respond. He dug his fingers into Sorey’s shoulder, repeating the move. “Sorey. SOREY!”

The shout finally got Sorey to wake up, but he didn’t jerk awake like he was startled. Sorey just blinked his eyes open slowly, taking a while to realize what was going on around him.

Mikleo waited until Sorey had started to sit up to grab at him, clutching at the front of Sorey’s jacket. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“Mikleo?”

“It’s the malevolence, isn’t it?” Sorey gave him a confused look, but Mikleo didn’t give him much of a chance to answer. He was sure that he already knew it anyway. He could still remember what Emma had said about the girl from Sitole who had fought against her own malevolence for so long that it had killed her. He tightened his grip on Sorey, not bothering to hide how much he was shaking. “You said you were fine. This isn’t fine. This is…it’s…”

Mikleo struggled for words for a moment before dropping his head. He heard Sorey make a worried noise, but he didn’t bother to try and reassure him. The time for that was gone, because it hadn’t worked. The malevolence was winning.

He swallowed, trying to ignore the way that it felt like something stuck in his throat and made his voice crack. “W-what started this? Was it the war?”

Sorey stared at him, the shock obvious on his face. Mikleo tightened his hold when Sorey kept staring and didn’t respond, shaking when he saw Sorey sigh.

“It was more than that.” The words were spoken so softly that Mikleo had to lean forward to hear them properly. “I think it started in Gododdin, but it’s be going since then. Everything I’ve done has just made it worse.” Sorey took a deep breath, letting it out shakily. “An emperor is supposed to protect and care for his people, and I haven’t been able to do either.”

Mikleo whimpered, pulling Sorey close. What he wanted to do was claw the malevolence out of him, but they had lost that power long ago. Mikleo doubted that he had the strength to do it now. Besides, there was no point, not when he was sure that Sorey would just tumble back into it. If there was one thing that he had learned about Sorey, it was that he loved the people. He took his duty to them seriously and Mikleo was sure that all that Sorey saw was a string of failures behind him.

He uncurled his fingers from Sorey’s coat, letting them hover between the two of them before reaching up to cup Sorey’s cheeks. “You haven’t failed them.”

“But-”

“You said that you intended to make a mess of the empire if you couldn’t make headway. And you have. You’ve broken the army, and either the people will start making their own decisions, or Alisha will help them along.” Mikleo leaned forward to rest their foreheads together. “You’ve given them everything you can. Now you can go back to what you wanted to do. We’re going to a place where you can explore the old ruins like you’ve always dreamed of doing. You’re free, Sorey.”

Sorey met his gaze for a moment before looking away. “What about you? You’re still tainted because of me.”

Mikleo felt his breath catch in his throat, but he pushed past the initial rush of anger. He let himself slump against Sorey, shaking his head. “It would have happened eventually. This world is cruel to seraphim.”

He thought he heard Sorey huff out something that may have been a laugh. Mikleo smiled when Sorey reached up to brush a stray piece of hair back behind his ear. Sorey’s hand lingered there for a moment before Sorey smoothed it down the side of his neck and onto his shoulder. Sorey watched him for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "If we're both tainted, do you think our child can be a hellion?"

Mikleo recoiled before he could think about it, scrambling away from Sorey before he realized what he was doing. He stopped himself before he could push himself away from the blankets. Mikleo quashed the urge to get up and walk away, because that wouldn’t get anything done. Besides, he didn’t want to go away from Sorey. He wanted to be close to him, where he felt safe and comfortable. Mikleo curled his fingers into the blankets, holding himself in place as he met Sorey’s gaze.

Sorey blushed and pushed back, creating more space between them. “I’m sorry. But it’s a serious question. What will happen to the bun?”

The ridiculous nickname made the corner of his mouth twitch up, Mikleo relaxing slightly. He slumped a bit, raising a hand to touch his stomach before dropping it away. “I…I don’t know. I don’t know _anything_ about this. I didn’t even know that it was possible.”

“I’m sorry.”

Mikleo huffed at the apology, wanting to wave it off. If Sorey had anything to be sorry about, he couldn’t see it. As far as Mikleo was concerned, it was partially his fault as well, although he didn’t know what he could have done to avoid it. He had wanted Sorey, he _still_ wanted Sorey, consequences or not.

At a loss of what to do, he stroked his fingers over the blankets. He considered them for a while before shrugging. “The only way to make sure would be to be purified, if we could find Maotelus again.”

“Not the Shepherd?”

Mikleo shook his head, glad when Sorey didn’t push the idea. He might have gone to the Shepherd, but he couldn’t think about her without seeing the way that Alisha had loomed threateningly over Sorey. He swallowed, picking at a fold in the blankets as he spoke. “It would help you, but I’m not so sure about me.”

“What do you mean?”

Mikleo didn’t look up at Sorey, it was easier to just talk to the blankets. “I could be purified too, but it feels like getting remade. It’s like the malevolence gets burned out of you; the malevolence and everything that isn’t part of you.”

He heard Sorey suck in a quick breath, Mikleo pausing long enough to be sure that Sorey wasn’t going to say anything else. He almost wished that Sorey would, because that would give him a reason to stop talking. “Seraphim are creatures of energy, it’s what we’re made of and how we do our artes. I can’t use any of mine because that energy is going somewhere else, something foreign. So if I was purified, I don’t think that it…that the bun would survive.”

Sorey made a pained sound, Mikleo shutting his eyes. He knew what Sorey wanted, he had known from the moment he had told Sorey. Sorey wanted to keep it, although he would never override whatever Mikleo’s decision would be.

Mikleo opened his eyes when he heard Sorey move. He watched as Sorey reached out to take his hand, gently lifting his fingers from the blanket. “Is that what you want?”

“I…I don’t know.” Mikleo snapped his mouth shut before the wail that he could feel building tried to escape. He swallowed it back, taking a deep breath. It didn’t help, Mikleo feeling the panic building again. He shook his head, tightening his grip on Sorey’s hand. “And it’s driving me crazy that I don’t know because I need to make a decision before it’s too late. We have no time for it and it’s the worst time for it, but what if I regret it later? There’s barely any seraphim in the world, and the others won’t be coming back. And I’m tired of being alone, but that’s not a reason. And it’s _yours_ but-”

He cut himself off with a whine, staring at Sorey for any sign that he understood. He whimpered when he saw that Sorey looked shocked, because it wasn’t what he needed to see. He needed a nudge, something to get him thinking about something other than the same circle of reasons. Mikleo swallowed, about to say something else when Sorey tugged him into a hug.

Mikleo reached out to grab onto him, clutching him close as Sorey hugged him. He was aware of Sorey making calming sounds and rubbing his back, but he was too busy nuzzling into Sorey’s neck. He heard Sorey sigh, then Sorey ducked his head, Mikleo shivering at the feel of Sorey’s lips against his neck. They rested there, Mikleo glad for it. He shuddered and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths of Sorey’s scent as he tried to center himself again. It was hard when he felt like he was close to falling apart, but he didn’t have that luxury. He had to hold himself together until they were away, just until they were safe.

He shivered, feeling Sorey’s hands roam over his back. It was soothing and familiar, almost enough to make him forget that they were sitting in the middle of a deserted village. Then again, it didn’t matter where they were anymore. Pendrago had certainly never been home to him, and even Sorey had admitted as much. There was no point in longing for somewhere that had never felt right and would never welcome them back. They might have been trapped in some ways, but they were at least free of Pendrago and the empire.

He sat up, feeling Sorey jerk slightly in surprise at the motion. Mikleo didn’t bother to explain himself, too busy pushing Sorey’s coat from his shoulders.

Sorey helped him out by shrugging out of the coat. It was only when Mikleo went for the jacket underneath that Sorey caught his hands. Sorey didn’t pull him away, but he held him still. “What are you doing?”

Mikleo glanced down at the dragon on Sorey’s jacket, resisting the urge to claw it apart. It was another representation of what Sorey had become to suit the needs of the empire and it made him want to snarl, but that would explain nothing. He swallowed and looked up to meet Sorey’s gaze. “It can’t have you.”

“What?”

“The empire, it can’t have you anymore.” Sorey stared up at him with wide eyes, Mikleo smiling down at him. “You said it yourself, even if you went back you’d be forced to abdicate. The empire doesn’t have any claim on you anymore.”

Sorey dropped his hands away, looking like he hadn’t even thought of it. Mikleo took advantage of the moment to start undoing the jacket. He pushed it off Sorey’s shoulders to join the red coat. Red shirt underneath was the next to go, Sorey seeming to have realized what he was trying to do because he helped with the shirt, rescuing it before Mikleo could throw it across the room.

Mikleo pressed his hands against Sorey’s chest, smoothing his hands over the black fabric of his undershirt. He breathed out slowly, look up at Sorey. “There you are. There’s my Sorey.”

He heard Sorey’s breath catch, and then he was being crushed against Sorey’s chest as he was hugged tight. Mikleo squeaked, holding himself still for a moment before wrapping his arms around Sorey. He nuzzled close, running his hands up and down Sorey’s back. He felt Sorey shake in his arms, about to ask about it when Sorey let up the pressure on him.

Mikleo pulled back slightly to look at him, relaxing at the smile that was on Sorey’s face. It wasn’t the smile that he remembered from before, but it was almost like the Sorey he remembered. It was a good enough start.

He leaned forward and kissed Sorey gently, not wanting to disrupt the smile. Sorey leaned up into the kiss, his hand reaching up to comb through his hair, although it was quickly stopped by the braids. Sorey’s hand lingered on the braids for a moment before he leaned away. “May I?”

Mikleo nodded, slipping off of Sorey’s lap and turning around. He dropped his hands into his lap, listening to Sorey scoot closer. He shivered at the puff of air against the back of his neck, feeling Sorey pluck at the laces of his coat. Mikleo sighed, letting his eyes fall shut as Sorey loosened the laces enough for him to pull it off.

He didn’t bother to pull it away, letting it drape over his lap instead. He sucked in a quick breath when he felt Sorey’s fingers at the back of his neck. He worked on something there before the collar went loose and slid off of his neck. It fell into his lap, Mikleo watching the jewel wink in the dying light.

Then Sorey’s fingers were against his neck, Mikleo shivering at the touch of skin on skin where he was used to leather. He hummed and leaned back into the touch, relaxing as Sorey’s fingers slid up into his hair. They scratched against his scalp for a moment before Sorey pulled away to pluck the hair ornament from its place. He reached around to set it down in Mikleo’s lap, Mikleo glancing down at the golden feathers before tipping his head back.

It had been a while since he had gotten the chance to do anything with his hair. He’d kept it up most of the time, since they had started rapidly running out of time in the mornings. It was easier that way, even if it had gotten to be a mess. He’d had more important things on his mind. Still, it was good to feel the style coming out.

Sorey was careful in undoing the bun, combing his fingers through that hair before letting it drop. Mikleo shivered as it brushed against the back of his neck. He let his head rock back, his eyes falling shut as Sorey started to undo the braids.

He worked through them one at a time, picking apart the braids and combing his fingers through them to straighten them out. Every once and a while he would go back to scratch his fingers across Mikleo’s scalp, the sensation enough to make him purr. He thought he heard Sorey laugh, but he didn’t care. It felt too good to stay silent about. Besides, the sound seemed to encourage Sorey to keep going. Sorey scratched at his scalp for a moment more before going back to combing his hair out.

Sorey took his time, working his way slowly from one side of Mikleo’s hair to the other. Mikleo felt himself leaning back into Sorey, not bothering to stop himself. It would be impossible, especially with the way that Sorey kept scratching at his scalp or dropping his fingers down to massage Mikleo’s neck.

Mikleo didn’t realize that he had slumped against Sorey until he felt a chuckle rumble through Sorey’s chest. He tipped his head up to look at Sorey, matching Sorey’s smile with his own.

Sorey’s hands brushed through his hair one last time before coming down to rub at his neck and then his shoulders. Mikleo arched into the touch, sighing when Sorey’s hands came around to rest on his chest. He felt them twitch there, but they didn’t move further. He tipped his head up and kissed the bottom of Sorey’s jaw in thanks. Mikleo reached up to rest a hand over one of Sorey’s, holding it in place.

It was nice after months of various things keeping them busy and apart. Mikleo couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so relaxed. He tipped his head back, trailing kisses as far back along Sorey’s jaw as he could reach.

He felt Sorey’s hand twist underneath his own, Mikleo smiling against Sorey’s jaw. He found a good spot to bite and suck at, using his other hand to reach back and cup the back of Sorey’s head to keep him from moving away. He felt Sorey shiver, Mikleo letting off of the pressure a moment later. He smiled up at the spot, tempted to nuzzle against it. Then again, there were plenty of other spots that looked just as likely for marking up. He tipped his head back, studying Sorey’s neck as he searched out another place to pay attention to. Sorey’s neck looked woefully bare, but his scent glands looked equally as tempting.

Mikleo shifted further back into Sorey’s lap, twisting his head so he could bite down close to the end of Sorey’s jaw. Sorey jerked at the bite, Mikleo smiling as he nipped at the spot again. He soothed it with a kiss before starting to focus on making the skin bruise. He felt Sorey twitch under him, humming as Sorey’s hands curled on his chest. He was being held in place, which was wonderful. Mikleo gently tugged Sorey’s head into a better position and focused on his work.

He drew away when Sorey gave a high pitched whine, giving the spot one last kiss before letting his head fall back on Sorey’s shoulder. He stared at the red spots on Sorey’s jaw, smiling at the bloom of contentment in his chest. It didn’t fix everything, but something about seeing Sorey marked up again calmed him.

Mikleo met Sorey’s gaze, a shiver running down his spin at the sight of Sorey’s blown pupils. Sorey was interested. Mikleo couldn’t think of a time that he wasn’t, but it had been so long since they had gotten a chance for this between the war and fighting with each other. He bit his lip at the pulse of want that he felt. It had been a while since he had felt that too.

He swallowed and tipped his head further to the side. He watched Sorey closely, feeling Sorey’s hands curl tighter against his chest before Sorey was twisting slightly.

Mikleo gasped as he felt Sorey’s lips brush against his neck, tightening his hand in Sorey’s hair. He didn’t bother to guide Sorey to a specific spot, it was enough to feel Sorey nuzzling against his neck. His breath hitched the closer Sorey got to his scent glands, Mikleo whining when Sorey stopped short. He thought he heard Sorey laugh, but the sound was quickly muffled as he finally bit down.

He jerked in Sorey’s grip, trying to pull Sorey close even as Sorey tried to hold him still. But it felt too good to stay still. There had been a time when he had constantly been marked, to the point where the collar had only covered the bare minimum. He hadn’t known how much he had missed the attention until it has disappeared. He hadn’t known how much he had missed being claimed.

Mikleo whimpered, his foot twitching as Sorey nibbled up his neck to his scent glad. He clawed at Sorey’s hair as Sorey bit down again, Mikleo’s hips jerking up. He moaned, letting his hand go slack on Sorey’s head as he enjoyed the sensation. The hand over Sorey’s went slack as they started to move down, Mikleo shaking the further down his body they roamed.

He breathed a sigh of relief when Sorey’s hands skipped over his stomach and smoothed down his sides to his hips. The settled there, Mikleo panting as Sorey’s thumbs rubbed firmly over the curve of the bone. Mikleo was tempted to buck his hips up to get Sorey’s hands to move, but he was distracted when Sorey lifted away from his neck.

Mikleo whined and tried to tug Sorey back down. Sorey relented slightly, pressing kisses along the column of Mikleo’s neck and speaking between them. “Can I? Please? You don’t have to take off your shirt. Just _want_ you.”

Mikleo nodded, not sure if Sorey noticed with the way he was nosing at his neck. He swallowed and tightened his hold on Sorey’s hair, pulling him away just far enough so he could kiss him. Sorey returned the kiss eagerly, nearly bearing him backwards against the blankets.

He flailed out with one hand to brace himself upright, biting at Sorey’s lips as he pulled away. Mikleo looked up at Sorey, preening a bit in the rush of pride at the sight of Sorey’s flushed face. That was because of him. All this was his, his to love and adore. His to want. His to have. Mikleo growled, twisting so he could grab onto Sorey’s shoulders and shove him back into the blankets.

Sorey went down with a surprised grunt, but made no move to try and shake him off. Mikleo settled primly on Sorey’s hips, resting one hand on Sorey’s heart. He smiling at the fast beat under his palm before lifting it away. “Yes.”

For a moment, Sorey seemed confused by his answer, but then he was sitting up and reaching for Mikleo’s robe. They both stripped it off, Mikleo tossing it blindly over his shoulder. Where it went didn’t matter when there were other things to focus on, like Sorey’s shirt. Thankfully, Sorey was already working it off. Mikleo reached out to help pull it over Sorey’s head, letting it fall just behind him.

He ran his hands through Sorey’s hair, gasping when Sorey rolled his hips up. Mikleo grabbed for Sorey’s shoulders, grinding back against him. He could feel Sorey so close to where he wanted him, although it was just so tempting to grind against Sorey until they both came. But he wanted more than that. He wanted Sorey closer. He wanted skin on skin.

Mikleo looked down at him, watching as Sorey’s eyes roamed over him. It made him shiver, Mikleo rewarding the gaze with a long grind.

Sorey’s hands flexed against his hips, Mikleo sure he was about to be held in place, but Sorey started to nudge him up. Mikleo shook his head, trying to lower himself back down, but Sorey shook his head. “Don’t want it to be like this. Want to be inside you.”

Mikleo nodded frantically, glad that he and Sorey were on the same page. He saw Sorey smile, but he was too distracted by the circles that Sorey was rubbing against his hips. He snapped his attention back to Sorey when Sorey spoke his name softly. Sorey smiled up at him, squeezing his hips. “Pants off.”

Mikleo swallowed, but swung his leg over Sorey. He waited long enough to see Sorey going for their saddlebags, watching long enough to see Sorey pull out a small vial of oil. He shivered at the sight of it, reaching down to undo his pants.

He kicked them off, nudging them away into a pile with the rest of his clothes. Mikleo reached for the hem of his undershirt, hesitating. He glanced back at Sorey, watching him struggle with his pants. Sorey had said that he could leave it on, and he was tempted to. But he wanted to feel Sorey’s skin against his. He curled his fingers into the cloth, holding it for a second before pulling it off of him. He tossed it onto his pile of clothes before he could second guess his decision.

Mikleo turned to look back at Sorey, unprepared for the look of pure adoration that he was getting. Sorey scooted forwards towards him, cupping his face in his hands as he rained kisses on it. Mikleo tried to meet them, but Sorey wasn’t predictable. He caught Sorey’s lips a few times before Sorey was kissing down his down his neck, speaking in between kisses. “Please. Let me.”

Mikleo tensed at the request, looking down at Sorey. He carded his hand through Sorey’s hair, gently pushing Sorey’s head down before he could overthinking what he was giving permission for.

It was worth it for the delighted sound that Sorey made. Mikleo took a deep breath, breathing it out shakily as Sorey kissed his way down his body. He whined as Sorey’s teeth scraped across his nipple, his fingers curling in Sorey’s hair. He wanted to encourage Sorey to continue, but Sorey was already moving.

He nudged Mikleo onto his lap before laying back, Mikleo watching him in confusion. He was too far away to touch, and Mikleo’s body ached for it. He leaned forward, about to brace himself over Sorey when Sorey patted his chest. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, but he scooted up so he was straddling Sorey’s chest.

Sorey smiled and leaned up to place a reverent kiss on Mikleo’s stomach. Mikleo sucked in a quick breath, shocked by the motion. He swallowed and reached out to rest a hand on Sorey’s head, the motion encouraging him to kiss his stomach again. Mikleo watched him, surprised by the worshipful look on Sorey’s face. Mikleo dropping his hand to trace over the side of Sorey’s face, trying to map out the shape of the expression. The touch was enough to get Sorey moving again, something that Mikleo almost regretted.

He swallowed, letting his hand drop away was Sorey reached back for some of his discarded clothes. He scooped up beneath his head before fumbling for the vial of oil. Sorey flashed him a quick smile before motioning him closer.

Mikleo moved forward warily, yelping when Sorey dragged him up further. He rocked forward, bracing himself with one hand. Mikleo ducked his head, about to tell Sorey off for it when he felt something wet and warm close around his cock. Mikleo gasped, rocking his hips gently into the sensation. He looked down, his mouth going slack when he saw Sorey with his lips wrapped around his cock, his eyes partially shut. Mikleo moaned and clutched at the blankets. He dropped his other hand to rest on Sorey’s head, combing his fingers through Sorey’s hair in lieu of gripping it and using the hold to thrust into Sorey’s mouth.

Mikleo shuddered, his hips stuttering in their motion. He wanted that, more than anything else, but he didn’t want to choke Sorey. He bit his lip, keeping his gaze on Sorey.

He was so focused that he startled when he felt a finger slide into him. He jerked his hips forward, cursing a moment later. “Sorry. Sorry.”

Sorey just hummed around him, Mikleo shaking at the vibrations. He tightened his grip on Sorey’s hair, rocking mindlessly between Sorey’s mouth and the finger inside him. He couldn’t decide what sensation he wanted to chase. Sorey’s mouth felt good, with his clever tongue and the soft noises that Sorey was making. But his fingers were just as good, Mikleo whining as Sorey slid a second in beside the first. Mikleo shook as they brushed over his prostate. His breath caught in his throat when Sorey started to stretch him, Mikleo struggling not to thrust hard into Sorey’s mouth.

But it didn’t seem like Sorey minded. Mikleo shuddered as Sorey moaned, glancing down at him.

He knew it was a mistake the moment Sorey’s eyes fluttered open. Mikleo found himself pinned by the look that Sorey gave him, surprised by the blatant lust that he saw there. It made him shudder, Mikleo grabbing for a better hold on Sorey’s head as he tried to push him away. “Enough.”

Sorey made a concerned sound, but he pulled off. He tipped his head back, staying there for a moment before looking up at Mikleo. “I’m not done.”

Mikleo shook his head, rocking forward on his knees to trying to move away from the fingers that were still moving gently in him. “Too good. Don’t want to come without you inside of me.”

Sorey’s eyes widened, his fingers pushing in deeper for a moment. Mikleo whimpered, dropping his hand from Sorey’s head to grab at the blanket. It was hard to resist the urge to rock back onto Sorey’s fingers, to ride them until he tipped over the edge. “S-Sorey…”

He gasped as Sorey pulled his fingers out, remaining partially bent over Sorey. He whined and rocked back onto nothing, swallowing harshly. His fingers flexed in the blankets, Mikleo tempted to reach back and push his own fingers into him. It wasn’t the insistent need that he associated with his heats, but that didn’t make him any less desperate.

He curled his fingers from the blankets, searching blindly for something around them. Mikleo’s fingers knocked against something cool and smooth before it was pulled away from him. Mikleo looked up at Sorey, noticing his look of distraction. He turned his head to look, swallowing back a whimper as he watched Sorey slick himself up. He felt his mouth go slack, but he didn’t bother to try and gather himself together again. Mikleo watched the steady motion of Sorey’s hand, his attention pulled away abruptly when Sorey moaned. He jerked his head back around, staring at Sorey’s face.

Sorey had his eyes closed, his head thrown back slightly. Mikleo looked at the column of his neck, reaching out to rub his thumb against his scent gland. Sorey jerked, his eyes flickering open. He met Mikleo’s gaze with a shaky smile, Mikleo shivering as Sorey’s free hand worked up his leg. He reached down to pull the hand onto his thigh, shivering as he felt Sorey’s fingers knead into the muscle there. Mikleo reached down to rest his hand over Sorey’s, not sure if he wanted to drag Sorey’s hand further up. He squeezed Sorey’s hand before scooting further back.

He reached back to curl the fingers of his other hand around Sorey’s hand and cock. He stroked Sorey for a moment before scooting back further. Mikleo felt Sorey’s fingers brush against his as they pulled away. Mikleo rocked up onto his knees, holding Sorey steady as he sank down onto him.

Mikleo moaned, his eyes fluttering shut at the sensation of Sorey sliding into him. He tried to curb his impatience, wanting to take his time and enjoy the sensation, but he couldn’t help but be eager. He sank down quickly, rocking his hips gently as soon as Sorey was all the way inside of him.

“Oh.”

The soft, worshipful tone made him open his eyes, Mikleo looking back down at Sorey.

Sorey had propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes wide. His gaze flicked between where they were joined to Mikleo’s face. The look of wonder was more than enough to encourage Mikleo to lean forward to kiss him.

He stopped short, whimpering as the motion shifted Sorey inside of him. He rocked his hips back, savoring the new position before turning his attention back to his goal.

Sorey met him halfway, Mikleo humming as Sorey guided him into a kiss. Mikleo took his time with it, keeping it slow and deep even when Sorey reached a hand up to grab at his head. Sorey’s fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer but he didn’t bother to change the pace of the kiss, nor did he buck up into him.

It was almost bliss, but it could be better.

Mikleo pulled away from him with a groan, reluctantly pulling off of Sorey. He felt Sorey grab at him, but he shook his head. Mikleo made a vague motion towards the back wall, pushing at Sorey’s shoulder when he didn’t seem to understand. “Move back to the wall.”

Sorey crawled back, the confused look on his face still in place. It just made Mikleo want to kiss it away.

He followed after Sorey quickly, straddling him again. He reached for Sorey’s cock, not looking away from Sorey as he lowered himself down again.

Like this, he was close enough to hear the catch of Sorey’s breath as he started to sink down again. Mikleo hummed at the sound, leaning forward slightly to brush his lips across Sorey’s. Sorey startled at the light touch, Mikleo watching as Sorey’s eyes shut with a groan. Then there were hands on his hips, encouraging him further down.

Mikleo chuckled, the sound breathy as he was completely seated on Sorey. He felt Sorey’s fingers press against him, Mikleo smiling as he tipped his head to rest their foreheads together. “It’s better like this. I can have you close.”

Sorey nodded dumbly, his thumbs stroking against Mikleo’s skin. Mikleo watched as Sorey looked him over before tipping his head back, Mikleo’s heart pounding at the offering.

He leaned forward to rub their cheeks together, mingling their scents further. It was wonderful and heady because Sorey smelled like them. Sorey smelled like _him_. Sorey was _his_.

“Yours.” Mikleo started at the sound of Sorey’s voice, not sure if he had spoken out loud or not. He swallowed, rendered speechless as Sorey moved his head so their lips were just brushing again. “My beloved. My Mikleo.”

He shuddered and met Sorey in a kiss, reaching up to hold his head in place. He moaned into Sorey’s mouth, giving into the soft push that Sorey gave his hips. He stuttered back into motion, trying to match the rise and fall of his hips to the pace of their kiss.

It was a slow and languid motion, which gave him plenty of time to savor the feeling of Sorey kissing him slow and deep, of Sorey moving inside of him.

Mikleo shuddered as Sorey’s hands moved from his hips. They slid up his sides, hesitating around his stomach. Mikleo sighed against Sorey’s lips, about to whisper his permission again when Sorey’s hands moved. They skirted his stomach and slid up, continuing their slow exploration. Mikleo felt his skin prickle at the light touch, sure that everything was more sensitive. Mikleo wasn’t sure if it came from the fact that he hadn’t touched Sorey like this for so long or on something else.

It didn’t matter to him, not when every motion of his hips sent pleasure jolting through him. Not when Sorey had moved away from his lips to kiss down his jaw. Mikleo moved his head slightly, glad when that encouraged Sorey to pay attention there.

He was prepared for the first bite, but he still jumped, gasping out Sorey’s name as he pushed Sorey’s cock deeper. Mikleo moaned and ground down, chasing after the feeling.

He heard Sorey shush him, but the sound was cut off as Sorey bit down on his neck.

Mikleo arched his back, dragging his hands out of Sorey’s hair and down his back. He smiled when Sorey pressed up against him. This was what he wanted, to have Sorey pressed close so he could feel every move, every breath.

He let his head fall back, his eyes closing as Sorey left a line of bites and kisses down his neck. He was being surrounded by Sorey in sound, scent and touch, everything that he wanted and needed.

He gasped out Sorey’s name as Sorey bit down hard, his hips speeding up at the burst of pleasure that ran up his spine. Sorey was quick to grab them and slow them down, Mikleo whimpering but not arguing. It felt too good to speed up, especially when it left Sorey with the breath to whisper to him.

Mikleo shuddered with each word murmured against his skin, iterations of his name and bits of praise. He ran his hands up and down Sorey’s back, digging his nails it at a particularly breathy “Beloved.”

He whined, dragging his hands up to tangle in Sorey’s hair. Sorey’s lips felt wonderful on his neck, but he wanted them on his mouth again.

Sorey scraped his teeth over Mikleo’s neck before he abandoned his place. Mikleo shivered as Sorey looked at him, unable to hold Sorey’s gaze for long. He tipped his head forward, resting their foreheads together.  He ground down, gasping out Sorey’s name. He got a soft smile in return, Sorey tipping his head slightly.

Mikleo copied the move, leaning in for a kiss when he felt one of Sorey’s hands slide down his stomach. He sucked in a quick breath, turning it into a breathy moan as Sorey wrapped his hand around his cock. He rocked between the two sensations, picking up his pace slightly.

He wasn’t aware that he had let his eyes fall shut until Sorey whimpered. Mikleo opened his eyes as Sorey touched his cheek. He felt his breath catch in his throat at the intense look on Sorey’s face. He swallowed, tempted to close his eyes just to escape it.

Sorey must have read some of his intention because he moved his hand around to rest it on the back of Mikleo’s neck. Mikleo jerked at the touch, gasping out Sorey’s name as Sorey put pressure there. It wasn’t a bite, but it was close enough. It brought him close enough.

“Sorey…”

“Yeah, me too.” Sorey leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching. The closeness had Mikleo gasping, his hips speeding up their motion, Mikleo chasing after the tight curl in his stomach.

He felt Sorey’s hand shift on the back of his neck, meeting Sorey’s gaze. Sorey nodded, his eyes going soft. “Don’t look away.”

Mikleo shook his head, not sure that he could do what Sorey asked. He was close, and it was so good. He clawed at Sorey’s back, trying to pull him closer. He couldn’t get Sorey close enough. “Sorey, Sorey…”

“Sh, beloved.”

He choked on his next words, the sounds turning into a scream in the back of his throat as Sorey thrust up hard into him. The hand around his cock twisted just the right way, Mikleo twitching hard in Sorey’s arms. He wasn’t even sure he got out Sorey’s name before he came, but he didn’t look away, not when Sorey looked so enthralled.

Mikleo whimpered as he felt the hand on the back of his neck tightened a moment before Sorey whispered his name. Then Sorey was ducking his head to rest against Mikleo’s shoulder, holding him tight against him. Mikleo turned his head so his temple was resting against Sorey’s. He clung tight to Sorey, shaking with the force of his orgasm. He closed his eyes and breathed Sorey in, using that to center himself.

It was dust, old books and them, wonderfully them.

He nuzzled closer, tipping Sorey further backward against the wall. Mikleo huffed by didn’t stop, not until he heard Sorey laugh.

He jerked his head up at the sound, his eyes going wide. It had been such a long while since he’d heard it. Mikleo looked over at Sorey, smiling at the look on Sorey’s face. That too was rare, Mikleo reaching up to cup his face.

Mikleo smiled and pressed their foreheads together. “I missed this.”

Sorey nodded, reaching up to comb his fingers through Mikleo’s hair. “Me too. I wish we had gotten more time for this before.”

“We’ll have plenty of time for it.” Mikleo shifted, reluctantly getting up from Sorey’s lap. He bit his lip as Sorey slid free, feeling Sorey’s hand brush against his knee as he moved away. Mikleo took a few deep breaths, about to call on his artes when he stopped himself. He could already feel the shake coming through his legs, it would be impossible to do anything.

Mikleo groaned and sank back to the blankets, looking up as he heard Sorey move. He watched as Sorey rooted around on of the saddlebags, Sorey eventually coming away with a scrap of cloth. Mikleo tilted his head to the side, reaching out as soon as Sorey was in touching distance. He ran his fingers up Sorey’s leg, stroking Sorey’s knee.

Sorey smiled down at him before reaching around to start cleaning him up. Mikleo twitched at the first touch but relaxed. He shifted his head so it was resting on Sorey’s lap. Sorey was quick to reach down to rest a hand in his hair. He played with the strands for a moment before humming. “It’s getting longer.”

“Yeah.” Mikleo reached up to tuck a strand behind his ear, his fingers brushing across Sorey’s. “I think I’ll keep it. I like being able to put the ornament in.”

He turned his head to nuzzle against Sorey’s leg, pressing a kiss to the skin there. He felt Sorey’s hand twitch in his hair, but then Sorey was nudging his head away.

Mikleo went with a grumble of protest, wiggling on the blankets to get comfortable as Sorey threw the used rag to one corner of the room. Mikleo sighed and closed his eyes, smiling when he felt Sorey slide into place behind him.

Sorey didn’t immediately curl around him, Mikleo feeling him reaching back for something. Then Sorey was settling against him and pulling something over the two of them. Mikleo opened one eye, reaching up to pet the fur around the collar of Sorey’s coat. He thought he heard Sorey chuckle, but the sound was quickly muffled into his shoulder. Mikleo was tempted to twist around to get a better look at him, be he was feeling too loose limbed to do anything more than lie in place. It was nice and warm under Sorey’s coat, but it wasn’t quite right.

Mikleo shifted in place before giving in. He wanted to be held properly, like Sorey had held him before. Mikleo reached back for Sorey’s hand, hesitating for a moment before chiding himself. The worst that would happen was that Sorey would get that soft-eyed expression on his face, and maybe some petting, but the latter didn’t sound too bad. Mikleo shivered and grabbed onto Sorey’s wrist, dragging his hand over. Sorey made a delighted sound, moving closer to him.

He shivered as Sorey stroked over his stomach, the motion continuing for a moment before it stopped. Mikleo hummed and turned his head, almost expecting Sorey to have fallen asleep. It wouldn’t have been normal, but Sorey had been dragging for the past few days. Instead, he found Sorey looking at him fondly.

Sorey leaned forward to press a kiss against his cheek before sinking back down into the blankets again. Mikleo smiled, reaching down to rest his hand on Sorey’s. He was careful to avoid resting his fingers against the swell of his own stomach, but he couldn’t not touch Sorey. It made him feel at peace.

He let his eyes fall partially shut, soaking up the warmth from Sorey. It wasn’t as much as before, Mikleo trying to ignore that. It would be fine, just as soon as Sorey had time to recover. Just how that would happen, Mikleo wasn’t sure but he was sure that they would figure it out. If all else failed, they could find Maotelus. Mikleo was sure that the Great Lord wouldn’t be moving far from Lohgrin too soon, and the kingdom was far enough away that no one would bother them. Maybe by then he would have his own answer.

He smoothed his fingers over the back of Sorey’s hand, tipping his head to the side when Sorey made a sound. Mikleo waited a moment to see if Sorey would repeat it. When he didn’t, Mikleo hummed, feeling Sorey start behind him.

Sorey was quick to tuck himself back against him, Mikleo feeling him shake his head. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

Sorey was silent for a long time, the only sign that he was still awake the slight twitch of his fingers. "It was just…we both come from around here. This was where we first met. It’s all very neat. So, do you think the two of us meeting was destined?"

Mikleo sucked in a quick breath, surprised by how trapped he felt by the question. It wasn’t that things had fallen together neatly, but the idea that it would have always happened like this that he didn’t like. It was too much like being bound to a vessel.

He shook his head, clutching at Sorey’s hand. "No... no, I won't hide behind that. I chose this, and I kept making my own choices."

Sorey sighed, Mikleo shivering at the puff of breath on the back of his neck. He twisted slightly in Sorey’s arms, rolling under him so he could see Sorey’s expression.

It was serious, more so than Mikleo expected. He reached up to rub at the frown lines between Sorey’s eyes, trying to smooth them out. That got Sorey to smile again.

“I like that idea better too. I’d rather make my own choices than be forced to fit someone else’s plan.” Sorey gave him a wry smile, Mikleo huffing and pressing a little harder against Sorey’s forehead before dropping his hand away.

“That never ends well.”

“No.”

“But we’ll figure out our own ending.” That got the smile that he was looking for, Mikleo glad that it was back

He propped himself up on his arms leaning up to kiss that smile. Sorey melted into the kiss, his hand shifting on Mikleo’s stomach. It remained curled protectively over it before he rolled off of Mikleo.

Mikleo huffed and rolled to his side, snuggling up to Sorey’s side. He flung an arm over Sorey, running his fingers over Sorey’s side. He felt Sorey twitch, lightening up the touch so it wouldn’t tickle. Mikleo settled head on Sorey’s chest, sighing happily. Sorey was quick to rest his arm over Mikleo, stroking over Mikleo’s side and stomach.

He rubbed his cheek against Sorey’s chest in contentment, settling further when Sorey pulled his coat more securely over them. Mikleo scooted up so his ear was resting over Sorey’s chest. He closed his eyes, listening to the steady beat of Sorey’s heart as he drifted off to sleep.


	35. Chapter 32

“You must come back, Patroclus. Even if Zeus  
the thundering lord of Hera lets you seize your glory,  
you must not burn for war against these Trojans,  
madmen lusting for battle - not without me-”  
\- _The Illiad_ , translated by Robert Fagles

* * *

 

Rose frowned at the destroyed village, fighting to push back her disgust. Her anger at the people who had done it didn’t matter, not when the atrocity was nearly twenty years old. There was nothing she could do to help the people of Camlann specifically, but it was something to know that she was helping to end the war that had restarted with their suffering.

She scanned over the houses before directing her gaze up to the mountain. She couldn’t see where it ended above the clouds, but Natalie was helpful enough to supply a good enough mental map for her.

The mountain rose high into the sky, accessible by the path that ran up the side of it. At the top was a kind of gate which would have led into where the seraphim had lived. Rose expected that she would find Sorey and Mikleo up there, which was annoying. Climbing up the mountain would give them time to be spotted and Natalie’s memory wasn’t precise enough for planning out their attack. They would need time to scout out the area, something Rose doubted that they would have. From everything that Natalie was showing her, there was a lot of open space between the forest and the gate.

She sighed and carefully got up onto her knees. The growth at the edge of the forest was thick enough to hide her, and she doubted that Sorey or Mikleo would be able to see her from the mountain, but it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.

She glanced back at the path, figuring out the best way to tackle it when she felt Dezel tug at her for her attention. She turned her head away from the path, letting him guide her head back to the village.

Rose stared at the burnt out houses, trying to figure out what Dezel wanted her to see. He allowed her to flounder for a moment more before speaking. _“At the front of the road, and off to the side. Wards.”_

Rose stared at the ground, seeing the sparkle of the sun off something, but it was barely there to see. She sighed and rocked back onto her heels. _“Not much of them.”_

_“Doesn’t matter. It means that they’re down here. They wouldn’t bother to put wards like this if they were on the mountain.”_

Rose paused for a moment, feeling Natalie concede the point. The water seraph’s attention lingered on the wards for a little bit longer, Rose feeling Natalie’s worry tick over in her mind.

_“They’re weaker than they should be, but they don’t feel old.”_

Rose filed that information away, her gaze never leaving the ward. That was something to watch out for, but it was definitely something for later. The more important thing was that Sorey and Mikleo were in reach, and they couldn’t pass up on this chance. _“Dezel?”_

_“I’ll keep watch.”_ Dezel slipped out of her mind, the seraph quick to kneel beside her. “Go get the others, quickly.”

She nodded and got to her feet, backing away from where Dezel watched over the village. She gave Camlann one last glance before turning on her heel and jogging back to where she had left Alisha and Sergei.

* * *

Mikleo jolted awake, looking around the house as he tried to place just what caught his attention. It came to him the next moment, Mikleo scrambling to his feet and lunging for his clothes.

Something had tripped the wards.

He pulled his pants on, fumbling with the closure. Mikleo bent over to pull on his shirt, glancing at the door. The ward had stopped warning him that something had crossed it, which meant that they were already in the town. The next step would be for whatever it was to find them in the house, which would be bad. The house was good enough for sleeping in, but it would be horrible to fight in. It would be all too easy to be backed into a corner. And then…and then…

Mikleo shuddered, picking up his robe and pulling it on. He buttoned the front, reaching for his coat before shaking his head. That would take time that they didn’t have. He could always worry about it later when they were away from whatever had come after them.

There was every chance that it could be a hellion, but there was an equal chance that it could be the Shepherd.

Mikleo shivered and bundled up his coat, taking care to make sure that the ornament was wrapped up inside of it. He lunged for one of the saddlebags, tucking the bundle into it. He didn’t bother to close the saddlebag, reaching out for Sorey and shaking him. He wanted Sorey up and moving as fast as possible. He didn’t know which ward had been triggered; his abilities didn’t extend that far anymore. For all he knew, they would have to fight their way out, and he needed Sorey awake for that.

He glanced at the door before looking back down at Sorey, his heart pounding faster when Sorey didn’t move. Mikleo reached out with both hands, shaking him harder. Sorey moved limply with the force, Mikleo trying to push back the panic that came with the reaction. It was nothing new, it had been happening more often, but that didn’t make him any more used to it. If anything, it just made the panic worse. Something was coming and Sorey wouldn’t wake up. Mikleo couldn’t defend the two of them on his own, not that he wouldn’t try.

“Sorey.” Mikleo threw a glance back at the door before throwing all caution to the wind. Whatever was coming would hear them soon enough, and it was more important to have Sorey on his feet. “SOREY!”

Even with the shout it took Sorey a moment to respond. He opened his eyes and blinked slowly, like he had been gently shaken awake.

Sorey stared at Mikleo for a moment before propping himself up on his elbows. “What is it?”

“We need to go. Now.”

“Is it a hellion?”

“I don’t know. But you need to get dressed.” Mikleo threw a quick glance around the room. “We can escape out the front door, or through one of the back windows if there’s no other choice. Just as long as we’re moving.”

He snatched up Sorey’s clothes, turning around to shove them at Sorey. He stopped halfway through the motion, watching as Sorey rolled onto his hands and knees.

The effort it took was obvious, Mikleo seeing the shake in Sorey’s arms. Sorey almost fell down flat on his face, Mikleo watching as he gritted his teeth and pushed back so he was sitting on his heels. Even then it looked like he was only there through willpower alone. Sorey was swaying in place, looking like a light breeze could knock him over.

Mikleo clutched the bundle of clothes to his chest, curling his fingers into it to try to keep himself from making another sound. He knew what this was, it was days of barely there meals and exhaustion catching up with him. It was the malevolence winning and it made him want to scream.

It couldn’t have Sorey, he wouldn’t let that happen. He’d find someone to fix it, someone other than a Shepherd who would just drag Sorey away from him. But, to do that, they needed to get away and Sorey needed time.

Mikleo scrambled to his feet, giving the door another look before he threw Sorey’s clothes at him. “Get dressed.”

He reached out to summon his staff, sucking in a quick breath when it didn’t come immediately to his call. Mikleo closed his eyes, focusing on the simple arte. He barely bit back a whimper when it finally came to him, the arte leaving him swaying.

He pressed the end of the staff against the floor, leaning against it for a moment as he tried to gather himself together again. He didn’t have much left in him, but it would be enough. It had to be. Besides, he didn’t intend on fighting for long, just long enough for Sorey to start running. Mikleo was sure that he would catch up. He would find Sorey anywhere.

He looked up at Sorey again, shaking his head at the look of worry on Sorey’s face. “No arguing. I’m going to distract them.”

“But-”

“The faster you’re out of here, the faster I can duck away. Just… _please_.”

Sorey gave him a tense nod. He clutched his clothes to his chest for a moment before scrambling up to his feet. He nearly fell on his face, but Sorey didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy reaching out.

Mikleo met him halfway, Sorey quick to kiss his hands before leaning in to kiss his lips. “Be careful.”

“I will.” Mikleo couldn’t help but linger for one last quick kiss before he turned on his heel and walked out of the door.

He squinted as he stepped out onto the porch. It was later than he thought it was, a thought that made his stomach twist. They had lost precious time, but there was nothing to be done. Blaming himself would get them nowhere, not when there were more important things to focus on.

Mikleo stepped off of the porch, walking out into the middle of the street. It didn’t take him long to see what had triggered the wards, Mikleo narrowing his eyes when he saw them.

He had hoped for a hellion, they would be easier to frighten or chase away. Instead, he was facing the Shepherd and her Squires, which meant that he would be facing seraphim who were in far better shape than he was.

Mikleo nervously adjusted his grip on his staff, swinging it out in front of him defensively. He tipped his chin back, trying to look imperious instead of fearful. “What do you want?”

It must have worked because they all looked taken aback. Sergei was the one to rock forward like he was going to try and come towards him. He bared his teeth, not sure if it looked threatening or not. He wouldn’t be able to turn into a drake, but they didn’t know that. That would be his trump card, their assumption that he was more dangerous than he actually was. It would be foolish to fight them now, he just had to delay them long enough for Sorey to get a head start.

Even then he would only have a limited amount of time between his artes holding out and just how far Sorey would go without him. Mikleo could never predict the former and Sorey wouldn’t go too far. All things considered, it would be better to bluff.

He shifted in place, watching the three of them. Mikleo jerked his head to the side as he felt a flare of power, narrowing his eyes as he saw Natalie appear next to Rose. He swayed towards her before stopping. This wasn’t the time for that, he couldn’t risk getting distracted. Mikleo narrowed his eyes at Natalie before focusing on the Shepherd again. She was the most dangerous out of the four of them. “What do you want?”

Rose frowned and tossed the reins over her shoulder. Mikleo sucked in a quick breath as a wind seraph appeared to catch the reins. He eyed the seraph for a moment before temporarily dismissing him. Rose was eying him anyway, her fingers drumming on the handle of her knife that he could see peeking out from behind her back. “The war is over.”

“I’m aware.”

She smirked at him before shaking her head. “Then you’re aware that the emperor surrendered.”

“Yes. But you’re not getting to him.”

“Mikleo, please. Be reasonable.” Mikleo turned his head to growl at Natalie, expecting her to back off. Instead, she took another step forward, raising her voice. “You’re both soaked in malevolence!”

“I know.” Mikleo tried to keep his voice steady. “But that doesn’t matter. Not as much as what they’re going to do with him. I’m not going to let her kill him.”

Natalie’s mouth opened closed before she shook her head. “Rose wouldn’t.”

Mikleo raised an eyebrow and looked over at Rose. The Shepherd didn’t meet his gaze immediately, but it was more telling that neither Alisha nor Sergei wouldn’t met his gaze. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze drifting back to where Rose was standing quietly. “She wouldn’t, but she can’t guarantee that, can she?”

Rose shook her head, Mikleo about to take that as an answer when Alisha stepped forward. He took a step back, watching a shocked look flash across her face before Alisha shook her head. “We can’t. It will depend on what we determine with the treaty. Nothing will happen to you.”

“I don’t care about me.”

Alisha fumbled for words for a moment before she dropped her gaze. “It’s likely that Sorey will be kept under house arrest for the rest of his life, but there is a chance that he would be killed.” She flinched as he growled, Mikleo noticing the way that Sergei and Rose leaned in protectively. He glared at the three of them, watching as Alisha spoke up again. “But you wouldn’t be allowed to go with him. It would be impossible and for the good of the world.”

“I don’t care about that. I’m not leaving him.”

“It’ll end up destroying you.” Rose spoke up, Mikleo watching as she drew one of her knives and flipped it casually into the air. “Unless he gets purified, you’ll keep absorbing his malevolence. You won’t be able to hold out against that for long.”

Mikleo shook his head, about to counter her argument when the ground rumbled under him. He stumbled to one side, Mikleo looking around for what had caused the shift. He spotted a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye, Mikleo turning slightly to stare at the small seraphim that was circling around to one side. He bristled at the sight of her, glancing over at where Natalie was edging around on his other side.

They were trying to surround him, and they weren’t trying to be subtle about it. His only saving grace was that they were moving like he was dangerous. He switched his hold on his staff, giving the earth seraph another glance before focusing on Rose again.

He knew that he had to do something about Sorey’s malevolence, but it wasn’t the most pressing need at the moment. Besides, he remembered what it had felt like to be purified. He had been shaky and exhausted, and that had been before he had been pregnant. He could only imagine what expelling the malevolence from him _and_ a growing seraph would do to him. In any case, he wouldn’t be able to protect Sorey and he didn’t think Sorey would be able to protect himself. Mikleo wouldn’t put it past them to purify the two of them and use their moment of weakness to separate them. Not that he’d allow it to last for long.

Mikleo swallowed, not letting his gaze waver from Rose. “Why do you care? Why can’t you just leave us alone?”

Rose stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. “I can’t risk you becoming a dragon, because I’m sure you’d pull Sorey with you and we can’t afford a Lord of Calamity. And that’s what he’d become. It’s my duty to eliminate all threats.”

“Even when we’re trying to get away?”

“Even then.” Rose sighed, Mikleo tensing when he heard the start of something. It sounded vaguely familiar, and then Rose was gone in a pillar of fire.

Mikleo flinched backwards, swinging his staff in front of him and starting to call on water. He swallowed at the nausea that flooded him, ducking his head and slowing himself down.

He breathed out a sigh of relief when the nausea dissipated. It wasn’t enough to leave him completely clear headed, but it would certainly be enough to allow him to work. His artes would just be slow to come, which meant that he would have to make every one of them count.

The fire burned down, Mikleo staring at the Shepherd in armatus. Something twisted in his stomach with the sight, some kind of longing.

He and Sorey had done that twice, and he could barely remember the exhilaration. There had been nothing but rage and a sense of right, but it had been glorious in its own way. Mikleo would only imagine that he and Sorey had looked something like that. The sense of power would have been the same, but Mikleo was sure that he and Sorey had never looked so angelic.

Mikleo swallowed back the longing, focusing on his arte. He had to be ready for whichever struck first, Mikleo glancing between the three of them. He was aware that Alisha and Sergei could try and reach him, but they weren’t as big of a threat as the seraphim and the armatized Shepherd.

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, Mikleo pivoting to his left to fire off a quick stream of water over at Natalie. It wouldn’t be enough to do anything, but it made her step back. Mikleo’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, trying to ignore the horrible feeling that came with it.

She was his sister, the one that he had spent so long searching for and trying to protect. He would still try to keep her safe, but there was someone else had had to protect as well.

Mikleo curled his fingers towards his palm, hesitating over the sight of his sister for a moment longer before looking back at the Shepherd.

Rose was moving forward, Mikleo glancing at the flare of flames over her sword before his attention jumped over to the wind seraph. He had slipped away, Mikleo trying to find him before focusing on the Shepherd. He didn’t think that the wind seraph would go far, he would just have to be prepared. It was just another thing to keep track of.

He flexed his fingers, feeling the water starting to gather again. It was enough for another low level arte, something that wouldn’t leave him reeling, but he didn’t want to risk it. If he was going up against the Shepherd, he needed to be ready to meet her at that level. Mikleo swallowed, trying to focus.

He had to hold out, for their sakes.

Rose moved quickly, Mikleo stumbling back. He fumbled at the water he had managed to gather, giving up on a larger arte in favor of smaller things that he could fire off quickly. Anything to keep them at bay.

He formed the water into ice spires, sending them at Rose at speed. If he was lucky, they would hit before they melted, which would give him more time. Just time for what he didn’t know, it was all happening too fast for him.

He could see Natalie and the earth seraph moving closer to him on either side, while Alisha and Sergei were staring to move forward. Between them was Rose, although she was starting to stumble back under the assault of the ice. Mikleo breathed a sigh of relief, the sound guttering out when he noticed the wind seraph moving in.

Mikleo ignored the way that his heart started pounding faster. He just growled low and focused on the way that the water was slowly coming back to him. It was there, but it wasn’t fast enough. Mikleo swallowed back his frustration, pivoting to meet the lunge that Alisha started.

He caught it against his staff, straining against her before pushing her back. It was almost too easy, almost like it was a distraction. Mikleo resisted the urge to look back at the house. They hadn’t started towards it, which meant that they were completely distracted by him. It didn’t matter that Sorey should be ready by now, the distance was what mattered.

A rumble alerted him to the earth seraph’s movement, Mikleo stumbling to the side to avoid the spars of earth that shot up. It looked purposeful, like he was being herding in a particular direction. Mikleo gritted his teeth and tried to move away, but Natalie was there.

His sister didn’t have her weapon out, but she reached for him. Mikleo flinched away, having to twist awkwardly when more spars of earth rose up. He hopped closer to the Shepherd, Mikleo throwing her a glance. He saw a flash of blue off her sword before he felt a hand brush over his side, getting dangerously close to his stomach.

Mikleo yelped and shied away, glancing at his sister before pulling his attention away. He hadn’t put all of his layers on in his rush to get outside and work as a distraction. He wasn’t sure if he regretted it now or not, but it was too late to do anything. It wouldn’t be a problem as long as they were just looking.

He gave the group a wary glance, watching as they settled into a loose circle around him. He was as good as trapped, which meant that he would have to break his way out of it soon. But it was good for him at least, because it meant that they were paying attention to him alone.

Mikleo smiled to himself, glancing around to pinpoint the weakest point in the circle. To his surprise, most of them looked committed to what they were doing. He hadn’t expected the earth seraph to give, but he had thought that Alisha or Sergei would be hesitating. The two of them might have fallen for Sorey’s ruse, but he had thought that they would be willing to give a little, especially since they had known Sorey. He hadn’t expected the Shepherd to waver either, not when it was her duty. That just left him with his sister.

He swung his gaze around to Natalie, considering her. She obviously didn’t want to hurt him, which was something that he could use to his advantage. Mikleo didn’t like the idea, but he was desperate. He could play trapped for a while, but not forever.

He glanced over at Rose again before lunging for Natalie. He heard her gasp something that sounded like his name, but Mikleo didn’t let himself linger over it. He needed to be out of the circle before they herded him close to the Shepherd.

Mikleo raised his staff, intended to feint when she shook her head and pulled out her naginata. Mikleo gritted his teeth as the two knocked together. He braced himself, straining to push Natalie back. Natalie was older and stronger, his own failing artes aside, but that didn’t meant that she would automatically win. It was just a matter of pushing her to the point where he could advantage. After all, Natalie wouldn’t hurt him, so it was a matter of tricking her into backing down. He would never hurt her, but there was no reason for her to think that it was true.

He gritted his teeth, ignoring the unease that came with the plan. It would work, he would just have to deal with hating it. Mikleo planted his feet and shoved, feeling Natalie rock backwards. He twisted his staff, trying to get the end in a position that he could feint an attack. He would have preferred to use his artes but the water was still gathering for him, and it the nausea was still receding. It would take him a few more minutes, but he hoped to have Natalie in retreat by then and to be able to save his artes for covering their retreat.

Mikleo gasped as Natalie moved to counter him. He jerked his head back, his eyes widening as she glared at him. Natalie strained against him for a moment before shaking her head. “Why are you doing this? We’re just trying to help you?”

“Help me?”

Natalie nodded, giving him another shove. Mikleo stumbled backwards a step, having to scramble to brace himself again. He looked up at her, surprised by the anger and desperation on her face. “I don’t want to lose you to malevolence. Why can’t you understand that?!”

Mikleo bristled at the question, glaring at her. He dug in, glaring at her even as he called on his artes. “You say that like you think I like being like this.”

“Mikleo-”

“I didn’t become this way by my choice. It was humans and all of their malevolence.” He managed to take a step forward against her. He thought he heard one of the others shout for her, but they were beneath his notice. “I sat on that mountain for eight years because I would have died if I’d left. I waited there until Gramps’ blessing faded. There was _nothing but malevolence_. How did you expect me to resist any of that?!”

“That’s not-”

“Don’t make it sound like it’s my fault. It’s yours. You LEFT ME!” He shoved her back with a wave of water, regretting it a moment later.

He swayed on his feet, watching as Natalie stumbled backwards. She didn’t fall over or leave a gap in the circle. Mikleo cursed under his breath, jamming the end of his staff into the ground. He leaned against it, panting for breath. He ignored the prick of tears in his eyes, because they were useless. They always had been. It was better to ignore it and just focus on his sister.

Mikleo swallowed and lifted his chin, trying to keep his voice steady as he looked at her. He meant to say something else to drive her away, something else to make her waver, but there was nothing. Mikleo shook his head. “Why can’t you just leave us alone?”

Natalie stared at him, Mikleo sure that she would give in. She didn’t say anything, she just stood there in shock. Mikleo glanced around at the others before making his choice. They wouldn’t stand by forever, and he didn’t have anything to drive them away with anymore.

He swallowed and started walking, well aware that they probably wouldn’t let him get too far. He turned his head slightly, eyeing the earth seraph as she stepped forward.

He was so focused on her that he missed the wind seraph, Mikleo jumped as he appeared behind him. Mikleo twisted to face him, fumbling with his hold on his staff. He held it out defensively, ready to keep walking when Natalie plowed into him.

Mikleo yelped, arching backwards as he felt her arm loop around his chest. She tugged him back against her, Mikleo reaching up with one hand to claw at her arm even as she used the momentum to twist them slightly. Mikleo cursed and tried to wiggle his fingers underneath her arm. It would be more helpful to use both of his hands, but Mikleo didn’t dare let go of his staff.

He tried to dig his heels, arching his back on the off chance that he could knock the back of his head into hers. Anything to get him free. Mikleo tried to twist in her hold, freezing when her other arm dropped over his stomach.

Natalie didn’t seem to notice, her attention on where the Shepherd was standing. He felt her suck in a deep breath, whatever she was about to say dying. Mikleo heard the first word come out mangled in her throat before she looked down at him. He shuddered as her arm shifted, Natalie running a hand over his stomach.

It was the same motion Sorey used, but it didn’t calm him. It made his heart pound faster, Mikleo staring down at his sister’s hand before twisting his body.

Natalie let him go this time, Mikleo stumbling when he landed. He gave the circle a quick glance, his eyes widening at the look of shock on everyone’s faces. Mikleo flinched when the wind seraph lifted his head and took a deep breath, the twitch of his shoulders telling Mikleo all he needed to know. If wind seraph could smell it on him, and Mikleo was sure that the others would to.

He swallowed and back towards the center of the circle, not wanting to be close to any of them. It didn’t seem to matter because Natalie was approaching him again, Mikleo able to see how much her hands were shaking.

He flinched away before she could touch him, but he wasn’t able to hide from her, not when it was just as easy for her to take a deep breath. Mikleo wanted to look away as he watched Natalie process what she was smelling, but he couldn’t, especially not after her face fell.

Natalie shook her head, reaching out for him. “Oh Mikleo. What’s he done to you?”

Mikleo recoiled from her, glancing around at the rest of the circle. His breath caught in his throat at the looks of disgust on all of their faces, Mikleo feeling his stomach twist. It wasn’t too hard to imagine what they were thinking, which was enough to make him growl.

It took more effort than it should for him not to curl an arm protectively over his stomach. Instead, he got a better grip on his staff, glaring back at all of them.

How dare they think so lowly of Sorey? And how dare they think that he was nothing more than something to be saved?

He turned his attention to Natalie as she approached him, shying away from any of her attempts to touch him. Mikleo leveled his staff at her, allowing his growl to rumble out louder the closer she got to him.

Somehow she didn’t understand the warnings that he was giving her. She just nodded and left her hands out in the open space between them. “Don’t worry, we can fix this. We _will_ fix this. And he won’t touch you again.”

“No.” Mikleo practically snarled the word out, relieved when she reacted. It didn’t matter that she looked appalled, it meant that she was listening. He bared his teeth at her, trying to divide his attention between her and everyone else around him. He was relieved that Alisha and Sergei seemed content to stand back, that just left him with the seraphim to worry about.

His gaze jumped to Rose, Mikleo shifting his stance. He had run out of time to mess around, he had to move now. Sorey had to be out of the house because Mikleo wasn’t sure that he could hold them off for much longer, especially since their focus had shifted.

A gust of wind drew his attention to the wind seraph behind him, Mikleo reacting with a rushed arte. The stream of water wasn’t in the right shape nor was it strong enough to do anything more to send the wind seraph stumbling back, and Mikleo regretted it. He gritted his teeth, trying to rush another arte despite the nausea that sent his head reeling. He swayed in place, gritting his teeth against it.

He barely got the time to gather himself together before the ground rumbled beneath him. He glanced at the ground, losing precious minutes as his vision blurred. Then the earth was rising up around him.

Mikleo jerked back, watching in horror as a cage of rocks formed. He reached out towards it before jerking his hand back. He gathered the tatters of the next arte up, throwing it at the rocks.

The water splattered uselessly against the rocks, Mikleo watching it roll off. He pivoted, swinging his staff to bring it down against the rocks. It didn’t do anything, not that he had expected it to. But there was nothing else he could think of doing. He was well and truly trapped with no way out, and it frightened him.

He paced around the edge of the cage, looking out at the seraphim. The rocks stopped at his chest, which meant that there was a chance that he could jump out, but a glance of the earth seraph made him rethink that. She was watching him too closely to allow any of that. He bared his teeth at her before looking back at the Shepherd.

Amidst all of horror and disgust, Rose seemed to be the most calm. She shifted her grip on her sword, Mikleo watching the flames around it flare blue.

He swallowed and backed to the other end of the cage as she came forward. Mikleo looked between the sword and Rose, shaking his head the closer she got.

It didn’t matter that he wasn’t sure about the baby, it mattered that it was his choice. It had always been his choice and he was horrified that it was going to be taken away from him.

He bumped up against the back of the cage, Mikleo clawing at the wall. He snarled as Rose got close to the front, watching as the wall wavered and started to come down. For a brief moment, he considered rushing out past Rose, but it would be impossible. The rocks were falling open, but just enough for her to pass through. The blue flames were a worry too, because Mikleo was sure that, even if he got lucky enough to move past her, he wouldn’t avoid the flames.

His stomach twisted at the thought of purification. Mikleo could still remember the last time it had happened. It had been necessary at the time, but it had burned. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been in so much pain. The few moments he was aware of turning into a drake didn’t even match up.

Mikleo curled his fingers against the wall, trying to look resolute even as Rose stepped into the gap. She regarded him carefully before shaking her head. “I’m sorry it has to be this way. But we had a surrender agreement, and we can’t afford a Lord of Calamity.”

He wanted to snap at her, because there were plenty of alternatives, but the words died in his throat. He could feel the anger bubbling up, but it was taken over by the panic that was welling up.

He didn’t want this. He didn’t want any of this, but he had no way to defend himself.

It was like being back on Elysia, back when he had been powerless and there was nothing but the fear.

He flinched back, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate on what little he had left in him. There might be enough for an arte, which was his only hope of escaping purification. If not, then he’d have to sit out the pain and use the power that the purification would give back to him. Mikleo tried to ignore the distress that rolled through him. It wouldn’t matter as long as he got out. Considering the alternatives, it was a small price to pay.

Mikleo swallowed, trying to piece together something that could work when he heard a familiar voice calling for him.

“Luzrov Rulay!”

Mikleo screamed at the pull of his true name, feeling his body jerk back against the rock. It should have been an escape, but he couldn’t manage it. He could feel the tug of the command that came with his true name, but he didn’t have the power for it. Instead it left him in agony as he tried to obey but couldn’t.

“Mikleo!”

He turned towards the sound of Sorey’s voice, trying to spot him. He whimpered when he saw Sorey standing in the street behind them, twisting so he was facing him. He reached out over the cage, quickly changing the motion to shoo Sorey away when he took a step forward. This wasn’t a part of the plan, Sorey should have been well away by now. He could have been safe.

Mikleo watched as Sorey took another few steps forward, his heart beating faster when Sorey drew his sword. He was in no condition to fight them, but Sorey would because he was stubborn and he thought that Mikleo was in danger. He was frightened, but he wasn’t in danger.

He curled his free hand against the rock, watching Sorey squared his shoulders.

Sorey scanned over the group, obviously trying to pick his first opponent. Mikleo shook his head, reaching out to Sorey over the top of his cage. “Sorey, run!”

Sorey’s head jerked back to him, his eyes widening. Mikleo was sure that he was about to refuse, but he wouldn’t allow it. If he did fight, he would be defeated and they would be separated.

He shook his head again. “Just go!”

For a moment, he was afraid that Sorey wouldn’t listen. Then he gave, the nod so slight that Mikleo barely caught it.

Sorey took a step back, looking at all of the Shepherd’s party before turning and running. Mikleo leaned against the rock, watching him head to the other side of Camlann. He fought back the whine rising in his throat, because he didn’t want to call Sorey back. He wanted Sorey far away. Everything else could be figured out later when the two of them were safe.

Mikleo jumped at a rumble, turning to watch as the cage sealed itself up again, the Shepherd on the other side. He craned his neck, watching as she dropped out of the armatus. The fire seraph appeared beside her, the seraph playing with her brooch before she nodded. Mikleo didn’t know if that was the signal for the rest of them or if it had been agreed upon previously.

Rose made a motion and all of them broke away from him, running after Sorey.

Mikleo cursed and went to vault over the cage when the rock climbed higher. He got a glimpse of the earth seraph giving him a glare before the rocks moved over his head.

He stumbled back into the center of it, watching as it closed above him. Mikleo stared up at it, shaking his head. “No!”

He didn’t hear a response from outside, not that he thought that they were still outside of the cage. They had probably all gone after Sorey, he was the most dangerous one after all. Mikleo was a known now; known and trapped.

Mikleo snarled and turned to punch the rock, ignoring the sharp flash of pain. He could have stood the pain of purification, if only to give Sorey a few more minutes to get away.

He stared at the rocks before shaking his head. He didn’t have time to panic, Sorey needed someone at his back. Mikleo didn’t know what help he could be, but it would be better than nothing.

He shut his eyes, focusing on calling the water and sending it up into the cracks in the rock. The nausea came back with a vengeance, Mikleo gritting his teeth and he struggled against it. He would be fine, he had pushed himself this far once before. It didn’t matter that it had been months ago, all that mattered was making it work. He would be fine as long as he could run and fight.

Mikleo focused on working with the water, ignoring the way that he breathing sped up like he was running already. He could feel himself swaying in place. His legs shook, Mikleo muttering a curse as he sank to his knees, but it didn’t matter. He could feel the water at work, already settling into place and waiting for him to trigger the arte, but he was already at his limit. Mikleo swallowed, struggling to hold the water in place. He opened his eyes to stare at his shaking arms, taking a deep breath before pushing onward.

This was more important than anything else, so he had to hold on.

Mikleo took a few deep breaths, clamping his mouth shut when his stomach twisted violently. He ignored it, pushing harder and what little he had left in him to shove the water up through the stone by force. He felt the rock shift, Mikleo smiling shakily before he forced the water to freeze.

There was a heart stopping moment when nothing happened, Mikleo biting back a sob. Then, the stone cracked. Mikleo looked up at it, grinning to himself before gathering himself together and throwing everything at the crack.

The rock fell outward, Mikleo staring at the street in front of him. He breathed a sigh of relief, reaching for his staff. He dragged it over to him, Mikleo stepping out of the rock cage.

He nearly fell on his face with the first step, Mikleo cursing as he caught himself. He panted for breath, allowing himself a moment to recover. He wouldn’t be helpful if he was on the verge of falling over, but he couldn’t rest for long.

Mikleo shook his head and pushed himself upright, looking down the road. He took a shaky step forward, risking two more before breaking into a run. Sorey needed him and he was not about to fail him, not when they were so close to being free.

* * *

Sorey stumbled up the steps to the top, pausing to look over his shoulder. He hadn’t gotten much of a head start, and it certainly wouldn’t be enough. He wasn’t in any kind of shape anymore; he had felt like collapsing just running half the length of the street. Only the memory of Mikleo’s frantic look had kept him going.

He panted for breath, turning to look back over his shoulder. Sorey eyes widened when he saw Rose and the others rushing after him. He had thought that only a few would come with him, which would allow Mikleo to escape easily. But they were all there and Sorey couldn’t imagine that they would have left Mikleo free to wander. They would have made sure that he couldn’t follow after, or they had purified him.

A whine built in his throat, Sorey swallowed to silence it. He didn’t have the time for that, he had to make his decision.

What he wanted to do was to rush back to Mikleo, but the Shepherd and her Squires were between the two of them and Sorey didn’t think that he could break through on his own. That left him the slim chance of outrunning them.

He turned to glance back up at the shrine, wincing at the sight of the next set of steps.

There was another flight, but it looked like the shrine was on the next level. He wasn’t sure he’d find a way out, but maybe there’d be a way to duck around them and get back to Mikleo. Sorey couldn’t leave him, not even when Mikleo had begged it of him.

He started up the stairs, pushing himself as fast as he dared. It was more important to have something left in him when he got to the top. He would just have to try and hold them off until he could figure out a way around. Once he checked on Mikleo, he would have a better idea of what to do.

He tried to ignore the growing thought that they wouldn’t be getting out of the situation. He and Mikleo were too weak for any fight and they were horribly outnumbered. If anything, they would had to adjust their plan to escaping or trying to negotiate a different term of surrender. Sorey didn’t think that he would get as good a deal as before, but he could at least start something. He would have been confident that they wouldn’t hurt Mikleo, but he couldn’t forget how they had trapped Mikleo and how frightened he had looked. That would have to be his starting point then, Mikleo and the baby’s safety, at least until Mikleo made up his mind.

Sorey felt a change in the wind, ducking a moment before something sharp whipped past him. He saw a glittering green knife on the stairs ahead of him. Sorey wasted a precious moment to look behind him, frowning when he realized that the Shepherd’s party was smaller than before. He could only see Alisha and Sergei, along with three of the other seraphim, but the Shepherd and the last one was missing.

He felt the wind rush past him again, Sorey looking up. His stomach dropped as he saw the figure hanging above him. Sorey crouched closer to the steps, watching as Rose turned her head back and forth, like she was searching for him. Sorey was sure that she should be able to see him, but he couldn’t wait on the steps for too long.

Sorey pushed away from the step and continued running, dodging around the knife-like feather on the stairs. He risked a glance back over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the Shepherd turning towards him. She wasn’t tracking him well, but it was obvious that she knew that he was somewhere below her. Sorey swallowed and tried to run faster.

If the Shepherd was in the air then it might be better to duck inside of the shrine. That would restrict her ability to get to him and it would also give him time to handle the others. Just how he would handle them Sorey didn’t know, but that was something he would have to figure out quickly. Sergei and Alisha were the only knowns in the situation. Sorey couldn’t even begin to figure out how he would handle the other seraphim.

He raced up the last of the steps, groaning when he saw that the entrance to the shrine was set further back. There was a grand space between the stairs and the shrine, Sorey not having the time to think about just why that was. All he knew was that it was another open space to cross, another trial when he wasn’t sure that he could make the distance.

Sorey gave the Shepherd another quick look before breaking into a sprint. He knew that he wouldn’t make it halfway across the plaza, but he could at least try.

He barely got a few steps before he felt the wind pick up again. It was his only warning before blue flames engulfed him.

Sorey screamed and went down, clawing at his arms as the flames settled in.

It was nothing like when Maotelus had purified him, it hurt far worse. Sorey curled up on himself, not sure if he was screaming aloud or the sound was only in his head.

He reached up to claw at his arms, trying to brush the flames off as they continued to burn. It was too hot for too long and he couldn’t understand why.

The last time it had happened the flames had raged through him and left him feeling clean if shaky. These flames were not making any headway, they were just burning him and making the knot of malevolence in his chest pulse wildly.

Sorey uncurled one of his hands from his arm, reaching up to grab at his jacket over his heart. It wouldn’t help anything, but it was a habit, an attempt to keep the malevolence chained up and pushed back to where it belonged. The flames seemed to catch onto the thought, Sorey screaming as they roared higher, battering at the knot of malevolence and not getting anywhere.

And why should it? It wasn’t his fault that the world was soaked in malevolence. The only fault that was his to bear were the actions that he had taken. Even then, while he might have hated what he had to do, it had been for the good of everyone. The villagers of Gododdin hadn’t deserved to die, and the soldiers who had carried the orders out had to be punished. The council had been a threat to the empire, so it had only been right to get rid of them. The generals had been so entrenched in the system and the people had been so ready to hear their lies that the only way to do anything was to go to war. He had tried to prevent the worst while breaking the army. If he hadn’t then nothing would have gotten done, the empire would have collapsed under itself and more people would have died.

He had done nothing wrong.

Sorey gasped as the flames flared brighter and hotter. And then they were gone.

He panted for breath for a moment, unsure of what had happened. He rubbed his hand up and down his arm before rolling onto his stomach, resting his forehead against the stone. It had been warmed by the sun, but it was still cooler than the flames that had surrounded him. Sorey closed his eyes, trying to center himself again. It was hard when everything felt burned out and sensitive. Sorey swallowed, shocked by how raw his throat was. He must have been screaming the entire time the flames had tried to consume him.

He sighed, pressing his head harder against the stone as he tried to calm his breathing. It was more difficult than he expected, Sorey’s breath hitching every once and a while. He squeezed his eyes more tightly shut, focusing on the twin beat of his heart and pulse of malevolence inside of him.

Sorey didn’t know how long he spent laying on the ground. He was only remembered that there were others around him when he heard someone walking across the plaza. He groaned and turned his head, watching as Rose walked over to him. Sorey stared mindlessly at her shoes for a moment before turning his head further, trying to meet the Shepherd’s gaze.

She wouldn’t meet his, Sorey frowning before he realized that her eyes were strangely unfocused in general. She seemed to consider him for a moment, Sorey feeling a breeze drift over him. He frowned up at the Shepherd, trying to get his throat to work enough to get out a word.

Rose beat him to the punch. She turned her head back towards the steps, staring at it for a moment before speaking. “Alisha?”

“We’re here.” She adjusted to the sound of Alisha’s voice, moving slightly to face where Alisha and Sergei were jogging over.

Sorey frowned, pushing himself to his knees. He swayed in place, bracing himself with one hand on the ground. It wasn’t an ideal position, but at least he still had his sword in sight. His gaze slipped to something off in the distance, a rise in the usually flat plaza. He squinted at it for a moment before his attention was dragged back to the others.

He was distantly aware that he should be doing something, but he was too exhausted and sore to move much further. Sorey let his chin drop so it was resting on his chest, staying there as he listened to the others talk.

“How’s he looking? We’re cloudy today.” There was a huff at the end of the statement, the sound overlapping what the Shepherd was saying strangely. It was almost enough for Sorey to look up, but it wasn’t worth the effort. He just sighed and let his eyes fall shut.

“He’s not moving.” That was Alisha’s voice, and very close. She was probably kneeling in front of him. Sorey opened one eye, getting a glimpse of her before he let it slide closed again. “He’s alive though.”

“Is this normal?”

“They’re usually unconscious for a while, especially with his amount of malevolence.” The Shepherd went quiet for a moment, Sorey feeling the breeze around him kick up briefly before it faded to nothing. “It didn’t work.”

There was a gasp from Alisha, Sorey opening his eyes at the sound. He lifted his head to take in their expressions. Sergei and Alisha looked shocked, but Rose looked resigned.

She rolled her shoulders, her wings flexing slightly with the motion. Rose regarded him with her cloudy gaze for a moment longer before shaking her head. “Damn it.”

“What do we do?” Sorey swung his head to look at Sergei, watching at the man played nervously with the pommel of his sword. It was a familiar motion, Sorey unable to keep himself from smiling at the sight of it.

He thought he saw Sergei flinch, but his attention was taken away when Rose groaned, his attention snapping back to her. There was a flash of light and she was standing beside the seraph again. Sorey glanced up at the seraph’s clouded eyes, tipping his head to the side.

His contemplation of the seraph was interrupted when Rose sighed and spoke up. “I know what I promised, and I’m sorry, but I don’t think he can be purified.”

Sorey frowned, staring up at her as he tried to process what she had said. He wanted to interrupt her, because it had been done before. Maotelus had managed it as weak as he was, so it didn’t make sense that the Shepherd couldn’t. It was the Shepherd’s job.

He tried to ignore the bloom of panic, focusing on trying to move. It didn’t matter that everything ached, he had to get an explanation because it was important.

He and Mikleo had plans. Once they were away they were supposed to settle down, try to live the life that had been stolen from the both of them. He had depended on the fact that he would be able to be purified, because it meant that Mikleo would be safe. He needed Mikleo to be safe. If he wasn’t, then Sorey would have to watch him suffer and all because of him.

Sorey stared up at the Shepherd, trying to get his throat to work around words, because this was important. But the words wouldn’t come out, Sorey not sure if they were catching in his throat or the hard knot of malevolence that he could feel expanding in his chest.

Rose didn’t seem to notice, she was busy drumming her fingers against her arm. She remained caught up in her thoughts for a moment longer before she shook her head. When she looked up, it wasn’t at him, but at Sergei and Alisha. “I’m sorry.”

Sorey looked between the three of them, watching as Sergei gave a curt nod and Alisha turned her gaze away. Sorey felt his heart start pounding faster, turning his attention back to the Shepherd as she started to pull out her knife.

He stared at it, horror flooding him.

They were going to kill him.

Sorey felt the malevolence in his chest pulse, his fingers curling more tightly against his jacket. He didn’t look down at it, too busy staring at Rose.

The Shepherd wasn’t supposed to kill, they were supposed to protect and save. And he needed to be purified, because there was Mikleo to consider.

He had promised Mikleo that they would get out of Glenwood together. He had promised that they would spend time exploring wherever they ended up. He wanted to be there for all of it, baby or not. Mikleo needed him, and he needed Mikleo.

Sorey swallowed past the dryness in his throat, watching the Shepherd as she held both her knives in front of her. He glanced over at Sergei and Alisha, waiting for them to step in or say something to stop her. They’d had an agreement after all. Sorey knew that it might be void because Mikleo had taken him away, but it had to mean something to them. But neither of them were looking at him, both of them were looking at the ground, like he was already dead.

He jerked his gaze back to Rose, his eyes going wide when she gave him a serious nod. “I’m sorry that this was the only way to save you. May your weary bones find rest.”

The knot of malevolence in his chest unwound quickly, the speed of it knocking the breath out of him, but it was quickly replaced with rage. It was a familiar rage, something that he had last felt in the shrinechurch. It was all consuming, urging him onward even as his body screamed with the sudden movement.

Sorey lunged for Rose, crashing into her and knocking her backwards. He heard someone shout his name, but it was lost to the rushing in his ears. All he could hear was the pounding of his own heart, matching the pulse of the malevolence that was spreading through him with every beat, but he was beyond caring.

Someone was trying to steal it all away from him again. They had taken away his mother, then they had taken his future. They had taken his time, his hard work, his plans, and now they were trying to steal everything else. Mikleo, his new future, his life. And Sorey was sick of it, he was sick of having to let it all happen because of the position he had been born into. He was tired of watching everything that he loved and wanted slipping through his fingers and knowing that he had to let it happen.

He didn’t realize that he had his hands around the Rose’s throat until he felt her scratching at them. Sorey was distantly aware that she had dropped her knives, but that wasn’t as important as focusing on the Rose. He snarled at her, leaning closer to exert more pressure when a hard wind knocked him to the side.

Sorey grunted as he was thrown away from her, rolling on the stones. He clawed at them, trying to pull himself upright again so he could see who dared to attack him. He would make them pay for it before going back for Rose.

He found himself staring at the wind seraph. The seraph didn’t waver, which made Sorey frown. He pushed himself to his feet, ready to charge again when Alisha jumped between them. Sorey’s attention was briefly distracted when he heard something metallic skittering across the plaza. Sorey followed it for a moment before he looked back at Alisha.

She lowered her spear at him, looking angrier than he could never remember seeing her. “Dezel, take care of Rose. We’ve got him.”

The wind seraph huffed but followed her instructions. Sorey watched him retreat to help Rose to her feet. He bared his teeth at the sight, jerking his head back when Alisha jabbed the spear towards him. It stopped well short of him, but the threat was obvious. Sorey growled at her, stepping backwards.

Alisha was quick to follow, Sorey watching her closely. From what he could see, she intended to carry out what Rose had intended to do, which hurt. They had worked together for a common goal once, he thought that would at least get her to understand. Besides, she was like him, trapped in a role that stole everything that they wanted away from them. But here she was, trying to kill him as well.

He stumbled back a few more steps, feeling his foot knock against something. Sorey tipped his head to the side, his eyes widening when he saw his sword. He glanced over at Alisha before ducking down to grab his sword.

“No!”

Sorey ignored her shout, scrambling to his feet against with the sword pointed at her. He narrowed his eyes as he watched her, trying to figure out how to best approach the problem. She had a better reach than him, and the support of the seraphim, even with one helping Rose. Sorey tipped his head to the side, watching as Rose got to her feet.

The Shepherd was looking around for her weapons, which meant that he had to work fast. He had to kill the three of them and get out before the seraphim could attack him. He scanned over them before shaking his head, he had to handle things one at a time, and the first problem was Alisha.

He watched the end of her spear waver, Sorey grinning at that. She was hesitant, which was an opening that he could use. Sorey shifted his grip on his sword, watching her for a moment more before lunging forward.

As he expected, Alisha rushed to meet him. Sorey jumped to the side, watching the reach of the spear before he retreated again. He tensed when he felt a flare of warmth, turning his head to look at the fire seraph that was standing by the steps. He glared at her before looking back at Alisha. He could see Sergei lingering behind her, Sorey frowning.

He could attempt another feint, but he was sure that he would be facing Sergei next, which would ruin everything. He couldn’t afford to have two of them ganging up on him, because Rose would be sure to follow. He’d be dead for sure if he allowed it to get that far. Sorey growled low at the thought, the sound lost in the rumble from the ground.

Sorey looked down, stumbling to the side as cobblestone and earth jutted out abruptly from the ground. Sorey couldn’t see the seraph that had done it, nor did he have the time to look. Alisha was charging around the column.

She couched her spear, holding it horizontal for a moment before swinging it up abruptly. The weapon moved faster than Sorey anticipated, Sorey jerking himself back. Alisha didn’t give him the time, she was pivoting with him, bringing the end of the spear to jab at him. Sorey raised his sword, pushing the spear away. He didn’t have the time to linger over it for too long because Alisha was pushing the attack.

It was all he could do to keep the sharp end of the spear away from him. He grunted as the blunt end knocked into his arm and side, quickly losing patience with the way she was slipping past his guard. He had been trained better than this.

Sorey stopped his retreat, standing still as she got ready for her next attack. He saw her hesitate for a moment before she lunged for him. Sorey stood his ground long enough to be sure that she was committed to her lunge before turning sideways. He swung his sword above his head, bringing it down hard on the shaft of the spear.

The wood split, Alisha dropping both pieces in shock. She stumbled a few steps onward, Sorey watching her as he kept moving. He switched his stance, stepping forward even as he brought the sword up across her back.

The blade bit deep into her back, Sorey listening to Alisha gasp before she was falling away. Sorey didn’t bother to watch her, he wouldn’t have gotten the luxury anyway with the way that he heard the humans and seraphim shout her name.

He saw the water seraph rush forward, obviously coming to help Alisha. He wouldn’t let that happen, Sorey already shifting to attack the seraph when he heard a bellow from his right.

Sorey had the time to turn, rushing to raise his sword as Sergei charged him.

Their swords met with a clang, Sorey feeling the vibrations down his arms. He gritted his teeth and pushed back, not surprised when Sergei pushed him back easily. Sergei was stronger, older and better trained, which made him all the more dangerous. Worse still, Sergei was furious, something that almost didn’t make sense. They were allies, but this was a different kind of rage.

Sorey disengaged his sword, rushing to the side as Sergei swung at him. He had to pull his head back to avoid the tip of the sword, Sorey surprised by the wild swing. He knew how Sergei fought and this was nothing like it. There was no caution or careful planning, which made it all the more dangerous.

He took another step back, not surprised when Sergei was quick to follow him. Sergei didn’t take his eyes from him, Sorey feeling a shiver run up his spine at the focus. If Sergei noticed it, he didn’t react. The most he did was shout over his shoulder. “Natalie, get to Alisha!”

Sorey didn’t hear if the seraph responded, he was too busy trying to fend of the flurry of attacks that followed. He raised his sword, moving it just enough to block the attacks. Even then it was barely enough because his arms ached with the force behind them.

He gritted his teeth, trying to wait them out long enough to get an opening. If it came, it would be quick, so he had to be ready. Even then he didn’t dare to focus too much, because Rose was on her feet and was sure to come after him. The problem was that Sergei wouldn’t drop his guard, which meant that he had to make an opening, something that he wasn’t sure he could manage at all.

Sorey took a few more steps back, seeing Rose out of the corner of his eye. She had started towards Alisha before stopping. Sorey saw her meet his gaze before she turned away, sweeping the ground. She was probably looking for her knives, but Sorey wasn’t sure where they had gone. That was a little bit of a relief, at least for the moment.

He had to turn his attention back to Sergei quickly, ducking under a swing. The move brought him too close to Sergei, and he could tell that the man knew it. Sorey cursed, trying to think of something to get him out of his situation.

He’d been trained in the sword, the proper thing for a prince to learn. It had all be careful forms and proper rules. He’d fallen out of the habits after he’d been old enough to train with the Platinum Knights, and when he’d gone out to help the villages, but it was nothing compared to Sergei. His only other option were some of the hand to hand combat that the Platinum Knights had taught him. Sorey had never known why they had needed them, but he wasn’t going to question it, not when he was in range now.

Sorey dropped his hand from his sword, balling it up into a fist. He sucked in a quick breath and swung his fist, aiming it up just like Sergei had taught him.

His fist connected, Sorey hearing something snap in Sergei’s chest before it gave. Sorey ducked away, lifting his sword out to fend away the wild swing that Sergei made. He parried Sergei’s sword away, lashing out at him as the man fell over.

He didn’t manage to get close enough to cut deep, the tip of his sword tracing over the old scar on Sergei’s temple. Sorey backed away quickly, ready for the next attack, but Sergei was just listing over. Sorey watched as Sergei coughed, blood splattering on the stones. He swayed on his knees before slumping to the ground.

Sorey watched him fall, barely aware of the shouting happening around him, all of his attention on where Sergei was lying on the ground. He found himself staring at the sluggishly bleeding wound on the side of Sergei’s head, the rage retreating in the face of horror and fear.

He remembered seeing that before, in the semi-darkness with the only light coming from streaks of light from above. He remembered seeing it after waking up from a nightmare. He remembered seeing it all through his life because Sergei had never left his side. The only reason Sergei had left was because he had purposefully pushed the man away. It had hurt to do it, but he’d needed to keep the Platinum Knights safe. It was the only way that he could return the favor, and he was trying to kill Sergei.

Sorey took a shaky breath, taking a step forward. “Sergei?”

The man didn’t look at him, Sorey feeling the panic rise. He went to run towards the man, barely getting a step before a column of earth and cobbles rose from the ground.

Sorey jerked back, turning his attention to the earth seraph. She had her umbrella pointed at him, Sorey shivering at the look of fury on her face. “Don’t come any closer.”

“But he…I…”

“You’ve done enough.”

Sorey shook his head, not sure what he was trying to say. It didn’t seem like he was getting through to the seraph because she stepped to the side so she was standing between Sergei and Alisha. Her umbrella never wavered, nor did her glare. It was a threat that he didn’t want to challenge, not when he could practically feel the aggression rising from her. He swallowed, not sure what he should do. He could only watch as the fire seraph knelt beside Sergei, one hand holding his chin while the other hovered over the cut.

He looked away as the seraph started to heal the cut, looking between Sergei and Alisha. It didn’t help his confusion, just egging on the growing horror.

He had done this. He had attacked his closest friends and allies for reasons that were so mixed up that he couldn’t pick them apart. He had nearly killed them. His breath caught in his throat, Sorey struggling to breathe.

There was a roaring in his ears. He could feel the malevolence starting to uncoil again, offering him a refuge in the old rage. But it was hard to sink into that when something else drowned it out, something that matched the pounding of his heart and the loud roaring in his ears.

Monster. _Monster. **Monster.**_

Sorey shook his head, trying to clear it enough to get it to stop. Maybe if he could get it to stop he would be able to _breathe_. It didn’t work, the work ringing in his head even as the malevolence roared for attention.

He could be free if he just killed them all. No one would try to stop him after that. He would be safe, he would be _free_.

But it was wrong. The world needed the Shepherd, Hyland needed Alisha. And it was Sergei.

Sergei who had risked everything for multiple times. Sergei who he had sent away so he wouldn’t get killed.

He couldn’t kill them. Even beyond that, he was sick to death of the killing. He’d seen enough of it in his life and he wanted it to stop. He wanted to be able to stop.

Sorey squeezed his eyes shut, swaying in place. The whole world felt like it was spinning and he was on the verge of falling over. He choked on his next breath, feeling the panic rising.

He needed to run. He needed to find Mikleo and run. As soon as he was far away from them he was sure that the malevolence would shrink back down again. It had to or else it would hurt Mikleo. And then he would need to run again.

He raised a shaking hand to his face, freezing when he saw the blood on it. Sorey recoiled, staring at his hand. For a moment it didn’t look like his hand, and he had the overwhelming urge to cut it off just to get it away from him. He stifled the urge, curling his fingers slightly before shaking his head.

Sorey looked back up at them, meeting the earth seraph’s gaze. He took a step forward, watching as she tensed, but he didn’t care. He had to see Alisha and Sergei, to make sure that they were still breathing. He needed to know that he hadn’t ruined it all.

He jerked to a stop as another pillar of stone rose from the ground, his eyes widening at the low growl that the seraph gave. “I said, stay away.”

“But-”

“I’ve got him Edna.” Sorey turned his head to look at the Shepherd. He watched as Rose stood up from where she had been kneeling by Sergei. She crossed over to where the water seraph was crouched next to Alisha. The two of them exchanged a quick word before Rose walked away.

She paused by Edna, resting a hand on her shoulder before stepping forward. “I’ll take care of this. Watch over them for me.”

Edna gave her a terse nod, Sorey not even sure that the Shepherd saw it because Rose was walking forward. He saw her reach back for her knives, a wave of relief rolling through him when she grabbed at nothing. Rose cursed, Sorey seeing her gaze dart to the side. He was tempted to follow it, but it would mean that he would miss his chance to run.

Three of the seraphim were distracted, and Sorey didn’t know where the fourth was. He needed to run before they got Alisha and Sergei on their feet. His need to be sure that they were alright was overruled by the knowledge that he wouldn’t be able to do much more. Whatever he had done in his rage was all that he could do, and it had left him exhausted and shaky.

He swallowed, watching as Rose swayed to the side. He was ready for her to run when there was a gust of wind. Sorey stumbled back, raising a hand to shield his eyes. He heard the seraph call to her, but Sorey didn’t stay to see what was happening. He turned on his heel and ran.

It was hard to see through the strong wind, Sorey keeping his head down as he bolted. He had no idea which direction he was going, Sorey just hoped that he would get a glimpse of the stairs before he tumbled down them.

He saw the start of a step, Sorey trying to dodge to the side too late. He tripped onto the small altar in the center of the plaza. Sorey splayed across it, looking around as he tried to reorient himself.

It was obvious that he had sprinted the wrong way because he was further from the steps now. Worse still, it had given Rose and the seraphim the time to get between him and the steps, which only gave him one route of escape left. Sorey swallowed and tipped his head back, glancing at the shrine before looking at Rose again.

The only thing in his favor was the fact that Rose didn’t have any weapons. Sorey could see the glitter of the sun of something, but he wasn’t sure if it was Alisha’s broken spear or if it was one of Rose’s knives. It was far enough away that it didn’t matter, although that still left the question of the second one, although it didn’t look like Rose was too worried about it.

Sorey stared at her as she strode forward, his eyes widening at the calm look on her face. That was perhaps more frightening than the anger on the earth seraph’s face, because he knew the kind of emotions that came with a look like that. It made him flinch back, Sorey scrambling against the altar before shoving himself away from it.

He ran back towards the shrine, jumping at the sound of something metal skittering over the ground. He turned his head, his eyes widening as he saw a sword skittering across the cobblestones. It didn’t have to go far before the wind seraph picked it up, the seraph turning it and holding the pommel out.

Rose was quick to grab it, the Shepherd weighing it for a moment before nodding. The simple nod was enough to get Sorey to turn back to the shrine, sprinting for the entrance. It was the only plan that he could think of, because he wasn’t sure he would be able to dodge around them. Even if he got around the Shepherd and the seraph, there would be Edna to get around, and then the other seraphim. Sorey was sure that he wouldn’t be allowed to leave after what he had done. It was their job to fight hellions and monsters, and a monster was what he had become.

He swallowed back a wail, focusing his attention on the shrine. It was his only hope. If he could lose the Shepherd inside then he would be able to get back down to where Mikleo was, and they could keep running; running until the Shepherd stopped chasing them or until they couldn’t run anymore.

Sorey stumbled over the entrance to the shrine, tightening his hold on his sward so he wouldn’t drop it. He still needed it for self-defense. _Only_ for self-defense, no matter how much the malevolence howled at him to do otherwise. He wasn’t going to hurt another person as long as he lived. He wasn’t going to let himself become more of a monster.

He got his feet back under him, barely paying attention to him as he was looking around the shrine. Rose was on his tail so he had to find a way out and quickly.

Except that there was none.

His breath came out as a sob, Sorey looking around frantically. The room was huge and imposing, but the only thing that he could see inside of it was a throne on the other side. There were no windows, no passages.

No doors.

“No!” Sorey turned in place, searching for something that would help him. Artorius’ Throne had been a functioning shrine for many years, so there had to be something. The whole structure couldn’t just be a façade.

He glanced around, trying desperately to remember something, because he had read about the shrine. There had been a page in the Celestial Record about it, but he couldn’t remember anything.

It had been forgotten like everything else.

“No, no, no.”

“Do you understand now?”

Sorey spun around at the sound of Rose’s voice, facing the other side of the room. He kept moving, backing away from her as she moved towards him. His gaze dropped to her sword, a slightly rusted thing with a familiar wrap and pommel. Sorey had a vivid memory of handing it up to a glittering dragon of ice before it was thrown away down the side of the mountain.

He whimpered and shook his head, not sure what he was trying to say to her.

Rose seemed to take it as an answer, a frown crossing her face. “You almost killed them. Alisha, Sergei. They were your friends, your allies.”

“I didn’t mean to!”

Rose kept moving forward slowly, her gaze never wavering from his. “Alisha vouched for you when no one else would. She said you weren’t tainted, just counselled badly. She wanted you safe. Sergei too, even after you killed his brother.”

“I did-”

“I didn’t want to do this. I _hate_ this.” Her voice shook on the word, but she didn’t slow down. “I wanted to believe that you were as good as Alisha and Sergei said, that you were just trapped in a bad situation. But I can’t anymore. Not after what I saw out there. Not after Gododdin.”

Sorey shook his head. “You don’t understand.”

“Then tell me! Tell me why you killed everyone at Gododdin! Tell me why you killed Boris! Tell me why you tried to kill them!”

Sorey opened his mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. There was nothing he could say to make it all better, nothing to make her understand. The truth about Boris was the only thing that could save him, but Sorey doubted that she would believe him, not after everything else. Not when his answers to everything would be the same.

He raised his sword into a defensive position, flinching back as Rose sped up. A great wind whipped through the space, Sorey having to squint to be able to see Rose as she continued to come after him.

She looked every inch the Shepherd from the legends, and it scared him.

He stumbled back another few steps, having to shout to be heard about the wind. “You’re just going to kill me? Then what’s going to stop another Lord of Calamity from rising? This will stop nothing!”

“It will stop you. It will stop the suffering of hundreds of people who were too worn out for another one of your wars. It will stop anyone from rallying under your name and trying to continue the cycle. It will keep you from killing any more people when you lost control. It will save that seraph that you have bound to you from turning into a dragon.”

Sorey shook his head in denial, but that didn’t make her stop. Rose picked up the pace, lifting the sword even as Sorey felt his legs bump up against something. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder, getting a glimpse of the throne before he looked back at Rose.

She was close now, too close, but there was nowhere else to run. All Sorey could do was adjust his sword and prepare to counter her attack.

Rose still came on, her voice rising into a shout. “If another Lord of Calamity appears I’ll defeat him too! I’ll keep going until those that depend on me are safe! I’m the Shepherd, it’s my duty to protect the humans and seraphim!”

Sorey stared at her, his mouth falling open in shock. It was a phrase that had been hammered into his brain since he was little, a phrase that made the malevolence bristle and snap. But it didn’t make it any less true.

With the way that he was, he was a danger, not only because what he could do but because of what he represented. He had broken the backbone of the empire, but that didn’t meant that it would all be solved. It would be a hard road, and one that he couldn’t be around for. He was an excuse for more war, because he had given in. He was an impediment to whatever would come out of the war, because he was the legitimate ruler. He had thought that he could be locked away or run until he found people who didn’t know him, but that was impossible. He was the emperor until the day he died, and there was nothing he could do about it.

It didn’t make it any easier, because he wanted the glimpses of life that he’d gotten. He wanted to spend it with Mikleo. He wanted it all so desperately. But he was terrified that he would become like the Lord of Calamity he had seen in the Celestial Record, dark and looming with a dragon rising on the next page.

He wanted to be Sorey, to be with Mikleo, to explore the world and see all that it had to offer.

But he wasn’t Sorey.

He was the emperor, and an emperor protected his people.

Sorey closed his eyes, and let his sword drop.

He took a deep breath, barely getting the chance to finish it before he felt the sword stab into him. It was a bright spark of pain between his ribs, Sorey screaming as it pushed in. He stumbled back under the force of it, his knees knocking against the throne before he fell backwards. Rose followed him down, Sorey arching his back at the sword slid deeper. He gasped for breath, trying to draw any in around the burning pain.

It took him a few moments to realize that he was whimpering, and that Rose was talking. He swallowed, trying to stop himself from making noise so he could hear Rose as she spoke.

“I’m sorry. I really am.”

Sorey tried to nod, not sure it he managed it. He swallowed, reaching up a shaking hand to grab her arm.

Rose recoiled for a moment before leaning in. Sorey gasped as the sword was pushed in deeper, his vision swimming before she pulled away. He wasn’t sure if she apologized, the world faded in and out before he got a handle on it again.

Sorey scrambled for a better hold on her arm, his fingers not wanting to close properly. He was relieved when she reached up to close his fingers around her own. He nodded, pulling himself up slightly so he could look her in the eyes. “D-don’t let anything happen to them. K-keep them s-safe.”

Rose stared at him in shocked, but it only lasted a moment. She nodded, resting her other hand over his. “Okay.”

“D-don’t hurt M-mikleo. W-wasn’t his fault.” Sorey swallowed, trying to get more words out, but he couldn’t. They were getting stuck somewhere in his throat, or not making sense through the pain.

He groaned and let his head fall back against the throne, his hand slipping from Rose’s. He thought he heard her agree, but it sounded like it was coming from far away. Sorey frowned and turned his head, trying to read her lips, but movement by the door distracted him. He let his head fall to the side, staring at the figures in the door. He couldn’t make them out because of the way that his vision was wavering at the edges, but they were leaning against each other.

Sorey stared at them for a moment longer before making an aborted grab for Rose again. He missed, his hand dropping back to his lap before they could even touch the edge of her cloak. It didn’t seem to matter, because he had her attention. She turned to look back at him, Sorey trying to work past the blockage in his throat. He swallowed, tasting copper at the back of his throat, but he pushed on. “S-sergei needs to know. A-bout B-boris-”

“SOREY!”

He jerked upright at the sound of Mikleo’s voice, regretting it a moment later. He reached for the side of the throne, clinging to it as he leaned over the side to cough up blood. Distantly, he could hear shouting, but it was all fading away into white noise, the world disappearing into a faint buzz.

Sorey let himself list to the side, frowning when he realized that the wound didn’t hurt. He looked down at where the sword was still stuck through him, reaching up a shaky hand to touch it when someone grabbed his shoulders. Sorey trying to focus on them, breathing in wet earth and rain. He smiled, tipping his head up as he was pulled upright again. “Mikleo…”

“Hold on.” Mikleo grabbed at his shoulders, shifting him around enough that pain lanced through him again. Sorey groaned, Mikleo’s touch immediately gentling. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Just please, _please_ …”

Mikleo moved him gently, Sorey grunting as he was tilted against the back of the throne. He held himself awkwardly before leaning back against the stone, looking up as Mikleo leaned over him.

He reached up to brush the hair that had fallen across Mikleo’s eyes back, but his hand slipped from Mikleo’s hair, his fingers brushing across the seraph’s cheek. Mikleo was quick to catch it, holding Sorey’s hand against his cheek. Mikleo nuzzled into the touch, Sorey feeling wetness against his fingers. He frowned, about to question it when Mikleo scooted forward to press their foreheads together.

“I’m here. I’m sorry it took so long, but I’m here.”

Sorey sighed, tipping his head up as he tried to lean into the touch. It felt nice, especially since Mikleo was so warm. “Beloved…”

“Sh. Just wait. I’m going to fix this. I’m going to…” Mikleo let go of his hand, making a distressed sound as it dropped away. Sorey shook his head at the sound, wanting to soothe Mikleo.

It wasn’t his fault, but nothing was working quite right. He tried to apologize by pushing his forehead more against Mikleo’s, but he wasn’t sure if he was even able to move.

He gasped as he felt something press against his chest, the pain from the wound flaring up again. Sorey’s fingers twitched, not sure if he managed to move his hand to grab onto Mikleo to get him to stop. He moaned, the sound strange to his ears with a rattle at the end of it.

It must have been louder than he intended because Mikleo made a pained sound. Mikleo practically climbed into his lap, his other hand combing through his hair in a calming motion. “I’m sorry. I’ll be gentle, but this might hurt more. Just hold on through it.”

Sorey nodded slowly, trying to focus on Mikleo’s face. It kept fading in and out, which made him feel a little panicked. He wanted to see Mikleo, wanted to be able to tell him that it was alright, but he kept losing the words. They were fading almost as fast as everything around him was.

He let his eyes fall shut, Sorey feeling himself drifting strangely. He was vaguely aware of people talking, but it all sounded so far away. It was comfortable and almost welcoming.

He thought he heard someone call his name, Sorey about to ignore it when he was shaken roughly. Sorey yelped, the sound trailing off into a moan when Mikleo pressed down on his wound again.

It took far more effort than it should have for Sorey to meet Mikleo’s gaze. Even then everything was out of focus. Sorey tipped his head to the side, feeling his whole body start to tip when Mikleo caught him. He winced at the tight hold on his shoulder, Mikleo not seemed to notice.

“Stay with me, okay? Just keep your eyes open and stay with me!” Mikleo’s voice cracked over the word, the sound of it breaking his heart. Sorey made a comforting sound, not even sure that Mikleo heard it because he had already turned his attention away.

He could feel a growing wet spot on his chest, not sure if it was because of Mikleo’s artes or something else. He tried to get his eyes to focus more, but he almost got a glimpse for Mikleo’s tear-streaked face before it was blurry again. He frowned and reached up to grab onto Mikleo’s wrist, missing twice before he finally managed to rest his fingers against it.

Mikleo started at the touch, Sorey watching as he shook his head. “I’m trying, but it’s not…I’m not…” He shifted on Sorey’s lap, Sorey leaning after him as Mikleo turned away. “Help me! I can’t heal him. Please, someone!” He paused to take ragged breaths, Sorey hating the sound. He didn’t get a chance to do anything about it because Mikleo was shouting again. “Natalie, _please_! He’s dying and I can’t…I can’t…”

“Mikleo.” Sorey breathed a sigh of relief when Mikleo turned back towards him. He couldn’t see Mikleo’s expression, but he was close, and that was all he needed.

He brushed his fingers against Mikleo’s wrist. They slid off after one pass, Mikleo quick to snatch them up. Sorey felt Mikleo lift his hand up, but he couldn’t see what Mikleo did with it, nor could he feel it. His whole arm was numb, the sensation spreading through his body. It was almost a relief, because it meant that he wasn’t feeling the pain anymore.

He rocked forward slightly, trying to press his forehead against Mikleo’s again. He couldn’t feel if he made contact, but he stopped. Sorey assumed that the contact was there, and that was enough to get him to relax. He sighed, struggling to keep his eyes open. Sorey didn’t think it mattered because he couldn’t see anything, but Mikleo had asked him to, so he was going to try.

“S-Sorey?”

Sorey frowned as Mikleo stumbled over his name. He didn’t like the shakiness, nor the way that it sounded like Mikleo was crying. He cleared his throat, hating the rattle that he felt, but it was the best that he could do. He needed to speak, even if it took everything that he had. It was important.

“I love you.”

“Sorey, no. Don’t say that.”

“Y-you don’t-”

“Of course I do.” Mikleo was quick to interrupt him, Sorey relaxing at that. Mikleo must have moved closer because his voice was louder. “I love you too, but you can’t be saying that. You’re going to be fine. You have to be, you promised me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you can’t. What about everything we were going to do? What about everything _you_ wanted to do?”

“Beloved. Mikleo.” His tongue stumbled over the names, Sorey not sure if he managed to get one out or if he had mangled them together. He took a deep breath, as the world went completely black around him. “You are my everything...”

“Sorey? No, Sorey! Open your eyes! Please! Stay with me! Stay-”

Mikleo’s voice drifted in and out, the words not making sense. It was too hard trying to figure out what he was saying, and too tiring. Sorey sighed and closed his eyes and let himself follow the pull into quiet and stillness.

And nothing.


	36. Chapter 33

“Thou weepest, gold-adorned!  
Cruel tears,  
Sun-bright daughter of the south!  
Ere to sleep thou goest;  
Each one falls bloody  
On the prince’s breast,  
Wet cold and piercing,  
With sorrow big.”  
- _Saemund’s Edda_ , Thorpe’s translation

* * *

 

“Sorey? No, Sorey! Open your eyes! Please! Stay with me! Stay awake for me just a while longer. Just- Sorey? Sorey!”

There was an awful moment of silence, the only thing that Sergei able to hear was the quick pounding of his own heart. He was barely aware of the weight of Alisha as she leaned against him for support. All of his attention was on the slumped form of Sorey.

Then the horrible silence was broken by Mikleo’s wail, Sergei feeling the hair on the back of his neck rising at the sound. It made him want to turn and run, but it also made him want to make a similar sound. He could feel it rising in his own throat, Sergei clutching at Alisha before he realized what he was doing. Natalie had done her best to heal the wound, but it was bound to be tender and it ran all the way across her back. He lightened his hold slightly, but he couldn’t bring himself to tear his gaze away from the sight of Sorey sprawled on the throne.

Dead.

He felt Alisha get a better hold on him, jerking his gaze down to meet hers. There was a moment where he was sure that he was holding her too tightly. Sergei was about to apologize when he saw the look on her face.

Alisha looked at him with wide eyes, getting a better hold of his arm. He was baffled by her stare until she reached up to touch the side of his face. He felt her fingers slide across his cheek, only then Sergei realizing that he was shaking and crying.

He swallowed, intending to look away when Alisha grabbed his chin. She kept eye contact with him, Sergei seeing tears starting to form in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but he was interrupted as Mikleo wailed again. Sergei heard his own voice pitch up slightly, almost matching Mikleo’s before he stopped himself.

Alisha didn’t let him get away with it. She tightened her hold on him, tipping his chin down slightly to meet her gaze. Sergei could only stare at her as she shook her head. “Don’t. You’re allowed to.”

Sergei wanted to shake his head, because he hadn’t known Sorey in the end. That had been something different, some _one_ different. It had been more like the thing that he had seen in the shrinechurch all those months ago. Whatever it had been hadn’t been Sorey, because Sorey never would have done that. The Sorey that had tried to kill them had been the same Sorey that had let a dragon eat Boris and had allowed a war to drag on until his army fractured under him. None of that was the Sorey that he had known.

His Sorey had been bright and desperate to save the world. His Sorey would have fought against the war tooth and nail, would have done so many things different.

But that didn’t stop the truth of the matter. Sorey was dead.

Sergei tried to swallow back another whine, feeling Alisha squeeze his hand. She was crying now too, tears running down her cheeks. It made Sergei want to wipe them off, because she shouldn’t. The Sorey that they had both known had died months ago, and Sergei didn’t know what they had been left with. What they had faced was a monster, it wasn’t something to be mourned. “It’s not-”

“It is.”

He leaned back with the force of her assertion, wanting to shake his head. Alisha didn’t know, she hadn’t known Sorey long enough. But she didn’t let him move away. She gave him a level look, that alone enough to stop him in his tracks. “It’s Sorey.”

“How do you-”

“Because I lost someone the same way. It’s still them in the end.” Alisha struggled for words for a moment before just shaking her head.

Sergei stared at her, not sure what she was trying to say, and he didn’t get a chance to ask her. He turned his head at the scuff of a boot against the floor, watching as Rose shuffled forward.

Rose stared at them for a moment, that pause seemingly all the invitation that Alisha needed. She pushed away from Sergei, walking stiffly over to where Rose was waiting.

Rose was ready for her, reaching out to steady Alisha as they came together. Sergei watched the two of them press their foreheads together before he looked away. This was something between the two of them, something that he didn’t want to interrupt.

He swallowed and looked down at his arm, wanting to look at anything other than where Sorey’s body was sprawled out over the throne. He would have liked to drown out the sound of Mikleo’s sobs, but he doubted that he could do that. Every sound was amplified in the room, and Sergei didn’t think he would be able to leave. He wasn’t sure that he could walk far. His ribs still ached from the healing that Lailah had done on them. Sergei reached up to touch the place where Sorey had punched him, quickly dropping his hand away.

The Sorey he had known would have never done that, but it was still Sorey.

Something in that thought unblocked the strange numbness growing inside him, Sergei gasping out a ragged breath as more tears stared falling. They blurred his vision, Sergei reaching up to wipe at them. More kept coming, Sergei giving up on trying to wipe them all away and instead just pressing his hands to his face. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to hide them or hide himself from looking at the body on the throne.

Because it was Sorey. It was the boy he had watched grow up. The young prince that he had served with pride.

Somewhere along the line, he had become something unrecognizable and Sergei hadn’t been there to pull him back.

Sergei regretted that. He regretted that with his whole being. Somewhere along the line Sorey had lost him just as much as he had lost Sorey.

Sergei jumped at the touch of a hand to his arm. He lowered it slightly, swallowing as he saw Lailah standing in front of him.

Lailah gave him a soft smile, reaching up to touch his side where his ribs ached. He tried not to cringe away as she put light pressure on them, but he must have made some kind of sign because she pulled he hand away quickly. Sergei saw her mouth an apology but, if there were any words in it, they were lost in the echoes of Mikleo’s sobbing.

Sergei glanced over at the seraph, jerking his gaze away quickly; Lailah was safer to look at. If she noticed the way his gaze had strayed, she didn’t comment on it. She just tipped her head to the side, studying the cut on his temple before giving him a nod.

He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed when her gaze moved away to where Alisha and Rose were still clinging to each other. He saw her fingers twitch, but she remained where she was, not that Sergei blamed her. It looked like Rose and Alisha were off in a world of their own.

Alisha had been hurt the worst from Sorey’s attack. Even now it felt strange to have Alisha away from his side, Sergei torn between the worry and the anger that it caused, and the loss that was weighing on him.

He swallowed, swaying towards them when Rose looked up. He stepped forward when she held a hand out, stumbling over to the two of them.

Rose was quick to grab his arm and pull him close. It was hard to tuck himself in with the way that Rose was holding Alisha to her, but Sergei wasn’t going to complain, not when he was surrounded by the two scents that had grown so familiar. Sergei took a deep breath, picking out Rose with her charcoal and old paper and Alisha with her wildflowers and leather oil. Sergei took another deep breath, trying to center himself again. It was calming, but it fixed nothing. Rose was fine, but Alisha was still injured, he could tell that from the way that she was listing. It was no longer dangerous, but it was obviously still hurting, and that made him shake.

He had already lost Sorey, but he could have lost much more.

Sergei swallowed, not sure if he made a noise to attract Rose’s attention or if she had been watching him closely. He sighed when she touched his cheek, feeling her fingers skirt up to the cut on the side of his head. He flinched at the touch, the skin still tender.

He heard her mutter an apology as she lowered her hand, Rose studying him carefully for a moment before shaking her head. “Sergei, I’m sorry.”

Sergei was taken aback by the apology. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he could feel one of those horrible noises building up at the back of his throat. Sergei snapped his mouth shut before it could escape, the motion seeming to be enough to encourage Rose to continue.

“I promised that we’d look into other options than this. But I swear that there was no other one.”

Something in him screamed that she was lying, but Sergei pushed that thought back. He trusted Rose, and he trusted that she knew how to do her job. Besides, there was a part of him that agreed with her. That hadn’t been his Sorey out there, it had been more like a hellion or even worse. Sorey hadn’t been able to be purified, and Sergei couldn’t think of a single hellion that they’d had such a problem with. Maybe it had been the only way to take care of things. Maybe it had been for the best.

He swallowed and reached out to pat her shoulder, squeezing it when she looked up at him. It took a moment for him to get the words out, Sergei having to work them around the blockage in his throat. “You did the right thing. He wouldn’t have wanted to be like that.”

It seemed to be the right thing to say, because Rose relaxed. Sergei watched her suddenly struck by the thought that she had never met Sorey. She had never known him as he and Alisha had. It was a lot of faith to put in the two of them considering everything that she had promised and had been prepared to do.

He dropped his hand from her shoulder, gently taking her hand. Sergei held it loosely in his own, not sure if he should shake it or if the act of holding it was better. He swallowed, speaking slowly to make sure that his words came out evenly despite the tears that were still rolling down his cheeks. “Thank you for saving him.”

Sergei heard Rose’s quick intake of breath, looking up at her face. For a moment, it looked like she would say something else but then her attention switched to Alisha. Sergei followed her gaze, looking at Alisha’s teary expression. He was tempted to lean closer into both of them, but he didn’t want to sink too much into their little group, not when there were still things left to do.

He looked back over the throne, swallowing hard. It didn’t matter that Mikleo was mostly blocking his view of Sorey’s body, he knew what was there. They weren’t done with things yet. He just had to carry on for a little while longer and then he could allow himself to collapse into grief.

He squeezed Rose’s hand before letting go of it to take a step towards the throne. He didn’t get too far before Rose grabbed onto his wrist. It wasn’t with enough force to pull him back, just enough to make him stop.

Sergei turned to look back at her, expecting to have to explain what he was going to do. But Rose just shook her head, her fingers tightening briefly against his skin. “He was trying to tell me something before the end, something for you. It was about Boris.” He tensed as Rose shook her head. “He didn’t say anything else.”

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He hadn’t expected that, but it sounded more like Sorey. Sergei was just left wondering if Sorey had been attempting to explain himself or apologize, but he would never know. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to center himself before he opened them again. “So he was himself, at the end?”

Rose was quiet for a moment before she gave him a firm nod. “Yes.”

“That’s good.” Sergei felt a bit of the knot in his chest unwind at that. It was like recovering a little of the Sorey he had known, even if it came too late. At least there had been something of Sorey left, something strong enough to keep him from killing and strong enough to remember Boris. If anything, that would have to be enough.

He stepped forward, feeling her fingers slip from his wrist. Sergei was glad that she didn’t try to pull him back, because he needed to do this; if not for Sorey alone then for himself. Sergei was afraid that if he stayed he would stop and finally let himself sink into grief, but there were still a few more things left to do.

Sergei stepped between where Dezel and Edna were standing. Dezel was turned completely around, his head inclined towards Rose and Alisha. Edna was the one to look at him, her gaze following him for a moment before it dropped to the floor. The motion was too quick for Sergei to really see what she was thinking, but he didn’t pause to check on her. He had to keep focused, if only for a little while longer.

He lifted his gaze to where Mikleo was sobbing against Sorey. The wailing had stopped, Sergei not sure if he preferred it to the silence. He swallowed, watching Mikleo’s shoulders shake as he cried.

Sergei took a deep breath, about to speak when he heard someone move forward. He turned his head, expecting to see Rose or Alisha. Instead Natalie stepped forward, her distress written clearly on her face.

She made an aborted reach for Mikleo, dropping her hands down to her sides. Even then they were still is motion, her fingers twitching as she kept them back. It was enough for Sergei to want to go to her, but he remained in place. The seraph didn’t look like she wanted the company nor did she seem to realize that she had anyone else there; she only had eyes for her brother.

Natalie kept walking until she was standing just behind Mikleo. Her hands jerked by her sides, but she didn’t reach out for him again. Instead, she just spoke quietly. “Mikleo?”

Mikleo didn’t seem to hear her. He just pressed his head more firmly into Sorey’s shoulder. Sergei could hear a jumbled mess of words, although they were incomprehensible with the way that Mikleo was crying. Sergei doubted that they were for him anyway, they were probably all for Sorey. It was enough to make him want to look away and give Mikleo his privacy. As much as he hadn’t liked the partnership, it was obvious that it had meant something to the two of them. But they didn’t have the time. Sorey still needed to be taken care of and then Mikleo himself needed to be purified before it could all be over.

Sergei cleared his throat, hoping to get Natalie’s attention. Natalie didn’t seem to hear him, but Mikleo’s tensed. Ever so slowly, Mikleo turned his head, looking at them with one eye.

It took Mikleo a moment to focus on the two of them, his eye widening slightly as he took the two of them in. Sergei didn’t get the time to determine if his expression was good or not because Natalie was pushing on, encouraged by Mikleo’s attention.

“Oh Mikleo, it’s going to be okay.”

Sergei tensed as Mikleo’s ragged breathing stopped, the seraph going unnaturally still. Mikleo stayed like that for a moment, horribly still as he stared at them. Sergei felt his heartbeat speed up as Mikleo’s pupil contracted and then distorted. A chill ran down his spine, the sudden fear chasing away the sadness.

Mikleo considered them with one eye for a moment before pushing away from Sorey. The motion just encouraged Natalie to step forward, Sergei moving with her. He didn’t dare let her get too far away from him, not with the way that Mikleo was looking at the two of them. It was a wild look, something that sent a shiver up his spine.

Sergei reached for Natalie, touching her arm. She allowed the touch, but she didn’t turn away. He tightened his hold on her arm, hoping that she would recognize the hint. But she didn’t, her attention was for Mikleo alone.

He winced as she reached out for him, not seeming to notice that Mikleo pulled away from her. Natalie just leaned closer, Sergei sure that she was trying to be comforting but it wasn’t sure how much it worked with the way that Mikleo was looking.

“It’s okay, Mikleo. It’ll be okay. We’ll fix all of this.”

“Fix this?” Mikleo spoke the words slowly, Sergei feeling the hair rise on the back of his neck. There was a threat in those words, one that made him want to run. But Mikleo didn’t give them the time.

Mikleo slipped off to Sorey’s lap, his gaze never leaving them. Sergei shivered at the shine of the light off of Mikleo’s skin, catching the glitter of scales. The sight was enough to make him tighten his hold on Natalie, relieved that she finally seemed to understand the danger.

She allowed him to pull her back, but Mikleo followed them, taking slow steps forward.

“Fix this? You killed him!” The last words came out as a rumbling snarl, Sergei flinching back. The motion lost him his grip on Natalie’s arm as he backed away.

Sergei expected Natalie to back up with him, but she moved forward, still reached out for her brother. Sergei cursed and lunged for her, hearing the others behind him start to shout. He couldn’t make out what they were saying over the growl that was rumbling out from Mikleo, the sound echoing around the chamber.

Natalie took another step forward, grabbing onto Mikleo’s arm. “Mikleo, please-”

He threw her off angrily, his hands curling into claws. “You can’t fix this! You can’t make this okay! You let him die!”

“But-”

“We were leaving! We weren’t a threat!” Mikleo snarled at them, baring his fangs. The sight of them alone made Natalie back off, but Mikleo was still coming after them. His form was shifting as he walked, Sergei watching in horror as a bulge rose on Mikleo’s back.

He’d only seen Mikleo transform into a drake twice, and both of those times the transformation had been quick. That hadn’t stopped it from being horrible to witness.

The bulge expanded outward before the clothes on Mikleo’s back gave with a rip. Sergei stared at the wings that spread out, the two limbs seeming to twitch on their own. Mikleo didn’t seem to be paying attention to them, or he was too far gone to care.

Mikleo took a step forward, opening his mouth. Sergei didn’t know what Mikleo intended to say, because it was lost in a roar. He winced as the sound echoed off the walls, Sergei not daring to let go of Natalie to cover his ears. One of his hands did jerk down towards his waist, Sergei’s fingers slipping into the empty scabbard by his side. His eyes widened, Sergei turning his head to stare back out the door. His sword was out there somewhere, dropped during his fight with Sorey. He cursed his stupidity, reaching up to grab Natalie again. He didn’t have a sword, so there was no way to fight a drake, and there was no question what he was looking at.

Mikleo barely looked human anymore, the seraph practically hunched onto all fours under the weight of his wings He snarled at them, Sergei shuddering at the way that the sounded ended in a wail as the front of his face turned into a muzzle. The crack of bones as they reformed made him flinch back, Sergei pulling Natalie back with him as Mikleo crashed down to all fours.

Mikleo’s head jerked towards him as they moved, his jaws dropping open. The drake rumbled out a growl, his clothes finally giving way. Mikleo hissed and gave himself a shake, the scraps of clothing sloughing off of him. Then drake’s attention was fully on them, Mikleo holding himself still.

It was the stillness that Sergei had gotten used to from seeing hellions hunting, it was the dangerous stillness that meant that he had to prepare himself, but he had nothing. His only hope was that Natalie would defend him, but he wasn’t sure that she would attack Mikleo if only because of shock. Then again, he doubted that one seraph would stop the drake. Mikleo wouldn’t hesitate, not even if it was against his sister.

Sergei swallowed, running through his other options before settling on the only option that seemed to make sense. Their only chance was the armatus, although Sergei was sure that it would only slow the drake down. Still, it would get them out of the way and into a better position to fight, although just how to handle the drake Sergei didn’t know. All he knew how to do was kill dragons, and Sergei wasn’t sure what Rose would say about that. He was sure that he knew Natalie’s answer, because even now she was straining to reach the drake.

“Mikleo!”

“Get back!”

Sergei nodded at the shouted command, getting a better hold on Natalie as he started to drag her back. The seraph struggled in his arms, Sergei tipping his head away as Natalie threw her own back.

The movement just seemed to attract Mikleo’s attention. The drake’s head snapped forward to look at them, Mikleo’s breath frosting the floor. Sergei swallowed and pulled Natalie back further.

The drake hissed and started forward, Sergei sucking in a breath at how fast he moved. Mikleo lunged forward, his mouth stretching open wide. Sergei got a good look at his sharp teeth. He threw himself to the ground, losing his hold on Natalie as they both hit the floor.

Sergei rolled onto his hands and knees, throwing glance over at Natalie. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Natalie was already getting to her feet. He tensed when he saw her eyes widen, Sergei turning his head to see Mikleo stopping in front of him.

The drake went still again, Sergei swallowing as Mikleo turned his head to the side, regarding him with one eye. Sergei swallowed and scooted backwards, not daring to get to his feet. He had never been sure about how much of the seraph was left in the drake, but it wasn’t worth chancing it to find out. Sergei was sure that the drake would come after him as soon as he started to move. Then again, he wasn’t too sure about what would happen if he stood still to too long either.

Sergei tensed when Mikleo snarled and took a step forward. The drake’s mouth dropped open again, Sergei shivering at the threat. He swallowed and went to step back a little bit further when the earth rumbled beneath his feet.

He threw himself backward as the stone under his feet jolted up. Sergei grunted as he landed on his bad side, clutching as his still aching ribs. The sharp bust of pain from them wasn’t enough to distract him from Mikleo.

The drake roared, Sergei not sure if it was in pain or anger, but it didn’t matter. What was more important was that the drake wasn’t coming after them anymore.

Sergei pushed himself off the ground, looking over to where Natalie was standing stock still. He rushed over to her, hovering close as he looked her over for injuries. She didn’t seem to be injured, but she wasn’t moving, Natalie was just staring at Mikleo with wide eyes. She swallowed and reached out for Mikleo, her hand shaking. Sergei thought he heard her whisper her brother’s name, but he didn’t have time to listen. They were out on their own and they needed to be back with the others.

He muttered an apology as he grabbed Natalie and hauled her back. To his relief, Natalie didn’t seem to notice, her attention fully on Mikleo. It meant that she wasn’t struggling, which meant that they could get back to the safety of the others.

Sergei adjusted his hold on Natalie and started to run, having to stick to an awkward jog with the way that Natalie was hanging limp in his arms. Sergei muttered a curse under his breath, turning his head to look over his shoulder.

The drake was still watching them, its eyes narrowing. It reached up to plant one hand on the column of earth, the drake staring at them before roaring. It stepped forward, the earth pillar holding the drake’s weight before staring to crumble. Sergei stared at it before he gaze darted up to the drake, sure that it was larger than before. He had been blessed to only see the drake a few times and it always looked big, but this was something else.

He shuddered and backed up faster, jumping when he felt someone grab his arm. He glanced back to see Alisha hauling him closer, the woman tugging him back against herself. Sergei wanted to lean into her, but he stopped himself. Alisha looked like she was standing up through pure willpower alone.

Sergei frowned, recalculating what they had to defend themselves. Alisha wouldn’t be able to armatize or fight, but she could help them escape. It just depended on what Rose decided that they needed to do.

He swallowed and gently pushed Natalie back towards Alisha. The motion seemed to be enough to get the seraph moving again, Sergei cursing as she practically lunged out of his arms. “Wait!”

“But it’s Mikleo!”

Sergei tightened his hold on her, shaking his head. He was sure she didn’t see it because she was still trying to rush forward even as the other seraphim closed ranks. “Natalie, wait!”

She turned to glare at him, Sergei not intimidated by it in the least. One angry seraph was nothing compared to the drake that was coming towards them. It was hardly encouraging that the drake didn’t look worried about the three seraphim.

The drake swung its head back and forth, looking over the group of them before growling. The sound sent a shiver down his spine. The sound stopped Natalie’s headlong run, the seraph finally going still. He heard her squeak, but Sergei didn’t dare let go. He didn’t think he could, he was frozen in place as the drake towered above them. Sergei saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. He swallowed and turned his head to look at Rose, watching as she shook her head. He wasn’t sure if that was the decision or if that was an assessment of their chances. As far as Sergei could see, it was both.

He took a deep breath, trying to figure out the right way to frame the question. He had never thought that they were going to be able to fight the drake, not when it was getting bigger with every passing moment. But they couldn’t just let a drake go free. It was Rose’s job as the Shepherd and Sergei was not about to let her face the drake alone.

Sergei swallowed and let go of Natalie, about to ask what they were planning to do when the drake roared and lurched forward again.

Lailah shouted something, whatever it was lost under the sound of Rose shouting for Dezel. “Lukeim Yurlin!”

Sergei saw Edna turn slightly, her hand reaching back as an invitation. He started forward, wanting to be moving so they could counter the drake. “Hephsin-”

Another roar brought him up short, the last part of her name catching in his throat. Sergei coughed around it, the taste of earth disappearing in his mouth. The aborted attempt made Edna turn around, the seraph looking a bit fuzzy around the edges for a moment before she looked normal again. Sergei knew that he had to call for her again, but he couldn’t stop staring up at the drake that was rearing back. It was going to attack, that much was obvious, but he couldn’t look away from the curved claws that were held at the ready.

The drake brought its hand down, Sergei partially calculating where it would land. It would certainly be enough to wipe them out all with one swipe, but that still didn’t get him moving. All he could do was stare and remember what his instructor had told him about freezing up. It would always get him killed. But he couldn’t move.

His mouth dropped open, Sergei not sure if he was going to try and say something or call on Edna again. Except there wasn’t a need, because the drake jerked to a stop.

Sergei stared up at it, his gaze lingering on the claws before looking back at the drake.

Nothing had changed on its face, it still looked like an animal. But he couldn’t begin to explain why it was holding back.

The claws flexed, the slight twitch the only sign of movement from the drake. It should have been enough to encourage him to move, but this could all be a trick; something left of the seraph in mourning that would use whatever chance it got to strike at them. And Sergei couldn’t blame him. What he couldn’t understand is why he had stopped.

He reached down for his absent sword, touching the top of the scabbard. It was a motion that the drake recognized because Sergei saw the drake’s upper lip twitch.

Sergei cursed his impatience, sure that he would just bring the drake down on all of them.

Then Mikleo was throwing back his head with a wail.

Sergei shuddered as the sound echoed around the room, but he couldn’t look away from the claws as they moved. With the way that the drake was twitching, it looked ready to strike at any moment.

The hand finally moved, Sergei reaching for Natalie even as the claws slammed into the floor in front of all of them. Sergei winced at the sound of the claws scraping across the stone.

And then, abruptly, they stopped. The drake twisted and contorted before starting to shrink down. Scales clattered to the floor, sounding like rain as they all sloughed off. The left behind a naked and shaking seraph, Mikleo still trailing a tail and filmy wings behind him.

Sergei watched as they twitched before dissolving away, leaving Mikleo swaying in place. Sergei’s gaze lingered on the slight curve of Mikleo’s stomach before he looked away, clearing his throat. That wasn’t something for him. It was better to look at Rose and Dezel as their expression changed.

Something flashed across their face faster than he could process, but it seemed to be agreed upon by them because they slipped out of armatus. Rose shook her head, but her gaze was quick to find his. Sergei watched as her face twisted, and he took a careful step towards her.

Rose reached out for him, the motion quickly turning into something else. Sergei froze, his head turning slightly as he saw Natalie starting to move away. Sergei twisted to look at the seraph, watching as she came to a stop in front of Mikleo.

She reached out for him carefully, stopping when Mikleo shook his head and backed away. “No. Just…just leave. _Please_.”

Natalie shook her head, taking another step forward only to be stopped when Lailah rushed forward to touch her shoulder. Natalie turned to look at the other seraph, the two of them staring at each other. Sergei was sure that Natalie would try to push when Mikleo spoke up again, his gaze still not leaving the floor. “Just leave us _alone_!”

There was a hint of a growl there, a threat that sent a shiver down Sergei’s spine. They’d had a narrow escape and he still couldn’t quite understand why Mikleo had stopped. He’d been ready to kill them and Sergei was sure that none of them could have stopped him.

Natalie didn’t seem to understand because she took another step forward, ignoring the soft warning that Lailah gave. Sergei looked between Natalie and Mikleo, his gaze straying up to where Sorey’s body was still sprawled out over the throne. The sight brought him up short, Sergei swallowing hard.

The fear of Mikleo and what he could do was still there, but there were still things he had to do. Mikleo was too lost in grief to do anything and Sorey couldn’t be left like that. Still, Sergei couldn’t imagine actually getting past Mikleo, not with the way that he was reacting to Natalie.

Sergei took a step forward, not sure if he wanted to go to help pull Natalie back to try to convince Mikleo to let him past. He didn’t get the chance to figure it out because Alisha spoke up from where she was still waiting at the back of their group. “Rose, let’s go.”

He turned to look at her, surprised at the hint of an order in her voice. It was something that he had expected of Alisha on the battlefield, but not when they were with Rose. She had always deferred to Rose in those cases. Sergei looked over at Rose, seeing her look of surprise. He almost expected her to argue, but Rose just nodded and started walking away.

Dezel and Edna were quick to fall into step with her, Sergei seeing the annoyed looks on their faces. It would clearly be a discussion, but one that would be had later.

Sergei held his ground for a moment more, swaying slightly as he tried to make up his mind. In the end, it was made up for him, Rose coming close to him and grabbing his arm. Sergei resisted for a moment, opening his mouth to protest when Rose shot him a sharp look. He snapped his mouth shut, trailing after her with only a quick glance back to make sure that Natalie was following.

The water seraph was well in hand, Lailah holding her arm and talking to her in a low whisper. Sergei stared at them for a moment before looking back at where Mikleo was moving back to the throne. Sergei felt the lump forming in the back of his throat as he watched Mikleo kneel in front of the throne, the seraph reaching out to touch Sorey’s hand before he jerked it away. Sergei turned his head away before he could see anything more, because it wasn’t for him.

He focused on where Alisha was walking out of the shrine, her head held high and her back straight. There was a hitch in her stride, something that made him worry. He felt Rose’s fingers twitch where they rested on his arm. They squeezed before sliding away, Rose rushing to catch up with Alisha. Sergei watched her go, Dezel trailing after her as her ever present shadow.

Edna was quick to take the vacated place by his side, Sergei feeling her knock up against his side before she put the usual distance between the two of them. Sergei sighed, relaxing a bit. It felt good to have a seraph by his side, especially when the worst could still happen.

He wanted to look back over his shoulder, but he was afraid of seeing Sorey so still. He opened and closed his fingers slowly, changing the urge into something else.

Sergei jumped at a light touch to his arm, looking down as soon as it went away. But it was clear who had done it anyway, even if Edna was looking away. “Stop that. Holding it in won’t help.”

“Holding it in is all I’ve got.” Edna huffed at that, Sergei shaking his head. “Just for a while more.”

“Until when?”

Sergei sighed, focusing out on where Rose, Alisha and Dezel were standing out in the plaza. His gaze lingered on the two of them, fixing on them instead of the sound of Mikleo’s soft weeping. He swallowed hard, feeling the lump in his throat go down. “When we get our orders.”

Edna hummed, sounded pleased with the answer. “And what then?”

“Then I do my duty.”

He saw Edna tip her head to the side, but she didn’t say anything else. She didn’t step away from him either, which was a relief. He’d spent most of his life with someone by his side, his brother, one of the Platinum Knights or Sorey. It was strange to have that place empty, so he was glad that Edna was there. He was glad that they were all there.

Sergei took a deep breath as he stepped outside, closing his eyes. It was bright out, the sun shining high in the sky, but he still felt cold. He shivered, rubbing at his arms before giving up chasing the feeling. It wouldn’t help.

He sped up until he could join the tight circle of Rose and Alisha. They moved to make room for him and Edna, tucking them into the safety of the group. Sergei saw Rose glance over his shoulder, her head turning slightly as she marked where Lailah and Natalie were coming from. Sergei shifted slightly to allow them into the circle, Sergei leaning into Natalie. He meant to keep the contact brief, but he was surprised when she reached for his arm and held onto it like a lifeline. He shot a look at Lailah, the fire seraph giving him a slow nod. Sergei reached up to rest his hand over Natalie’s, putting gentle pressure on it. Sergei wasn’t sure that helped, but at least she wasn’t alone.

Sergei looked back up at Rose, watching as she touched Dezel’s arm, her other arm hooked through Alisha’s. Sergei watched Alisha carefully, noticing the way she listed slightly and the way she reached to rub at the small of her back. Alisha stretched her back out with a wince. He wanted to go over and held support her, but he was shored up between seraphim, and he didn’t dare to move.

Alisha sighed as she slumped against Rose, her eyes falling shut for a moment. They fluttered open the next, Alisha turning her head slightly to look at all of them. She bit her lip, studying them all before she moved slightly to look at Rose. “What now?”

Rose sighed, her gaze moving back to the shrine. “We go back to camp and decide what to do there.”

“But-”

Rose shook her head when Natalie spoke up, that motion enough to get the seraph to fall silent again. Rose sighed, leaning back against Alisha. “That was close and we’re in no condition to handle it if it gets worse. I don’t even…” Rose cut herself off with a hum, shaking her head. “I don’t know what we can do if it gets worse.”

“Then we regroup.” Lailah spoke up, Sergei relieved that she sounded calm. He didn’t dare look over at her just in case he was wrong. He needed that calm for just a while longer.

Lailah was quiet for a moment before she spoke up again. “I don’t think Mikleo will go far, especially not now. We just give him a bit more time, until the morning. Maybe more, if we can spare it.”

From the way that she said it, Sergei doubted it. But a night was worth something, it would be enough for them to get organized for whatever that would do. It would at least give Alisha the time to rest and recover. And it would give him the time to do what needed to be done.

He nodded and stepped away from the group, looking back at the entrance to the shrine. He didn’t get too far, Natalie holding onto him for a moment before letting go. Sergei didn’t go much further beyond that, pausing to look over his shoulder at the others. “I’ll join you later, once I’m done.”

Sergei expected an argument or for someone to tell him to stop. Instead, he got encouraging nods and looked of understanding. Something in him unwound at that, Sergei taking a deep breath. He opened his mouth to ask something, surprised when Edna came up to stand beside him. “You’re going to be moving a lot of earth.”

“I know, but I want to do this on my own.”

The corner of Edna’s mouth twisted up, the seraph giving him a quick nod before she turned around to claim a spot by Alisha. Sergei watched her for a moment before turning and walking back along the plaza. He would have to find a place to bury Sorey, but first he needed his sword. Mikleo wasn’t their enemy, but he was angry and in pain. Sergei understood that, but he wasn’t going to die to it. He had to return to Rolance, he had a duty to help bring the country back to its feet

But first, he had one last duty that he owed Sorey.

* * *

Mikleo leaned against a tree, panting for breath. He hunched forward a little further, having to spread his legs out a bit wider to keep from tumbling over.

Sorey was a dead weight on his back, Mikleo shuddering at the thought. He tightened his hold on Sorey’s arm, biting his lip at the feeling of blood soaking into his back. Sorey was no longer bleeding, but Mikleo could feel the blood that had managed to pool tacky and wet against his back, even through Sorey’s coat.

He tuned his head to nuzzle into the white fur on the collar, closing his eyes. It smelled like them, but he couldn’t lose himself in it. He couldn’t fool himself that everything was fine.

Sorey was dead.

He swallowed hard, Mikleo not daring to let go to wipe the tears from his face. He didn’t want to risk dropping Sorey, not when he had carried him all the way up the mountain.

He couldn’t just leave him in the shrine, impaled and on a throne. Sorey deserved more. He hadn’t been able to save Sorey, but he could at least do this.

Mikleo nuzzled into the fur, giving himself one more moment to breathe in their scents before he pushed away from the tree. He had to keep going before his legs gave out. Elysia was still a little bit further away, and he still had to dig a grave. He had nothing to do it with but his artes, and Mikleo was shaky on those. He felt like he had wrung himself dry, but that wouldn’t stop him. He would use his hands if he had to.

It was his fault after all. If his artes had been stronger, or if he had managed to hold out a bit longer or if he’d not gotten trapped. There were too many what ifs, but it all came down to the same thing.

Sorey was dead, and there was nothing he could do to fix it.

Mikleo choked back a sob, sagging back against the tree as he sucked in ragged breaths. It didn’t help, but he didn’t care. Everything was lost in a haze of grief. All he wanted to do was to cradle Sorey close. It would do nothing, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do. It was either that or bury Sorey in the ground. Sorey might not be alive, but the latter would mean never seeing him again.

He gasped out a sob, slamming his fist against the tree. He ignore the spike of pain because it meant nothing. It was just another addition to the pain that had overtaken him. The scrapes on his hand were nothing and perfectly healable, which made it all the worse. Mikleo lifted his hand from the tree, staring at the cuts on the side of it.

It wouldn’t take much to take care of, even with his dying artes. Mikleo stared at them, his breathing coming faster before he lowered his hand. He didn’t want to look at the scrapes. He didn’t want to look at the things he could handle, especially when he failed so badly at the one thing that mattered.

If he had been more careful…if it hadn’t been for the _thing_ growing inside of him, then he might have been able to save Sorey.

Mikleo bit his lip, ignoring the sharp taste of blood in his mouth. It meant nothing.

He dropped his head, staring at his stomach. The slight paunch mocked him, Mikleo curling back his upper lip. It was still there, still stealing the power for his artes that he needed badly. “If it wasn’t because of you…”

He cut himself off quickly. There was no point in talking to it. It was nothing but a parasite and it didn’t deserve his attention. If he had been luckier, then his transformation into a drake would have killed it, but it was still there; as strong and annoying as ever.

Mikleo pushed himself away from the tree again, adjusting his hold on Sorey before pushing onward. Elysia was close, and he needed to get this done sooner rather than later.

Humans didn’t just disappear into their element immediately, they rotted and dissolved away into the earth. Just where they went Mikleo wasn’t sure, all he knew was that it would happen to Sorey. It would be like losing him again, because Mikleo wouldn’t be able to find him there. He could look into a storm and find something that reminded him of Zenrus, or see Mason in the flicker of the fire. He didn’t know where humans went, and the loss gnawed at him as well.

He gripped Sorey’s arm more tightly, fixing his gaze on the gates that were looming up out of the rock. They had meant home once, Mikleo didn’t know what they meant now. All he knew was that they marked out where all the precious things in his life were, and he was about to add another one to their ranks.

Mikleo paused to close his eyes, clutching Sorey to him. He didn’t know who to pray to, because there was no one left to hear him. He knew where the five Great Lords were, and they were too weak to be of any help. Besides, they hadn’t helped before. He only had himself to depend on, but he was used to that.

He shuffled up the path towards the gates, not caring that they were blurring in and out. It was only from his tears, and he could feel another wail coming on. It was building up in the back of his throat, Mikleo clamping down on it. They weren’t safe anymore. He hadn’t been on his mountain in nearly a year, and another hellion could have moved in. The very thought made him growl, the sound coming out oddly around the obstruction in his throat. But it was a better sound.

A wail was the sound of a dying animal, a thing to be attacked. Like this he was a threat, and that had to be enough. He wasn’t going to let anything else touch Sorey, not while he was still around.

Mikleo cast a nervous glance at the forest, looking for movement in it. He couldn’t see anything too dangerous, and he didn’t trust himself to use his other senses. All he could smell was him, Sorey and blood. He wrinkled his nose, hating the last scent, but there was nothing he could do about that, which was why he had to hurry. He had to get Sorey safe, like he had always promised to.

It wasn’t a ruin or a distant island. It would be a hole in the ground in Elysia, it was nothing like the future they had imagined. It was fulfilling none of his promises. But it was the best he could do.

Mikleo took a deep breath, trying to pick up his pace. He wouldn’t be able to go much faster, but he wanted to get them both somewhere safe. The last place that had been was Sorey’s side. Barring that, the only place left was Elysia.

He drew even with the gates, coming to an abrupt stop when he saw someone working just behind the gate. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, shock keeping him still as he recognized the man digging at the dirt.

Another growl escaped him, this one rumbling out loud and clear. He took a slow step forward, never moving his gaze from where Sergei was hacking out a shape in the ground. Mikleo hissed at the flash of sunlight off of a sword, feeling himself start to shake. He wasn’t sure if it was fear or anger, but he accepted both. It was what he was used to.

He stalked forward, only pausing at the gates long enough to let Sorey down. Sorey had already suffered enough, and he didn’t want to jostle him around more. Sorey deserved rest and these people kept getting in the way. If they hadn’t chased them, if they hadn’t pushed them to this end, then maybe Sorey would be alive. If they had just helped him…

Mikleo dropped to a crouch beside Sorey, propping him up carefully against the side of the gate. He stroked his hand over Sorey’s forehead, pushing Sorey’s bangs back like Sorey had done so many times for him. The thought made a smile cross his face, the expression wavering and dying a moment later. He leaned forward slightly, pressing their foreheads together for a moment before pulling himself away. He couldn’t linger, he had to finish this. If he stayed, he would break again.

That didn’t stop him from lifting his head to press a kiss to Sorey’s forehead before standing up.

He turned, tensing when he saw that Sergei had stopped his digging to look at him. Mikleo felt his lip twitch up in response. He felt the malevolence him in roll, the temptation to give into it strong. It would be so easy to change and lunge for Sergei, to finish him off like he hadn’t been able to before. There wouldn’t be any clothes to restrict him either. All he had was Sorey’s borrowed coat, and it would be easy to shuck off. He wasn’t about to lose it, not when they were some of the only things that he would have left. Some of the only things that would carry a scent.

Mikleo reached up to run his fingers over the front of the coat, petting it for a moment reaching across to the other side to hold it shut. He swallowed and tipped his chin up, regarding Sergei as evenly as he could. “What are you doing here?”

Sergei stared at him for a moment before stabbing his sword down into the ground. Mikleo watched the motion, but he didn’t dare to tear his gaze away from Sergei for long.

Sergei clambered out of the hole, wiping his hands on his pants before turning to face him completely. Mikleo saw his gaze flicker over to where Sorey was propped up against the gate. He frowned and stepped to the side, blocking Sergei’s line of sight. He didn’t deserve the right to look, not after everything he did.

Sergei didn’t protest, he just leaned against his sword. He used his free hand to gesture to where he’d been digging. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s a grave.”

“I know that!” Mikleo snapped, feeling the sharp bite of fangs against his lip. “But why here?”

Sergei looked taken aback by the question. He glanced around before making a vague gesture back down the mountain. “Because no one will come here. It’s quiet and there’s a ruin. He’d like that.”

“Did Natalie tell you?”

“No.” Sergei shook his head. “She hasn’t told me anything. I looked around Camlann myself and decided that it couldn’t be there. There’s nothing but a war torn village down there. Up here is peaceful. Up here is where he met you.” There was judgement in the tone, Mikleo bristling at it. From the even gaze Sergei gave him, it was clear that Sergei knew exactly what he had insinuated. He held Mikleo’s gaze for a moment before nodding slowly. “He found something worth dying for up here, so it only makes sense to bury him here.”

Mikleo flinched at that, but he didn’t dare look away. “Are you saying that _I_ did this?”

Sergei was suspiciously quiet for a moment, that enough of an answer for him. He stepped forward, not even trying to hide the growl that was rumbling out of him. “I did nothing.”

That at least got Sergei to nod his head. “That was unfair.”

“So are you going to accuse me of anything else?”

“No. I’m here to carry out my last duty to Sorey.”

Mikleo glanced at the grave, forcing himself to stare for a moment longer. It was just a hole in the ground, just barely deep enough to serve, but that didn’t stop it from looking like it was going on forever.

He squeezed his eyes shut, taking a few deep breaths before looking at Sergei again. “You’ve done it. You can leave.”

Sergei stared at him with an open mouth, the knight leaning on his sword for a moment more. Then he pulled it out of the ground, Mikleo flinching back even as Sergei jammed it back into his scabbard. Sergei turned towards where his jacket and cape were resting on the ground, the man stopping himself before turning to glare at him. “You weren’t the only one who loved him. You’re just the one that stayed.”

“And you’re the one that left.”

“I would have stayed.” Sergei glanced over Mikleo’s shoulder, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.

Mikleo huffed, unable to keep his gaze from straying to Sorey. “Do you think he would have let you?”

For a moment, Sergei looked like he wanted to argue, then he snapped his mouth shut as his eyes widened. It was almost enough to make Mikleo gloat, but there was precious little of that left in him. There was nothing to be proud of in this situation.

 He settled for an exhausted nod. “Do you really think that he would have ever let me eat anyone?”

Mikleo looked down, plucking at the coat that he wore. “If you think that he actually enjoyed _anything_ that we were doing, then you didn’t know him. Or you fell for it like the rest of them, which is what he wanted. Because every little death killed him inside, and you and your damn knights were too important to him.”

Sergei stared, his hand falling away from his sword. “What about you then?”

Mikleo felt the wail building up again, because he had no answer that he wanted to give. It was all mixed up in private moments, quiet whispers and a dead future. He tightened his hold on the coat, turning his head slightly to rub his cheek against the soft fur. He tried not to breathe too deeply, but the scent of old books was strong and it brought it all back.

He shook his head, looking away from Sergei. “Leave.”

He expected Sergei to argue or to try and push him further, it was just like the knight. Instead Sergei just shook his head and shrugged on his coat. That didn’t stop Mikleo from watching him carefully. It didn’t matter if Sergei was figuring out their plans, there was no point in hiding them. It wasn’t like Sergei and the others could stop them anymore.

Mikleo dropped his gaze to the side as Sergei walked towards him, tensing when the knight passed close. He wanted to shy away like he always had, but he didn’t want to move. It was the same fight between them, and he had to stand his ground to at least win the last one. He was the one that had stayed after all, and he was the one who would remain.

He turned his head to watch as Sergei moved past him, surprised when Sergei held out his cloak. Mikleo stared at it, confused about the offer. He glanced up at Sergei’s face, surprised when Sergei just dropped the cloak onto his shoulders.

It settled on top of Sorey’s coat, Mikleo shuddering at the extra weight and warmth. He wanted to push it off, but he held himself still, looking over at Sergei for an explanation.

Sergei nodded at him. “You’ll need a little more than a coat.”

“Why? I’m not going anywhere.”

Sergei’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything else. He just turned on his heel and started walking away. Mikleo watched him go, tensing when he stopped by Sorey.

Mikleo leaned forward, ready to step between them when Sergei just bowed. He saw Sergei’s shoulders twitch, but the man turned away and started walking down the mountain before he could see anything else. Mikleo watched him go, waiting until Sergei was out of the gates and close to the start of the path down the mountain to move.

He looked back at the grave, judging the depth before shaking his head. It was deep enough, and he would be there to chase away any hellions that dare come up the mountain. Elysia was his again, every lonely inch of it.

Mikleo sighed, glancing over at the semi-circle of cairns before shaking his head. He couldn’t delay any longer. He had to take care of Sorey. Mikleo shuddered and tore his gaze away. But there wasn’t anywhere better to look, the grave wasn’t appealing and Sorey was worse.

He squeezed his eyes shut, taking a few deep breaths before pushing himself onwards. It was hard when all he wanted to do was stall. He wanted every last moment that he could steal because it would have to last him as long as he could stretch them out.

He stumbled back over to where he had left Sorey, dropping down to a crouch beside him. He reached out to touch Sorey’s cheek, dragging his fingers over it.

It wasn’t the same because Sorey didn’t smile back, nor did he turn his head to nuzzle into his palm. It was all stillness.

Mikleo swallowed around the lump in his throat, looking over Sorey to get his fill. He reached out to press his hand over the stab wound in Sorey’s chest, covering it up. It didn’t help, not even to give the illusion of sleep. But it made it a little easier to bear for the moment.

He used his free hand to pat Sorey’s hair in some kind of order. It would never lay completely flat, but it was an excuse for him to run his fingers through Sorey’s hair. Mikleo dragged his fingers down the back of Sorey’s neck. He rested his hand on Sorey’s shoulder, looking at him as he tried to memorize everything. He stared long and hard, tucking everything away into his memory.

Mikleo sighed and rocked back on his heels, his gaze dropping to where the gold dragon stood out on Sorey’s chest. He frowned at the sight of it. He lifted his hand from over the stab wound to touch the embroidery. He shivered at the blood that he smeared over it, transfixed by the sight of red, black and gold.

Those were the colors of the empire, they had been scattered everywhere throughout the capital and the army camps. He had drowned in red, black and gold for the past year, a single spot of blue and white moving among it. Sorey had been with him too, before the empire had swallowed him up.

Mikleo curled his fingers into Sorey’s jacket, staring at the dragon as he felt a growl rumble out of him.

The empire had taken so much from him, but it wouldn’t keep Sorey.

He reached for the buttons of the jacket, fumbling with them as he tried to work through them as quickly as possible. He breathed a sigh of relief when the buttons come undone, Mikleo not wasting time in stripping the jacket from Sorey. It took careful maneuvering, Mikleo not wanting to send Sorey tumbling to the ground.

He pulled the jacket free from Sorey’s arms, tossing it to one side. The red undershirt was the next to go, Mikleo not caring that he heard it rip. It just needed to get off of him. Mikleo tossed it carelessly behind him too, smoothing his hand over the black undershirt. It wasn’t the best, but it was better than having Sorey wrapped up in all the trappings of the emperor. Like this, he looked more like himself, which was a relief.

Mikleo leaned forward to press their foreheads together again, allowing himself a moment. It wasn’t enough to say goodbye, but there would never be enough time for that. If he had his way, he would hold onto Sorey forever. The years that Sorey had promised him wouldn’t have been enough. This was worse, because he had gotten so little. A year was not enough.

He pushed himself away, ducking his head so he wouldn’t get the urge to stare again. He had to get this done, because Sorey deserved better than to be left out just because Mikleo couldn’t let go. After everything the one thing that Sorey deserved above all else was the chance to rest.

Mikleo grunted as he hauled Sorey up onto his shoulders. He swayed a bit under Sorey’s weight, but it was easy enough to adjust. It shouldn’t have been though, not if everything had been right. Mikleo closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before walking the distance to where the grave was waiting.

It was a short distance, but it felt both too long and too short. It was an eternity and the space of a blink for him to get to the grave, Mikleo staring down into it. He was surprised by the short burst of gratefulness toward Sergei. If the knight had been anyone else, Mikleo would have been left digging the grave on his own. He wasn’t sure if he would have liked it or not, all he knew was that it was done and that it was a relief.

Even with Sergei’s help, it didn’t make lowering Sorey into the grave any easier. He had already lost so much, and he didn’t want to give back what little he had gained. Most of the Elysians were gone, Kyme was gone. Melody would remain in Lohgrin until the malevolence went down and Natalie was with the Shepherd, and Mikleo was sure that she wouldn’t be coming back, not after he had nearly killed her. That just left him with Sorey, and even that had been taken from him too.

He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before tipping himself forward. It was hard to roll Sorey neatly into the grave, Mikleo having to step down into it to lay him out properly. He took his time about it, straightening out Sorey’s legs and laying his arms on his chest. It wasn’t the best, because it didn’t even give the illusion of sleep. Sorey had always slept on his side, curled slightly like he was leaving a space for Mikleo to slip in. But he couldn’t arrange Sorey like that, because that would look too lonely, and he wouldn’t be joining Sorey, no matter how much his heart ached with the loss.

Mikleo stepped back, looking over Sorey’s body. It was the best that he could do, but it still felt empty, impersonal. Mikleo swallowed, reaching up to touch his circlet before looking around. A crown had never been right for Sorey, which left him with nothing. He dropped his hand back to his side, about to clamber out of the grave when he spotted something in the pile of dirt that Sergei had made off to one side.

He leaned out of the grave, reaching out to pull the feathers out of the pile of dirt. Mikleo felt his breath catch in his throat as he stared at them, running his fingers over the orange and cream plumes.

Feathers like this were scattered all over the mountain. The Elysalarks always nested on the mountain. Mikleo had gotten used to finding their feathers everywhere, but he had always ignored them because there had been no point in paying attention to them.

He looked up, scanning the sky for them. He couldn’t hear their song or see any of them, which meant that he might have missed them. It shouldn’t have shaken him as much as it did, but he found himself biting his lip to hold back tears.

Sorey would have loved to hear them.

Mikleo shook his head hard, pushing the thought away. There was no point in wishing for something that would never happen. All that mattered is that he had something to send off with Sorey, even if it was as small as two feathers.

He straightened the feathers as he turned, Mikleo kneeling down by Sorey. He lifted one of Sorey’s hands, tucking the feathers securely under it. He stroked his fingers over the back of Sorey’s hand before standing up. He couldn’t let himself linger. Hellions would be drawn by the smell of him and the smell of Sorey’s blood. He also had to be ready to defend himself against them and the Shepherd when she finally came up. He was dangerous, and they wouldn’t let it stand. _He_ wouldn’t let it stand. They had worked too hard for the peace that they had gotten for Mikleo to ruin it all in a fit of rage.

Mikleo backed away until he felt his knees hit the side of the grave. He hauled himself out, quickly turning around so he wouldn’t look. If he didn’t, he wasn’t sure that he would ever be able to look away. He took a shaky breath, reaching for the familiar sources of water and the little spark of power left in him.

He shuddered at the effort it took, but he ignored it. He wouldn’t survive putting one handful of dirt after another over Sorey, he would keep stopping or just be unable to bury him, because that was permanent. It was forever and he couldn’t bear that. He was barely holding himself together as it was. Mikleo took another deep breath, trying to steady himself before giving up completely.

He reached for the water and pulled, dropping onto his knees as his head spun and his legs gave out. The rush of weakness was nothing compared to the relief that came when he felt the arte respond. Mikleo lifted his hand, panting for breath as he watched the wave of water propel the pile of dirt towards the grave.

Mikleo rocked back on his heels, watching as the dirt fell in. He was quick to rein the water back before it could crash over the grave, sending it back into the ground. The effort made him fall forward, Mikleo catching himself on his hands.

He panted for breath, looking over his shoulder at the grave. The dirt wasn’t laid down neatly, but it would settle and Mikleo couldn’t imagine patting it all down into place. He’d probably start to dig again, and he couldn’t do that.

He squeezed his eyes shut, drawing in deep breaths as he tried to refocus himself. He couldn’t go after Sorey, but that left him with the same yawning emptiness as he’d had when Elysia had been stripped of the seraphim. It was deep and all consuming, and so easily to fall into it. It was almost like coming home. That feeling was far more familiar than anything else. A year of happiness was nothing. He’d had eight years of loneliness and anger; it was an easy habit to fall back into.

Mikleo curled his fingers into the dirt, opening his eyes to watch the furrows form. He kept his fingers curled like claws, smiling to himself. He expected to feel the sharp bite of fangs, but there was nothing. Mikleo wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed. On one hand, if he was a drake that he wouldn’t have to feel anything but the base instincts that drove the drake. If he stayed as one long enough, he might just get rid of any problems that plagued him.

He relaxed his fingers, rocking back onto his heels with a sigh. He spared a glance down at his stomach before looking away. The anger was still there, but it was hard to hold onto when he could remember the way that Sorey had held him close the night before, how Sorey had held _them_.

Mikleo sighed, and pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. He reached up to grab at the coat and cape, holding them close to him. He turned his head to press it into the fur, breathing in the scent of dust and old books. It was mixed with Sergei’s scent, but that was easy enough to ignore. Mikleo nuzzled into the fur, allowing himself another moment before lifting his head away.

He needed to go down to the pool in the woods or the start of the river that eventually ran off the Hyland side of the mountain. There were rocks there. It’s where he found all the others. He couldn’t leave Sorey’s grave unmarked.

After that he had to prepare himself for the hellions or the Shepherd, whichever one came for him first.

* * *

Rose looked up as she heard someone coming into the camp. She didn’t bother to reach for her knives or look for the position of the seraphim, because she knew. Edna and then Dezel had called it out to her. She had been surprised by the order, but she had said nothing. Like she had said nothing about Edna taking over the watch that Dezel had usually held. As far as she could see, there’d been no reason for the watch, the danger was mostly over.

Lailah had made sure that they were well warded at the moment, which was good because Alisha had barely made it back to their camp before falling asleep. Rose didn’t think anything would be able to wake her.

She leaned back to look at where Alisha was curled up on her bedroll, another thrown over her. Rose wasn’t sure whose Alisha had commandeered, she hadn’t been watching when Alisha had snagged it and dragged it over. But Rose wasn’t about to protest, not when she could see the steady rise and fall of Alisha’s side. It was easy and regular, like it had been when Natalie had settled beside her to continue to work on the healing.

The seraph was still there, leaning against the nearest tree. Rose didn’t know if she was fast asleep or just sitting, and she didn’t want to move away from the fire to check. Natalie looked like she needed a few moments alone. It felt like it too, the vague place that she occupied in her head with the rest of the seraphim feeling quiet and cold. Rose tipped her head to the side, watching the two of them for a moment before looking back at the fire.

She leaned forward to take care of the rabbits roasting over the fire. Rose paused halfway through the motion as Lailah took over. The fire seraph gave her a soft smile, turning the stick carefully. Lailah tipped her head to the side, Rose watching the flames of the fire shift and alter position as Lailah tried to get an even roast.

Rose pushed away from her seat against the saddle. She heard Dezel huff at the motion, listening as the seraph adjusted himself back into a comfortable position. He grumbled, Rose reaching back to swat at his arm. “Quiet you. You’re on break, remember?”

Dezel didn’t answer, but she did look back in time to see him tug his hat further down over his face. Rose wouldn’t be surprised if he fell asleep. All of them had been pushed to their limits and then beyond. They deserved a rest, even if it was for one night.

She tipped her head back, looking at the mountain in the dim light of the sunset. There was nothing much to see but trees and an old ruin. She dropped her gaze in the next moment, smiling when Sergei finally stepped into the circle of light from the fire. Rose frowned at the dirt smeared on his face and the cape that he was missing. The jacket that he always wore was slung over his arm, Rose shocked by the sight. It was the least put together that she had seen Sergei, and it was strange.

Rose pushed herself off the ground, coming around the edge of the fire. “Sergei?”

He met her gaze for a moment before sighing. “It’s done.”

She studied him carefully, noting the clear tracks down his cheeks. “And you?”

Sergei gave her a shaky smile, one that she couldn’t quite believe. It was what she expected. She would have been worried if Sergei had looked any different.

She gave him a measured nod, sinking back down to lean against the saddle. Dezel was quick to claim his place leaning against her again. Rose leaned into him, but she didn’t take her gaze from Sergei.

He had started around the fire, stopping when he came to where he could see Alisha curled up just behind them. Rose studied the way he tensed before sighing. “She’s fine, just exhausted. She should be up on her feet by the morning. Or so say Lailah and Natalie.” Rose took a deep breath, tempted just to let the subject drop. It was too soon, too early. But the mountain was looming, and she couldn’t ignore that. “How is it up there?”

Sergei swallowed, Rose pointedly looking away to give him the time to wipe his face. She didn’t look back, not until he gave a shaky sigh. She tried to ignore the smears of dirt over his cheeks. Sergei didn’t seem to mind, he was still rubbing a hand over his face, his exhaustion evident. “I ran into Mikleo.”

There was a rustle as Natalie startled to her feet. Rose turned to look at her, watching as Natalie looked between the two of them. “Is he alright?”

“No.”

There was no hesitation in his answer, Rose sighing and closing her eyes. She reached up to rub the bridge of her nose, only opening her eyes when the camp went silent. She looked between Sergei and Natalie before focusing on Sergei. “Is he a danger?”

“I don’t know.” Sergei seemed baffled. “I thought I did. But I don’t…I don’t think he’ll be leaving the mountain anytime soon.”

Rose sighed and leaned back, considering the mountain for a moment before shaking her head. Mikleo was a danger, no matter what he was doing, but they weren’t prepared to deal with a drake. Besides, if felt like a very bad idea to go chasing after him. He was in mourning and any attempt would just make the situation worse. Then they’d have a dragon on their hands and Rose was sure that none of them were ready for that.

She leaned over to look at Lailah, looking for any hint from her. Lailah was the more experienced out of all of them, so she had to know something. But Lailah just looked stricken.

It took her a moment to gather herself together, Lailah dropping her hands into her lap. “A drake isn’t something we can avoid, but in this situation it might be best to let it sit.”

Natalie squeaked, coming closer to the fire. “But the malevolence…and the baby…”

Lailah nodded. “I understand but, I don’t think it will do any good. If he’s staying, we know where he is.”

Rose bit her lip, catching the miserable look on Lailah’s face. They both know that it wasn’t an answer that they liked, but being a Shepherd was about making tough choices and this was one of them.

She scrubbed a hand through her hair, giving up when her fingers got stuck in tangles. She pulled her hand away, giving Sergei a serious look. Rose was relieved when Sergei seemed to understand, the man buckling down. It was strange not to have Alisha by her side and giving her opinions, but Rose would rather Alisha slept.

Rose sighed as Dezel draped an arm over her shoulders, leaning back into the seraph. “I agree with Lailah. Anything we’ll do will make it worse. It would be better to leave and come back.”

“It may be too late!”

“Natalie…” Rose sighed when the words failed her, because it might be. They might get a dragon on the mountain like all the rumors said. Or they might come back and find a sad and lonely seraph on a mountain. She would never know. What she did know was that they had nearly run out of time to accomplish their task, but they had done it. And they had to get back because Hyland needed Alisha and Rolance needed Sergei. And the world needed them. It was as simple as that.

She reached out to hold onto Dezel’s arm, not needing to look back at him to know his decision. He would stand by her as he always had, and that was a relief in the face of everything. Rose patted his arm and looked over to the vague shadow that was Edna.

The earth seraph came away from her guard post, looking at all of the before shrugging. “It’s a plan. And if things go wrong Dezel and I can keep an ear out. If he doesn’t want to leave that mountain now, he won’t later. Besides, there’s no one around here to be threatened, and we can always warn them off.”

Rose raised an eyebrow at the assessment. She had expected as much from Edna. Rose nodded at the seraph before tipping her head back, frowning at the distressed look on Natalie’s face.

Natalie wrung her hands for a moment before shaking her head. “You won’t have to Edna. I’ll stay here and watch.”

Rose twisted around, not giving up her hold on Dezel’s arm. “Are you sure?”

Natalie was quick to nod. “Someone needs to watch him. You’ll need Dezel and Edna not to be distracted. Besides, I told you that I would stay with you until I found my brother, and I did. I can’t leave him alone, not now.” She paused to take a deep breath. “I’ll stay in the village and keep watch. Besides, having a Lord of the Land will just help, right? Although…you’d be out of a water seraph.”

“We’ll figure something out.” Rose threw a quick glance at Lailah, not expecting much. It was true that they needed a Lord of the Land, and it was a relief that Natalie was remaining behind. But she would miss having a fourth and she doubted that they would fine another so easily. Still, she couldn’t argue with the idea, not when it was the best one they had.

She settled back against Dezel, glancing back up at the mountain. Some part of her expected to feel a rush of malevolence or hear some kind of roar to signal that they wouldn’t get that chance. Considering the luck that she had sometimes, she wouldn’t rule it out. With everything that could have happened, they had pulled off a miracle.

To her relief, the mountain was silent, the only sound the crackle of the fire and the shuffle of someone behind them. Rose turned around, watching as Alisha sat up.

The princess looked around blearily before gathering up the bedroll around herself. Alisha shuffled closer, looking completely asleep even as she settled against Rose’s side. She made a disgruntled sound even as she found a comfortable place. Alisha picked at the edges of the bedroll, tucking them in under herself. “Is dinner ready?”

“In a few.”

Rose wasn’t sure that Alisha even heard because it looked like she had drifted off again. She wriggled her arm out from under Alisha, settling it around her waist.

She sighed and looked over at where Sergei was settling down closer to Lailah. Edna was quick to join him, Rose surprised at how close she sat next to him. Edna had always been standoffish and Rose had never expected that she would get close to either of her Squires, but she was pleasantly surprised. Maybe she would be just as welcoming when she got a new Squire after the peace talks. Or maybe she would go back to her gruff self while they trained up the new one, Rose didn’t know

She leaned over to rest her cheek on Alisha’s hair, turning her attention back to the fire. Lailah was hiding a smile, something in Rose unwinding at the sight of the smile. As long as Lailah was smiling, they would be alright.

Rose offered her own smile to Lailah before directing her gaze to the mountain, watching the shadows creep over it as the sun set.


	37. Chapter 34

“…we passed from that house of grief into the pale sunlight of the winter day.”  
- _The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter_ , Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

* * *

 

Lastonbell rose from the rest of the Volgran Forest, a forest of roofs that were barely visible over the tall walls. The bell tower loomed above it all, the sunlight gleaming off of the bells inside. Sergei tipped his head back, trying to get a better view of the bells. It was hard to see them because of the distance and the glare. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, turning his head when Rose tapped him on the shoulder.

He smiled at the sight of her, inclining his head slightly. From the look on her face, he needn’t have bothered, but it was hard to ignore the urge when he saw her in full uniform.

It had been different when they were out in the field together, then he’d been her Squire. Now he was back to being Sergei Strelka, although what that meant he didn’t know. There wasn’t a title in front of his name, not captain or general. Sergei didn’t know what he would be riding back into.

Rolance had had three months to gather itself back together. It wasn’t enough time to get the kingdom up on its feet again, but that was almost the point. Neither Rolance nor Hyland were in positions of power, which was a good start. They could at least come together without threatening each other, which was exactly what they needed.

That still didn’t explain why he felt more nervous about this than he ever had about following Rose around as a Squire.

He tightened his hold on the reins, nudging his horse back over as it started to veer towards the side of the road. Sergei eyed the thick growth there before shaking his head. He didn’t blame the horse, all he wanted was rest too.

They’d been riding hard for a week to get to Lastonbell, and fighting hellions along the way. The Squire pacts had only been lifted the night before. It was strange to be without it, without hearing the seraphim’s voices; especially Edna’s. He had gotten used to her dry commentary in his head. It had left a lot of time for thinking, especially about Artorius’ Shrine and the half circle of cairns on the mountain.

Sergei frowned, playing with the excess reins as he turned over the old, familiar thought.

Mikleo had said a lot of things in anger, but that didn’t make any of them less true. In fact, it made it more likely to be true because Mikleo had been trying to get him angry, to drive him away. It had worked before and he’d taken the bait. He’d taken all of the Platinum Knights away because he’d gotten angry enough at Sorey. And he’d done that because Sorey had done the unforgiveable.

Sergei shook his head, looking back up at the gates. He almost expected the next tap on his shoulder, Sergei turning his head to look at Rose.

He met her gaze for a moment before he dropped his attention to the cloak that draped over her horse’s haunches. Rose had spent most of the time that he and Alisha had been setting up camp scrubbing at the cloak until it gleamed bright white. Sergei would have thought that it had been the work of the seraphim if he hadn’t watch Rose do it herself. It made him miss his own badges of office. The coat was something that a solider would have worn and his cape was back with Mikleo. He reached up to touch his shoulder before shaking his head. “Just thinking.”

“You’ve been doing a lot of that.” Rose jerked her head to the side. “Edna has been giving me a running commentary since this morning. She’s worried.”

“It’s nothing to worry about. It’s just more questions than answers.” Sergei frowned. “I just want to get them sooner rather than later.”

“A peace talk like this isn’t the place to get them.”

“It’ll give me some of them.” Sergei looked up at the bells again. “Rolance is my priority now. Everything else can wait for a few weeks.”

From the look he got, Rose didn’t believe him. He partially believed himself, mostly because there was no telling how long the talks would run each day and Sergei doubted that the Platinum Knights that would be there would just stick to the politics. He had three months to catch up on, both with official news and gossip. And he had to break the news about Sorey.

He didn’t know how they would react to that. They had only known the facts as he had presented them, as he had known them. Then they’d watched Sorey for four months over a battlefield, and even he hadn’t recognized him. It would be a tough story to sell, but he knew his men. They could fill in the gaps just as well as he could. It was just a matter of how they would react.

Sergei dropped his gaze from the bells to the few guards on the walls and the banners that fluttered with them. He knew the crest of Hyland well, he could drop his gaze and see it displayed proudly on Alisha’s back. He was less of a representation of Rolance, the only thing that connected him to it was the red in his jacket. He reached for his cape before letting his hand drop. It was somewhere it was needed, which was all that mattered.

He cleared his throat, dropping his gaze away from Alisha’s back before she could turn around and look at him. She had enough to worry about as representative of Hyland. Sergei was sure that nothing too serious would be talked about, not on the first day when they arrived. The first thing that would probably happen was some showing around and posturing. Most importantly, they would get the time to talk to their people. Sergei was sure that Alisha wanted to hear what had been going on in Hyland and Sergei wanted to know what progress had been made. He didn’t doubt any of his men, but he couldn’t help the nervous worry that curled in his stomach. With how good things were going, it was all too easy to imagine them getting worse.

Sergei jumped at a shout from the walls, jerking his attention up to them even as his hand dropped to his hip. He stared at the walls, watching as one of the guards turned around to shout down into the city. Sergei narrowed his eyes at the flash of light off the badge that the guard was wearing. From a distance it was hard to tell what was on it. He could only see the uniform that the man was wearing, which marked him as a Blue Storm Knight.

The corner of his mouth twisted before he could stop it. He was well aware that most of the power rested with the Blue Storm Knights, especially in Lastonbell, but that didn’t make him any eager to see them. If the Blue Storm Knights were present, then it meant that Captain Gouldman would be present as well, and Sergei didn’t feel like dodging the man’s attempts at affection.

He dropped his gaze to the gate, sighing when Rose reached over to pat his shoulder. “He won’t try anything, not at peace talks.”

“It’s not the trying.”

“Oh, I think it is.”

Sergei looked up at her, sighing when he saw the smile on Rose’s face. The pun was obviously one of Lailah’s, but Rose seemed to be just as proud conveying it. He rolled his eyes, sure that Rose and Lailah could see through it; Rose’s loud laugh was proof enough of that.

He resettled himself in the saddle, watching the gate as it started to open. Beside him, he could hear Rose clearing her throat before she went quiet, although he could see her shoulders shaking out of the corner of his eye. Sergei was sure that the seraphim would keep up a running commentary the entire time. He found himself missing that, because he had gotten used to it. Without it he was back to what he had done before. Watching for danger was just as important, but he had gotten used to doing that with a seraph at his back too; and Alisha, and Rose.

Sergei sighed and closed his eyes, giving himself a moment to center himself. It was nothing that they couldn’t handle, certainly easier than armatization and hellions. He hadn’t even been able to manage the former too well. Listening and looking impressive was something that he knew how to do.

He opened his eyes when he heard Rose give a low whistle, looking over at her. For a moment, he thought he saw Dezel sitting behind Rose, then the seraph was gone in a puff of wind. Sergei watched the flicker of green light before he settled back in Rose. Sergei let his gaze linger on Rose for a moment more before looking ahead at the welcome party waiting at the gates.

It was larger than he expected, far more impressive and it made him shiver a bit. Three months wasn’t long, but it was long enough for something to have gone wrong.

He tightened his hold on the reins, eyeing the banners of Rolance that were fluttering on either side of the party. Nothing about them had changed, not that he had expected them to. It was too soon, but the reminder of the old empire made him shiver.

Sergei looked over the soldiers standing at attention one either side of the horses. He sighed in relief when he saw that they were wearing the uniform of the Blue Storm Knights. Those at least he could trust. The others he didn’t recognize, but none of them looked like nobility. Sorey had never traveled with nobles, none of them had ever cared about him. Leon and Konan had had all of their attention, and they had stopped paying attention after Konan had died. It had always been a danger that they might step in, and Sergei was relieved that they hadn’t taken their chance. If anything, the men on horseback looked uncomfortable and slightly out of date in their good clothes.

He looked at the man they had at the center of the group. He had expected a representative or a group of them, not a single person. It wasn’t much to worry about, especially since Alisha didn’t seem to be concerned. Sergei leaned forward to get a better look at the man, catching a glimpse of what looked like an official robe of state before he got a good look at the man’s face.

Sergei jerked his horse to a stop, not realizing he had done it until Rose and Alisha had stopped and looked back at him as well. Sergei looked at the two of them, staring at them as he tried to come up with something, but there was nothing but confusion.

He had sent Vanya and the other back to Pendrago to keep the country under control. He hadn’t expected the Platinum Knights to remain there, he had expected a few of them to come down to oversee the events. But certainly their general should have remained behind. Pendrago still needed tending to and he had given specific orders while he’d still held the position of general. He’d thought that, out of all of them, one would have stayed.

“You’re not supposed to be here. You’re supposed to be in Pendrago.”

Sergei didn’t realize that he had said it out loud until he heard Alisha squeak. The men in the party huffed and looked offended, but at least the Blue Storm Knights look amused. The man in the center, however, just looked relieved.

He tipped his head, giving Sergei a nervous smile. “Hello General.”

Sergei was sure that he looked like a landed fish. It was the sort of thing that would have made the seraphim laugh, and he halfway expected to hear Edna’s dry chuckle. Instead there was just silence, and nothing to do but to nod his head. “Vanya.” He sucked in a quick breath at the mistake, leaning a bit further forward so he wouldn’t have to look at any of the welcoming party. “Your highness.”

“No, you don’t-” Sergei looked up as Vanya cut himself off on what looked like a nudge from one of the men. Vanya made a face, smoothing the expression away with a sigh.

Sergei was relieved when Vanya’s attention moved away from him. He watched as Vanya went to bow, just barely stopping himself in time. Instead, he gave Alisha a smile and a nod. “Princess Alisha, Shepherd Rose, it’s good to see you again. Welcome to Lastonbell.”

“Thank you.” Alisha nodded. She seemed to puzzle over something for a moment, Sergei seeing the slight wrinkle in her nose that meant that something was troubling her. But then it was gone, replaced with the princess he had gotten used to seeing on the battlefield. She gave Vanya and his escort a gracious nod. “It’s a pleasure to see all of you. Although I was expecting something a bit smaller. I’m not used to all this pomp and circumstance.”

“To tell you the truth, neither am I.” Vanya gave her an apologetic smile. He reached forward to play with his horse’s mane. Sergei relaxed at the tick, it was something familiar in a strange series of events. Vanya looked up briefly at him before looking over at Rose. “I had been told that there was a Shepherd approaching and I thought…well I thought it was the other one.”

Sergei started at that, looking over at Rose. She looked completely stunned, the reins draped over her horse’s neck. “The other one?”

The seraphim were quick to follow the question, all three of them appearing around the horse. Dezel was the one to grab onto the reins when the horse snorted and tossed its head. It was too used to the seraphim coming and going to do anything more. That didn’t stop Dezel from stroking the horse’s nose as he glared at the party.

Vanya and the others looked shocked at the sight of the seraphim, a few of the men pulled their horses back, Sergei frowning as he listened to them mutter. If there was another Shepherd like they said, then they should have been used to seraphim coming in and out. Unless there was someone claiming to be the Shepherd.

Sergei frowned at the thought. It had happened before, when they were desperate to bring some kind of order or peace to Rolance. But Sergei would have thought that Vanya would have seen something like that coming after what had happened with Malfore. Then again, it could be a case of the others pressuring him. Everyone was desperate to keep the hellions at bay and Shepherds were the surest way to do that.

He threw a quick glance at Vanya before looking back at the open space between the parties. Lailah was walking out into it, looking every bit as regal and mysterious as the church had made the seraphim sound. It was almost strange to see her like that when he was used to the Lailah who was all smiles and bad puns.

Sergei shifted in the saddle, watching as Lailah met every one of their gazes, holding them until the men looked away. Sergei wasn’t sure what the point of the exercise was, but he was going to let her do it. There was nothing wrong in getting whatever advantage they could get.

He nudged his horse up beside Rose’s, surprised when Edna peeled away from them to stand by him. She didn’t bother to reach up to grab his horse’s reins, but she stood in front of him with her arms crossed. It was intimidating, but nothing compared to Lailah’s extended silence.

She held Vanya’s gaze the longest before stepped away and folding her hands in front of her. “There is another Shepherd?”

Vanya gave Lailah a partial bow. “Yes, lady seraph. Although I’m beginning to wonder…”

He trailed off when Lailah held up a hand, Sergei watching her tip her head to the side. It was impossible to see with the way that she was facing away from him, but Sergei was sure that she was smiling. “There have been multiple Shepherds before. Recently, it has been a lack of willing seraphim that is the problem.”

Some of the men cleared their throats and shifted in their saddles. Sergei risked a quick glance at Rose, seeing the corner of her mouth twitch. It wasn’t the start of a smile, it was the expression that he thought of as ‘serious thinking’. It was the point that she would have spoken up, but Rose kept quiet, which was enough of a cue for Sergei to follow. It didn’t stop him from giving Vanya a steady glare.

Vanya gave him an apologetic look before shaking his head. “I didn’t get a chance to see them. I heard they made quite the impression on the Parliament. After that, it was a bit of a whirlwind. I was hoping that I’d get the chance to see them here, especially with what everyone was saying.”

“What were they saying?”

Vanya shrugged. “That it was a Shepherd. Andrei saw him, but I’ve been sending the Platinum Knights all over the place. I think his report is still on my desk back in Pendrago. After the Shepherd spoke in front of Parliament things moved quickly. We’ve barely had time to breathe.”

Some of the men around him looked a bit unnerved by Vanya’s admission, but they didn’t say anything. Sergei was relieved that they didn’t, because he’d rather hear the truth than whatever the deputation had thought to tell them. He knew that he was technically part of the Rolance delegation, but he wasn’t sure they knew that. They all looked nervous, whether it was because of the seraphim or because of the princess.

He took a deep breath, about to question Vanya more when he saw Lailah tense. Sergei looked around, giving the other seraphim a passing glance. They were all tense, which meant that something was coming. It could be something as simple as the Shepherd that they were talking about or a hellion.

Sergei swallowed and looked over at Rose. There was no question that she was a capable Shepherd. She had handled herself long before she had taken on him and Alisha as Squires, and she would continue on well enough after them. But it wasn’t in him to be useless and, if he could help, he would. Sergei wasn’t quite sure how he would do it, but the offer would always be open for her.

Rose met his gaze and shook her head slightly, Sergei frowning. He twisted in the saddle, hoping to get a better view of what was coming towards them.

If it was a large hellion then he would insist, just to make sure that the delegation wasn’t threatened. He hadn’t heard of or seen any large hellions in the Volgran Forest, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t any. In fact, considering how close the forest was to Glaivend Basin, he was surprised that there was nothing larger. They had cleared as much malevolence as they could, but they had just started to make a dent in it.

He curled his fingers around the cantle of his saddle, his eyes widening as he saw the man riding out of the forest. He was wearing a cloak, something that could have been a Shepherd’s cape, but the colors were wrong, inversed. He had his hand raised to wave at the people on the walls, and he still held it there as he stared.

Sergei felt his breath coming in short bursts as he stared, but he couldn’t calm it, nor could he manage to get out any words. There was nothing that he could say, his mind drawing a blank.

Distantly he could hear people talking and shouting, but that meant nothing to him. There was nothing but the thoughts that were starting to move through his mind, slowly and through a fuzz.

Rose had told him that Sorey had wanted to tell him something. Something that had been important enough to try and say while he was dying.

Something about Boris.

And then there had been Mikleo, angry and hurting but throwing the truth at him to get him to react.

_“Do you really think that he would have ever let me eat anyone?”_

It hadn’t sounded like Sorey, it never had, but he’d been so ready to believe the worst out of everything. If he had just stopped to _think_ , but maybe that had been the plan too. Sergei didn’t know because he had never asked, and he regretted it. If he had asked then maybe things wouldn’t have gone the way that they had. Sergei didn’t know.

All he knew was that his brother was there.

Boris was there.

Boris was _alive_.

He fumbled his reins, not daring to look away from his brother in case he disappeared again. He dropped the reins onto his horse’s neck, watching as a yellow light bobbed out from Boris before dropping to the ground. Sergei wouldn’t have spared much more than a single glance at the blond seraph in black if he hadn’t heard a sob from in front of him.

Sergei jerked his gaze down just in time to see Edna drop her umbrella and sprint past him. “EIZEN!”

If the seraph said anything in reply, Sergei didn’t hear it. He was too busy kicking his feet out of the stirrups and sliding off his horse. He felt the animal start forward, but he adjusted himself to land on his feet. There were plenty of people to catch the horse. Boris was right there and he wasn’t waiting a moment longer.

Sergei hit the ground running, following on Edna’s heels. The earth seraph was far ahead of him, speeding up the closer she got to the other seraph. Or that could be because Eizen was stumbling forward.

It was only because Eizen and Boris were standing close together that Sergei even saw Edna meet with her brother. Eizen had taken a few shaky steps forward, just enough to put him into Edna’s way.

She plowed into him, the seraph staying upright for a moment before falling over. Boris’ horse skittered to the side, Sergei distantly aware that someone else was catching it because Boris was standing right in front of him.

Sergei grabbed onto him, pulling him into a hug. Or it could have been the other way around. Sergei didn’t care. Boris was there and alive, he could feel it in the thunder of his heart and the way that Boris clutched at him. Sergei did his best to hold him just as tightly, because he was almost afraid that Boris would slip through his fingers like smoke. He clung harder, not sure if he was crying or he was just hearing Edna and Eizen. It didn’t matter, because he was beyond caring about things like that.

He grabbed for a better hold of his brother, taking a deep breath. It was right, the scent was right. It was evergreen and all the herb packets that their mother had kept around the house. Sergei closed his eyes, feeling his next breath shake out.

“I’m sorry.”

He felt Boris tense in his arms, shifting like he was going to pull away. Sergei shook his head, trying to hold on tighter. “Not yet. I’m just…sorry.”

“For what?”

“For not looking.”

Boris really did pull him away then, Sergei making a hurt noise. Boris didn’t give in, Sergei recognizing the look on Boris’ face. His brother wouldn’t give in, not with that look. That still didn’t stop him from trying to draw Boris close again but, as expected, he was pushed back away. It wasn’t far, but that didn’t stop the distance from being distressing.

His hands twitched on Boris’ shoulders as he tried to keep himself still. It didn’t work, Boris giving him an even glare before shaking his head. “I’ve gotten bits of the story. I was following orders, but you thought I was dead.”

There was a question there, one that Sergei didn’t want to answer because it would mean telling him the truth as well. He wasn’t ready for that. He hadn’t really thought over what he would tell the others, and they had seen everything that would make the whole thing make sense. To Boris it would make no sense, because he hadn’t known. He hadn’t been there to fall for it all.

“Still…I’m sorry.”

Boris frowned, his hands patting at Sergei’s shoulders. “What happened?”

Sergei opened his mouth to speak, but it was easier to look away. Explaining what would take longer than they had, and something that Sergei was only sure that he could do once. The others needed to be there, to at least make it make sense at all. The others needed to be there so it didn’t sound like they had turned on Sorey without a reason.

He sighed and focused on where Eizen and Edna were still on the ground. The two of them hadn’t let go of each other, not even with the horse standing so close. They were speaking to each other quietly, too quietly for him to hear.

Sergei was about to look away when he saw Edna lift her head slightly, catching the smile that was on her face before it was pressed back against Eizen’s chest. He watched as Eizen’s arms tighten around her, his attention pulled away when Boris squeezed his shoulders again.

“Sergei...”

“Don’t ask me to explain, because I can only do it once.” Sergei took a deep breath, not sure why he was still hesitating. It wasn’t like he had never kept anything from his brother. He was the elder one, the one that was supposed to look after Boris. He had been Boris’ general for years, which had involved keeping a careful divide between their personal and working lives. It had been easy, even if Boris could read him so well. In those cases it had been easy _because_ Boris knew him so well. He’d never had to say things twice.

Except that he’d been gone for half a year. They’d been on other sides of the world and there was no way for Boris to read him so easily now.

He sighed and let go of Boris’ shoulders, hating himself for doing it. But this wasn’t something between two brothers, it their duty as Platinum Knights, one that both of them had let slip away.

“Sorey is dead.”

Boris jerked at that, stepping fully away from him. Sergei didn’t bother to try and grab for him, but he also couldn’t bring himself to meet Boris’ gaze. That would certainly be enough for Boris to figure out something. After all, he was the one bringing the news and the one that couldn’t meet his gaze.

Sergei stared at the ground, listening as Boris took a deep breath. It was just an indication that he was processing the information that he had been given. The judgment would come later, once Boris had thought it over and gathered all the information that he needed. But Sergei wasn’t sure if he could wait that long, especially when he would be getting the whole truth out. The others would make their judgements then, but Boris would still be waiting.

He looked up as Boris took another deep breath, not liking the carefully blank look on his brother’s face. Boris was affected, it would be impossible not to be after all the time they had spent with Sorey. It was just trying to predict the way that his brother would react.

Boris met his gaze carefully, considering him for a long moment before speaking. “Who did it?”

Sergei swallowed, shaking his head. The answer to the question would come out, but it needed the context, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to get it right this time.

Boris held his gaze for a moment more before ducking his head. He squeezed Sergei’s shoulder. “Was he alone?”

“No.” Sergei was glad that he could answer that one. He sighed when Boris squeezed his shoulder again.

Boris stepped closer, Sergei glad of the chance to lean against him. He took another deep breath to center himself. It didn’t quite work, because the wound was still raw, but at least Boris was there. He squeezed Boris’ shoulder before stepping away.

He let his hand trail off his brother’s shoulder, Sergei turning his attention to the cape that Sergei was wearing. He plucked at the edge before meeting Boris’ gaze. “So, a Shepherd?”

That got Boris to smile, his brother nodding and taking the edge of the cape from him. “Sorey told me to escort the seraphim to Lohgrin. When I went to come back, they asked me to help with the hellions. We were going the same way so,” Boris shrugged. He turned his head, pausing before nodding his chin back over Sergei’s shoulder. “A Shepherd?”

Sergei nodded. “She asked for our help with…”

He trailed off, but he needn’t have bothered because Boris could read him so easily. His brother narrowed his eyes, considering him carefully. “Was it Mikleo? Or Sorey?”

“Both.”

Boris narrowed his eyes, tipping his head to the side. It was a familiar look of concentration, one that he was used to seeing on Rose when she was talking to the seraphim. Sergei watched his fingers drum against his leg for a moment before Boris shook his head. “It’ll have to wait, until more of us are here. They deserve to know. Until then,” Boris nodded back to the rest of the party.

Sergei turned around, not daring to lift his other hand from Boris’ shoulder. He looked at the assembled group, very aware that he was keeping various dignitaries and two members of royalty waiting. It was a lot to ask of them, especially with the tension between their two countries.

Sergei sighed and looked down at where Eizen and Edna were. They had sat up so Edna was in Eizen’s lap, but they hadn’t let go of each other, and Sergei had no intention of asking them. There was no reason for Boris to leave. Certainly Boris could spare a few days, for the sake of his comrades, and then for the sake of his seraphim. 

Boris seemed to come to the same conclusion, although Sergei wasn’t sure if it had been provided by his seraphim. Either way he stepped away from Sergei, walking out into the space between them and the diplomatic party. Sergei found himself reaching out for his brother, but he stopped himself. He recognized the set of Boris’ shoulders as the one that meant that he was focused on his work. It was a distance that he should have been used to, it was one that he had worked with plenty of times before, but he hated it now.

Sergei swallowed, pushing the thought away. He couldn’t allow himself to cling too hard, there were more important things to do. But that didn’t mean that he wanted Boris to go too far. At least his position would keep them within sight of each other, and that was all he needed for the moment.

He took a deep breath, watching as the others closed ranks. They would have plenty of time to catch up properly at the end of the talks and then…

Sergei wasn’t sure what would happen after that. He wasn’t sure if Boris would stick around or if he’d even have a job once the talks were over. He was technically a traitor to the old empire at the best and a loyal servant at the worst. All of that would have to wait until the talks were done, peace was just a little bit more important than that.

He sighed, shoving the last of the worry away before going to join the group. A successful talk was their priority, especially since peace was long overdue. Besides, it would keep him right where he belonged, alongside Alisha, Rose and by his brother’s side.

* * *

Alisha leaned her head against the window, looking out into the city. Lastonbell was beautiful at night with the flicker of the streetlights. She smiled when the bells started to ring out the hour. She tried to count them before giving up and just listening to their melody. It was beautiful, something that she’d never heard before. Then again, she’d spent most of her life away from cities who would have a bell tower.

She rested the rim of her glass against her lips, about to take another sip when she heard someone move up behind her. Alisha turned her head, giving Vanya a nod.

He still went to bow to her, seeming to remember himself halfway through the motion. Vanya winced, correcting himself a moment later.

Alisha was quick to shake her head, making a motion with her free hand. “I’m not used to it either. Everything was a bit informal back with the army. It’s something I’ll have to adjust to.”

Vanya breathed something that sounded like a sigh of relief, coming to lean on the wall on the other side of the window. He stared out at the city for a moment before nodding out in the direction of the bell tower. “Theodora is singing the city to sleep.”

“What?”

Vanya blushed, taking a step back from the window. “It’s just something the people here say. Theodora is the name of the large bell.”

Alisha turned to look back out the window, staring out at the bell tower. She couldn’t make out the bell from the window, it was facing the wrong way for her to see it. She sighed and took a step back, turning back to look at Vanya.

He seemed to be doing his best not to look at her, continuing to stare out into the city. “Everyone I’ve talked to says that the bell was named after a seraph that lived in the area and the four little bells are in memory of the children she helped.” Vanya shrugged, taking a step away from the window. “I don’t know if any of the other bells had names, I was rushed away too soon to hear.”

Alisha stayed quiet until the bells stopped ringing, taking a deep breath in the silence that they left behind. She breathed out slowly, turning to look at Vanya with a smile she was sure looked more shaky than sincere. “That’s not something I look forward to.”

“It’s all you’re going to be doing for a while. Rushing around from one place to another, ceremonial and official.” Vanya shook his head, shifting until his hip was cocked against the table. “I thought it was bad being in charge of the Platinum Knights but this…this may be worse.”

Alisha winced. It wasn’t a pretty picture of her future, but she wasn’t stepping blindly into her position. She had never expected ruling Hyland to be easy. It was far more responsibility than an army and it wasn’t something that couldn’t just end like a war could. Alisha was sure that she could abdicate, but she wasn’t sure who would follow after her. She wasn’t sure if the next person would take care of Hyland like it needed to be cared for.

She stared down at her glass, swirling around the wine in it. She would just have to adapt to the changes. At least she wouldn’t be stuck in one place for too long, Alisha couldn’t imagine that she would be able to do her job properly behind a desk or only in Ladylake. There was far too much to do for that, even with the help of her knights. It would just be motion in a different way.

Alisha glanced up at Vanya again, watching as he swayed in place. It was obvious that he didn’t know what to do now that their conversation had run dry. They hadn’t really talked while on campaign, and Alisha was sure that it would have still been strange if they had. Back then they were just Alisha and Vanya, now there were titles and protocol to keep track of. Now there was an agenda beyond surviving and there were a few more people involved. The stakes had always been high, but now they felt even bigger.

She swallowed and shifted her hold on her glass, desperately trying to come up with something to keep her attention away from what would be coming. It was only a small gathering, not to start on the treaty, but just to catch up. Alisha doubted that either Sergei or Edna would allow it with the way that they were hovering close to their brothers. She couldn’t remember if either of them had separated from the other the entire time they had been pulled through their tour of the city and all the ceremony that had come with the first day of the talks. Alisha wasn’t sure that half of the things that they were done were even necessary for the peace talks, but she had seen how the people had watched. It had reminded her of the way that the people had once looked at her when she was in Pendrago.

She carefully set her glass on the table to keep from gripping it too hard. Alisha sighed and looked over at Vanya, watching as he stared at Sergei and Boris. It was a longing look, one that Alisha was sure that she was going to become familiar with over the next few days. There was something simpler about what Sergei was going back to, something familiar. Even going back with either of the Shepherds would be more what she was used to.

Alisha dragged her gaze away from the others sitting on the couches at the front of the room. She already felt separate, sequestered away with Vanya on the far end of the room. It was a position that Alisha was sure that she would find herself in more often.

She glanced up at Vanya, some of her unease starting to unwind as she saw the look on his face. She wasn’t alone in this, Vanya had been yanked out of his comfort zone and shoved into a position that he had never wanted. It was comforting to have an ally, although it did make her wonder how he had gotten himself into his current situation.

Alisha mirrored his position, leaning more against the wall as she met his gaze. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how did you go from leading the Platinum Knights to being the king of Rolance?”

She expected him to laugh or to give her a brief answer, not to look ashamed, Vanya threw a quick glance over his shoulder before stepping closer and lowering his voice. “It was the Parliament’s doing. They had been talking about candidates for the throne for weeks. They had a list of candidates, and then Boris went in and put the fear of the Great Lords into them, so they amended their list. Apparently, it went down to Sergei.”

Alisha winced, Vanya nodding in agreement. “To be fair, Gouldman led a spirited defense against choosing him. Apparently, it was all because Boris let his disapproval of the whole courtship be known.” Vanya paused to give her a significant look, Alisha quickly nodding in recognition. Vanya cleared his throat and quickly moved on. “I just came in because someone ran into the office saying that I had to get down to Parliament. I thought it was because they had chosen a king. Apparently, they had just meant to surprise me with Boris, but I missed him. I arrived in time for Gouldman to get desperate enough to offer me as an alternative to Sergei. They must have been paying attention to what I had been doing, because it worked.  Besides, they wanted someone not from nobility or of any relation to the imperial line.”

Alisha frowned. “Are there any more of those left?”

Vanya shook his head, Alisha feeling the knot of worry growing in her chest go loose. Vanya set his own glass down on the table, tracing the rim of it. “I had someone looking into that myself, just in case they came out of the woodwork to start up the war again. Sorey was…"

Vanya stopped and ducked his head, Alisha not sure if she heard him apologize or if it was her imagination. But it didn’t matter either way. She had seen the way that he had reacted when Rose had made the announcement. But she had also heard the way that the crowd had cheered, and known that everyone had needed to hear it. It had also saved Sergei the trouble to announcing it to the Platinum Knights.

Vanya sighed, Alisha seeing him make an aborted motion back towards Sergei. She almost glanced away to look at Sergei, but she stopped herself when Vanya started talking again. “I…it’s not that I don’t trust the three of you, but I just need to know. Was there any other way?”

Alisha bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before shaking her head. “We tried, and we wanted to keep him alive, but we couldn’t purify him. It was too dangerous to do anything else. I don’t know how or why, but he just…snapped.”

She watched as Vanya’s face fell. She caught the curse that he muttered this time, the man shaking his head slowly. “So he wasn’t himself?”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Rose about that.” Alisha looked over to where Rose was sprawled over the length of one of the couches. The only sign that she was awake was the way that she would sometimes lazily wave her head to emphasize a point. “She’s the one there during his last moments. The rest of us came in later.”

She heard Vanya suck in a deep breath, not daring to turn her head to look at him. It was only right that he got his own time for grief. She had gotten plenty of her own time on the way back. She had helped Sergei too, and it had helped her in return. It didn’t matter that she had only known Sorey for a short while, it had been enough for her to look forward to working with him. For the short time she had been in Pendrago, she had believed that changing the world could be easy.

The thought was almost enough to get her to laugh, Alisha shaking her head. She wasn’t going to let herself sink down into those thoughts, not when Hyland was depending on her. Not when Rolance had a king who was willing to help with the peace. Besides, she had seen what malevolence could do to a person, and she didn’t want to become like that.

She looked back at him, keeping her voice to a near whisper. “He’s buried somewhere peaceful. Mikleo is there with him.”

“That’s good.” Vanya took a deep breath, Alisha noticing the way that his shoulders shook. “That’s good. I’ll announce something before we go back to Pendrago. I don’t want anyone going there, not with Mikleo there.”

He ran his hands over his face, pressing them there for a moment before letting them drop. “Having something back at Pendrago will make the people relax more, I think. And we need that more than anything. This peace can’t be rejected again.”

“No.” Alisha spoke the word softly, feeling a shiver run down her spine. No one would survive if that happened, two Shepherds to drain the malevolence or not. Hundreds would die over the winter, and hundreds more in useless battles. It would just continue the cycle of destruction, and Alisha wouldn’t even know where to turn to fix it.

She shivered, pushing the thought away. She couldn’t think about them failing, not when it could put them on that path. Alisha rolled her shoulders, about to stay something to move the subject along when Vanya shook his head.

“I know that this isn’t supposed to be about the peace treaty, but I had hoped to speak to you before it all started.” Vanya played nervously with his fingers, not looking up at her. “I…I don’t intend to change anything from your original treaty with Sorey.” Vanya practically whispered his name, quickly moving on before Alisha could say anything. “I’ve been running the same programs, save for the seraphic weapons retrieval, and they’re working.”

Alisha perked up, taking a step closer. “Since you were elected king?”

Vanya shook his head. “Since we returned to Pendrago. It’s not a permanent solution, but it will keep up on our feet. I was just wondering what else you wanted to keep.”

Alisha shook her head. The treaty had been very basic when they had worked on it, nothing more than something to stop the war and buy them all the time to do something more. That’s all they had ever been, things to adjust at a later date when they got the chance. Alisha was sure that they were going to get that chance this time. The treaty process would be more give and take, which would be good and bad for both countries. They both had little to give, but that meant that there was only a little to take.

She reached down for her glass, running her finger along the side. She considered the question for another moment before shaking her head again. “No, that suits me just fine. I’ll be able to give you a better answer after I’ve talked with the other delegates.”

“Ah.”

Alisha felt bad as soon as she said it, watching as Vanya slumped. There was nothing that she could take back, but it did make her feel bad for Vanya.

He was new to this, as was she, but at least she had some experience leading the people in the army. Besides, she had grown into her role, Vanya had been pulled in instead of Sergei. She wanted to reassure him that he would do great, but the words stuck in her throat. She didn’t know how the two of them would do. Then again, she couldn’t imagine two people more determined to get things right.

She offered him a smile, picking up her glass to toast him. “Hey, let’s leave that until tomorrow. Tonight it’s about remembering our success and the people that helped us get here.”

That got him to smile, Vanya picking up his glass to gently clink them together. The sound was soft under the low buzz of conversation from the rest of the room. Alisha was tempted to glance back at them, but she held herself still. Vanya looked over, Alisha feeling the same pull. She wanted to lose herself among her friends. It might be the last time they were all together for a while.

She swayed in their direction, stopping herself before she got too far. Alisha ducked her head slightly, relieved when she heard Vanya laugh. She looked up as he smiled, Vanya giving her a nod. “I understand. Suddenly your time is not your own. It feels like a lot is being taken away from you.” Vanya gave her a glance over his glass before shaking his head. “Don’t worry, the Platinum Knights won’t forget. We’ll make sure that the general gets most of the assignments to Hyland or a few vacations. I can’t promise anything because the general’s schedule is a little random, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen him like this, and that’s down to you and Shepherd Rose.”

“Just Rose. And just Alisha. Save the titles for the official talks.”

Vanya gave her a wide smile, Alisha relieved by that. It was easier to relax when they weren’t dancing around protocol. They would get enough practice with that later, and Alisha wanted to have a place where she could just be herself. As soon as she got back to Hyland and Ladylake she would be tumbled into the role headfirst. It would be good to get some time to ease into things, or to take baby steps into the new position as much as possible.

“Shall we Pr-Alisha?” Vanya stumbled over the title, recovering quickly. He made a gesture to the couches, Alisha allowing herself to look at them.

Rose had moved over to squeeze on the other side of Sergei, obviously ignoring the disgruntled look on Dezel’s face. From the looks of things, she and Boris were teaming up on Sergei. Sergei was blushing bright red, but slowly moving away from Rose and back towards his brother. It was intriguing enough that Alisha wanted to be over there.

She doubted that this would be her last chance to be this close to all of them, but she was aware that those days were numbered. The peace talks had to be done efficiently, but quickly to benefit both countries. She couldn’t linger for her sake, because Hyland came first.

Alisha pressed the rim of the glass against her lips, looking away when Vanya cleared his throat. She watched as he held his glass out to her. “For peace and those who helped us to this point, but are no longer with us.”

Alisha smiled and raised her glass to knock it against his. “For those we lost.”

Vanya paused for a moment, looking nervous. Alisha didn’t get the time to ask what was bothering him because he cleared his throat and met her gaze. “For Sorey?”

In the face of his question, there wasn’t anything to do but nod. If they were toasting those that had gotten them to this point and those that they had lost, Sorey was among them. “For Sorey.”

She held his gaze for a moment before Vanya took a step back. Alisha watched as he walked back towards the window, tipping her head to the side in confusion. Vanya threw a quick glance over his shoulder before going back to the window to stare out at Lastonbell. Alisha smiled then, understanding a little bit. Vanya needed more time to take it all in and she wouldn’t rush him.

Alisha took a sip of her drink, making her way over to the couches at the head or the room. She smiled at the way that Rose and Sergei’s gaze jumped to her.

She sunk down onto the other couch, settling back as Rose vacated her place by Sergei to sit down beside her. Alisha didn’t bother to protest as Rose tugged her close, Alisha leaning gratefully against Rose. She smiled over at Sergei, watching as he relaxed again. It was tempting to ask what they had been teasing him about, but she didn’t feel like interrupting the general feeling of contentment.

Alisha draped her free arm around Rose’s back, holding her close. She let the conversation flow around her, not really bothering to listen. Alisha was sure that she would get teased about it later, but she wouldn’t care. She was content to bask in the presence of the most important people to her. Alisha rested her head against Rose’s shoulder as she listened to the others talk around her.

* * *

Mikleo took deep breaths as he gathered the water around him, trying to stretch out his awareness to where the water was coming from as well as the way it was shaping under his control. It was something that he had done as easily as breathing before, but now it was a struggle. As soon as he turned his attention away from the water he was gathering it fell apart. Whenever he turned his attention to the water that he was directly working with, he lost control of the source flow.

He lost control of his careful breathing as he tried to spread himself out, searching for the perfect balance between the two of them. There had to be, he had figured it out before. He had been able to do this when he was eight. Even when he had been distracted looking for any sign of humans or hellions, he’d been able to do something so simple. But it was falling apart in his grasp now.

He struggled to get control back again, feeling the water serge before falling apart completely.

Mikleo winced and fell over, panting for breath as he looked at the surface of the pond. It was calm, without a ripple to show where he’d been working. Mikleo let his breath out in a ragged rush, feeling himself shake.

He’d been working at that arte for a long time, and he’d never gotten it to the stage where he could use it. It wasn’t anything complicated either, just something to make the water spout up. It had been the first thing that he had taught himself for defense and he had mastered it by the end of his first day. If he could do anything, it had to be that.

Mikleo gritted his teeth and stood up, ignoring the way that leaned slightly forward. He pulled himself back up, ignoring the shift of his center of gravity if favor of concentrating on the arte. He was going to figure it out, and only then would he allow himself to rest.

Mikleo took a few deep breaths before focusing again. It was a small pool with a tiny underground source. He knew it like the back of his hand. He knew where the source came from, he knew the sound it made while it burbled out, he knew where it ran off the side of the mountain to join the river. He knew all the factors that would come with working with this source, so it made no sense why he couldn’t do it.

He glanced down at his stomach, jerking his gaze away from the bulge. He might be restricted from some of his stronger artes, but he was not going to let it take away everything else. He had things to do, and he needed his artes for that.

There was too much to be done to be limited by some parasite growing in him.

Mikleo rolling his shoulders, taking a few more breaths before focusing again. He sought out the source of the pool and started to pull, bracing himself for the rush of water that followed. But it never came.

He stared at his hand, still extended in front of him. Mikleo flexed his fingers slightly, hoping that the small bit of movement would be enough to get the arte moving. It was no surprise that he felt nothing move, because there was nothing. It was the horribly familiar feeling that had been growing as the months went on. He had nothing left to give, because all of his power had gone elsewhere. He was defenseless. Powerless. _Useless_.

Mikleo slumped with the realization, trying to catch his breath. There had to be a way around it, there had to be something that he could do. He couldn’t just stay on the mountain forever. He had things to look after. Sorey was gone, so he had to watch over everything that they had built together. He had to be the one to do what Sorey had never been able to do. It was all on him and he had to be able to use his artes to protect himself and the peace that Sorey had fought for.

He couldn’t let Sorey have died for nothing. He couldn’t.

It was all he had left.

Mikleo closed his eyes, swaying in place with the familiar nausea and exhaustion. It was getting to be a nearly hourly thing. Mikleo was sure that it was a warning from his body from pushing too hard and too fast, but he had no other choice. He had to be ready for anything, or else there was no point to it all. And if there was no point, Mikleo didn’t know what he would do.

He couldn’t leave the mountain in this state, but some part of him didn’t want to stay. There were too many ghosts, too many things weighing him down as much as the thing inside of him. But he couldn’t leave, not when everything important to him was in Elysia. On the other hand, Melody was still out there, still in Lohgrin and far away and he burned with that knowledge. He wanted her closer, wanted her safe. But that wouldn’t be anywhere near him.

Natalie was here, he could feel her towards the bottom of the mountain and he could feel her domain pressing against his. It wasn’t strong enough to push through his, which meant that Natalie and Melody would stew in malevolence if they came to him. And they would, and he would be the reason that they died.

He was always the reason that they died.

Mikleo squeezed his eyes shut, trying to calm himself down even as his breathing sped up. He had to keep calm and quiet or else the hellions would know that he was there. He would be distressed prey, something that couldn’t defend itself. He would be ripped apart and that would be the end of it all. Everything that everyone in Elysia, everything that Sorey worked for, would be for _nothing_.

He choked on a wail, giving up on staying upright. Mikleo dropped to his knees, clutching at himself. He bit his lip to keep from making a sound, needing to stay quiet until he was sure that he was safe.

But he would never be safe, not after what Zenrus and Taccio had told him. Not after what he had seen with his own eyes. Even if the humans weren’t using seraphim in weapons there was more than enough hellions and malevolence to kill them all.

And he’d be left alone again.

Mikleo tasted blood, but he didn’t dare let go of his lip, not when he could feel another wail building in the back of it. It was so close to coming out and Mikleo was tempted to just let it because then he could at least see an end to it all. He was already alone, already back to the way he had been before.

He was back in Elysia, back to clutching at straws for something to do. He hadn’t been able to avenge his family. The humans who had taken them were long gone and Mikleo didn’t know where to start searching for them. He couldn’t turn against the people who had killed Sorey, because the kingdoms needed them. They were the pivot that the world was going to turn on, but that left him with nothing to do. There was nothing to turn to, nothing to focus on except his artes and the eventuality that he would be needed. But it wasn’t enough, it left him drifting and scared.

Mikleo let go of his lip to breathe out, rocking forward as it came out in gasps. He was scared like he had been when his family had been taken, scared that he couldn’t defend himself and that someone would come for him. He was the emperor’s dragon after all. Someone would want to try and bind him to a weapon or kill him to become a legend, and he wouldn’t be able to do anything. The thing inside of him that made it impossible to save Sorey would kill him too.

A whimper escaped him, Mikleo not bothering to hold it back. He clutched at his shoulders, trying to hold himself together as best as he could.

He was eighteen years old, practically a baby by seraphic standards. He was too young for any of this now, and he had certainly been too young when he had been ten. It was too much and he was crumbling under the weight of all of their expectations, under the weight of the silence on the mountain.

“Why?”

Mikleo almost didn’t recognize his voice when he spoke, his head jerking up for a moment. He stared at the semi-circle of cairns, suddenly wanting to knock them all over. It didn’t matter that the seraphim that they were in memory of were dead, he could still feel their stares on him. Before it had been easier to pretend that he was safe because of them, that there was something left of his family, but now they were accusatory.

He felt the anger bubble up in him, Mikleo almost relieved by the rush of emotion. He was used to the anger and the rage, not the depths of sadness that was pulling at him. He’d cried before, but it wasn’t anything like what he could feel himself teetering on the edge of. It felt like the moments right after the humans had come to Elysia, of wandering through the empty mountaintop and calling for everyone but only getting silence back. It felt like the moment that Sorey had slipped away from him. It was everything that he didn’t want to think about, didn’t want to relive every again. It was easier to be focused, to be angry because then he wouldn’t have to feel.

Mikleo embraced the anger, hauling himself to his feet so he could better round on the cairns around him. “Why did you do it?”

He expected the silence, and that made it easier. He didn’t have to listen to anyone trying to calm him down or telling him to be reasonable. He didn’t have to look at Gramps’ and know that he was going to be talked down. He could shout and rage all he wanted, and no one would answer back. It should have made him feel better, but it seemed to make everything worse.

Mikleo glanced around at the cairns, waiting for someone to speak to him, but there was nothing but silence.

“Why did you leave me? I was ten. I could barely protect myself. I knew _nothing_.” His voice cracked over the word, Mikleo shaking his head as he kept pushing on. “I had to teach myself _everything_ and hope I didn’t die. And you knew…you knew that I would never find them. So what was the point of it all?! What was the point of getting yourself killed for me? Why didn’t you _run?_ ”

He looked around at the cairns, not caring that his vision blurred slightly. “I don’t remember any of you. I can barely remember a few conversations, but I can’t remember your faces. The only thing I know for sure is how you screamed, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. It’s all I have left of you and it’s _killing me_.”

Mikleo reached up to wipe at his eyes, trying to clear them even as he felt more tears gather. He snarled, pressing his face against his sleeve for a moment before looking back at the graves. “I can’t do what you asked me to. I can’t. I just…it’s too much. And I tried. I tried to make the world better. I did, but it was too much. It was…I lost him. And I don’t even know if it was worth it because it was too…I think I…”

He paused to take a few deep breaths, feeling himself spiraling towards the strange depths of sadness again. He wanted to grasp at the anger again, but it felt like it was slipping through his fingers.

Mikleo turned away from the cairns to focus on the one grave in the semi-circle, the one hidden in the shadow of the gate. He swayed in place, tempted to walk over to it, but he couldn’t let himself. He hadn’t been over there since he had retrieved their saddlebags. They were still over there, untouched because Mikleo couldn’t bring himself to get close to the grave. The cairns were safer, they were just in memory of the seraphim that he had lost, because he had nothing else to remember him by. But Sorey was under the grave, Sorey was so close but completely out of reach, and it _hurt._

He took a stumbling step forward, stopping himself before he could go too much further. He couldn’t get too close, he was afraid of what would happen if he did. If he did, then he might stay there and there was still too much to do. He would stop, and he wasn’t allowed to stop, not yet. There would be some danger, something that needed his attention. But he couldn’t stop staring at Sorey’s grave.

Mikleo opened his mouth to speak, Sorey’s name coming out as something more of a sob. He didn’t bother to try again, pushing onward before he could break down further. “Y-you promised me, you promised me that we were going to escape all of this. We were going to somewhere far away. You were going to explore ruins and I was…I don’t know what I was going to do, but you were going to be there. This was never-”

He cut himself off to take a few deep breaths, trying to keep his voice steady. “It was never supposed to be like this. I wasn’t supposed to be watching everything. It was supposed to be Rose, Alisha and Sergei. It was supposed to be them while we stayed away. But what am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to watch everything when I can’t leave this mountain? How am I supposed to do anything with this _thing_ you put in me?”

The mountaintop was silent, leaving him with the sound of his own heavy breathing. Mikleo looked around, feeling the loneliness pushing in all around him.

It was something that he should have been used to, but it was too much now. It made him shake and want to lash out with every arte that he knew. Mikleo wouldn’t hit anything, and it made it worse. It was all he knew how to do, it was the way he had managed to go on for so long without becoming a dragon. If he had a reason to keep going, then there was no reason to slip beneath the malevolence, but he had none of that now. There was only the yawning centuries of nothing but watching the kingdoms in case something happened.

Then again, it would be easier to burn it all if he was a dragon in the first place.

Everything would be easier it he was a dragon. He wouldn’t feel anything, he would be free of all of it. It might even kill the thing inside of him, and it would finally stop stealing away everything that he needed.

But if he did that he would lose everything as well. There would be no Elysia, no Gramps, no Natalie or Melody. No Sorey.

It sounded tempting.

Mikleo curled his fingers, hovering them over his stomach. It wouldn’t take much, he was sure of it. He was already feeling like he was falling apart, it wouldn’t take too much to pull the remaining threads apart. Besides, he had made a promise to Sorey, it had been part of their pact. It didn’t matter that Sorey had been being dramatic, it was still something that could rest on him. Mikleo would give Alisha and Sergei a chance to right the world but, if they couldn’t, then he would make sure that the whole thing burned. It deserved to after what it had done to him, to his family. To Sorey. It would be easier to do that as a dragon.

As a dragon, he would be an unstoppable armored creature. He would be the impossible lumbering beast that he had seen in Sorey’s book, the one opposite the Lord of Calamity. The idea felt right, it felt like peace. All he had to do was nudge himself over the edge.

Mikleo tipped his head back, taking a ragged breath. It should have been easy to fall over, but it wasn’t. Something was holding him back, and that made him snarl. Mikleo reached up to clutch at his circlet, hissing when it felt hot against his hand. It had sometimes felt like the metal warmed, but this time it was burning. The pain was almost enough to make him want to rip it off and throw it as far away from him as possible. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Gramps had given him the circlet. It had been a gift that he had specifically been told to take care of. It was precious.

Mikleo muttered a curse and curled forward. He wouldn’t be throwing the circlet away, no matter how mad he was at them. It was the only thing he had of his family and he would hold onto it until the end. No matter what they had saddled him with, he was going to keep a hold of it.

He squeezed his eyes shut, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to get himself to focus. It was hard when his thoughts felt like they were rushing in tight circles before scattering. It was hard when he felt on the verge of tears again, on the verge of that depth of sorrow that he always avoided. A few were already starting to roll down his face again, or they had never stopped. Mikleo didn’t know.

He opened his eyes, staring at the ground and the curve of his stomach. He had tried his best to ignore its steady growth over the past two months. It had been easier when he hadn’t been able to see it under his clothes, but there was no denying that the bulge was there now. Mikleo wasn’t even sure that adding more layers would hide it at all.

Mikleo felt his lip twitch up as he stared at it, the urge to just claw his stomach open not abating at all. His fingers curled tightly, Mikleo waiting for the flash of light off of his claws, but nothing happened.

He knew nothing would happen, if he didn’t have the power for artes then he wouldn’t be able to turn into a drake. The last time he had only managed in the rush of sorrow and rage of losing Sorey, but he hadn’t been able to hold it. He hadn’t even been able to avenge Sorey. Mikleo wasn’t sure if it was his crumbling control or the fact that he knew that Sorey would have never wanted Alisha, Rose or Sergei dead.

But that left him with so much sorrow that he couldn’t turn into rage, and he didn’t know what to do with it.

He swayed in place, staring down at his stomach before jerking his gaze away. “It’s your fault.”

He didn’t expect the bump to answer, but the silence didn’t make him feel any better. Mikleo growled low, glancing at Sorey’s grave before yanking his gaze away.

He tried not to remember Sorey too much, because it hurt. It was easier to just let the thoughts drift away and tuck the parts that mattered away. Letting go of every promise that he had been made didn’t hurt as much as it did to have them ripped away from him. But it was hard not to remember anything, because Sorey had consumed his life for the past year.

Mikleo bit his lip, struggling to bring himself back under control. He could feel himself failing, Mikleo fighting against it for a moment longer before letting himself slump.

He didn’t want to fight it anymore. There wasn’t any rage left, there was just exhaustion and loss, and it left him swaying on his feet. He wrapped his arms around himself, holding him close in the dim hopes that it would help. It was one thing to have his own arms around himself, but it was something else entirely to be held. He could vaguely remember the seraphim in Elysia doing it, and Sorey had taken every chance to hold him.

Sorey had always been touching him, like he couldn’t get enough. And Mikleo couldn’t complain, except that he wished that he had allowed it sooner, all of it. He wouldn’t have even cared if it had been on his stomach, because it meant that Sorey would have been there.

He looked back at his stomach, frowning at it. He uncurled his fingers slightly, tracing his hand over the curve of his stomach, but he didn’t dare to touch it. It was still a foreign thing, something that wasn’t quite him. But Sorey had loved to cradle it, like it was something as precious as his circlet and Mikleo couldn’t understand it.

He swallowed, trying to get his voice to work as something other than a broken sob. “He loved you, you know that?” He paused to take a few deep breaths, not caring that he wasn’t going to get an answer. Mikleo bit his lip, allowing himself a few more moment of silence before forcing himself onward. “He hadn’t even seen you and he loved you. And I don’t _understand_. He loved you and you aren’t even here. You’re just a thing…but you were precious to him and I don’t…I can’t…

“You’re just the thing that stopped me from doing everything I needed to do. We could have moved faster. We could have escaped. I could have healed him, I could have had…But instead I have nothing. I want to be able to do what they wanted me to do or else what was the point?! What was the point of all of them dying? What was the point of them leaving me alone?!”

Mikleo felt his voice break over the word, and he was almost glad that it forced him to stop. It felt that like was hovering on the edge of something and he didn’t want to find out what was on the other side.

He took a ragged breath, reaching up a shaking hand to comb it through his hair. It was greasy and knotted, Mikleo wincing as he tugged his fingers free of a knot. Mikleo looked down at his hand, staring at it instead of his stomach.  “What’s the point of me then? What do I do if I can’t do what they would want? They were my world and I don’t want them to disappear. It already happened with Gramps and everyone. It’s going to happen with Sorey and what will I have left? The empire isn’t him, they’ll make sure that there’s nothing left of him there. It’ll just be like what happened here. I’ll just be left with rocks.”

He turned to glare at the cairns, feeling hemmed in by the careful circle. He curled in on himself, glancing around the semi-circle until he was staring at Sorey’s grave again. Mikleo felt his heart clench at the sight, swaying forward before he realized what he was doing. He swallowed and shook his head.

“I don’t want that. I don’t want anything else taken away from me. I don’t want any of this anymore. I just want…I want…” Mikleo stopped himself as his breathing sped up. He swallowed, trying to calm it down, but he couldn’t manage it. Everything came out in a rush, Mikleo giving up on keeping it back. “I want more than rocks, I want _them_. I don’t want clothes or trinkets, I want _him_ and there’s nothing left. Nothing but-”  

He paused, his hand hovering in the air as he felt something flutter in his stomach. He took a deep breath, holding it as he waited. It took a while for the flutter to happen again.

Mikleo let his breath out in a rush, leaning backwards. He reached down towards his stomach, yanking his hand back at the last minute. He flexed his fingers, staring down at it.

He wanted to touch his stomach, but the flutter was so light that Mikleo was sure that he wouldn’t be able to feel it. It felt focused on the inside instead of out. Mikleo stared at his stomach, fighting the urge to snarl.

There was no denying that the thing was there, that it was alive, and it made his fingers curl slightly. It had been hard to ignore it before, but it would be impossible to do so now. Until he figured out a way to fix the situation, he’d have to live with the thing that had ruined everything. The thing that was the reason that he couldn’t save Sorey.

The thing that was part of Sorey.

Mikleo froze, his eyes widening. He barely paid attention to the soft flutter as he turned the thought over in his head.

He might not have been prepared to get pregnant, but he knew how it had happened. The thing was his and it was Sorey’s. And Sorey had thought that it was precious. Sorey had held it as tenderly as he had held him. Sorey had wanted it.

Mikleo swallowed and looked down at his stomach, staring at the curve of it. His only options seemed to be turning into a dragon and hoping that it worked, which it might not considering that it had survived him transforming into a drake, or getting purified which would mean taking the Shepherd away from her work at a crucial moment.

He couldn’t do that, couldn’t let everything Sorey had done be in vain. He couldn’t, because then it meant that everything he had fought for and lost had been for nothing.

Besides, like this he would have something of Sorey and he wouldn’t be alone.

The idea made him shake, because he was frightened, but he was more frightened of another eight years like before.

Mikleo bit his lip, chewing on it until he tasted blood. He winced at the taste, licking his lip. He looked over at Sorey’s grave before slowly dropping his hand. He let it hover over his stomach for a moment before finally allowing it to rest on his stomach. It took more than he was willing to admit to let it rest there, but it was a start.

He smoothed his hand over his stomach, letting out his breath slowly. He felt the thing flutter again, but it wasn’t enough to press against his hand. Mikleo braced himself to keep himself still. He had made his decision and he almost felt lighter for it. There was still apprehension there, but the desperation was stronger. It was more important that he was no longer alone.

Mikleo curled his fingers slightly, staring down at his stomach. He had talked to it before, part of his rage had been directed at it, but it strange to direct something else at it.

He winced at the way he was referring to it. Sorey had never liked it, but it had been easier for the baby to be a nonentity when he had been sure that he had been going to get rid of it. After all, it would have been troublesome while they were on the run. It _had_ been troublesome.

Mikleo took a deep breath before uncurling his fingers. He kept his hand pressed against his stomach, holding it there as he tried to find the words. The baby probably couldn’t understand him, but he didn’t know what else to do.

“Listen,” Mikleo fumbled for a word, his tongue stumbling over several before he shook his head. He had never called the baby anything that would make him feel connected to them. He stared down at his stomach, not sure if it was the flutter of the baby or if his stomach turned. His didn’t even know if it was because of his own callousness or if it was because he still hadn’t fully convinced himself. Neither mattered, because he had made up his mind.

The baby was Sorey’s and that was reason enough to keep them, even if he didn’t know what to do about them. All he had was what Sorey had called the baby, and the very thought made him bite his lip.

Mikleo shook his head, pushing onward. “It’s just you and me, bun, so we’re going to have to stick together. I…I can’t do what I should do for my family or Sorey. There’s nothing to take revenge on, and I can’t interfere with the peace, not with the way I am now and not too soon. But I don’t know how to live without having something like that.” He paused, licking his lips as he looked up at Sorey’s grave. “But you were precious to him, and precious things have to be protected. That’s enough of a purpose for me.”

He waited a moment for the flutter to return, Mikleo sighing when it didn’t. He felt a flicker of fear before he pushed it away. He wasn’t going to lose the baby, not after he lost everything else. He would hang onto this with both hands.

Mikleo lifted his hand from his stomach, looking at it before flexing his fingers. He expected it to look different because he had made up his mind, or because he had reached some decision, but it didn’t. Mikleo was surprised but the laugh that bubbled out of him. It was almost enough to make him press his lips together to keep the sound from escaping. It didn’t seem right when he was surrounded by so many graves.

He pressed his hand to his mouth, ignoring the way that it shook slightly. Mikleo closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down.

He didn’t know where the sudden lightness had come from, but he didn’t want to linger over it for too long. There was still a chance that he would start having second thoughts, and he didn’t want that. He had given everything that he had. He was exhausted, wrung out and ready to collapse. He’d been going since he buried Sorey two months ago, pushing himself until every arte he tried failed.

Mikleo swallowed, letting his hand linger over his mouth for a moment more before he let it drop away.

He made his way over to the nearest cairn. He had made his decision, but that didn’t stop the slow twist of regret in his stomach.

He reached out as he came to the first cairn, dragging his fingers over the top stone before he continued to make his slow way around. Mikleo didn’t know if he was apologizing to them or just making contact with his family. It had been a long time since he had dared get close to any of the cairns, preferring to stay away from them save for when he was cleaning them or coaxing the flowers to grow. It was too late in the year for the anemone to grow, but they would come back around next year.

He may not have been able to see them bloom this year, but he wouldn’t miss them next year. He would need to be around to take care of the cairns, he had let them go for too long.

Mikleo paused with his hand on Mason’s grave, running his fingers along the edge of the rock. “I’m sorry I let this go for so long. I should have done something before.”

He swallowed, stopping himself before he could go any further. It would just lead down the same circle of thoughts again. He took a deep breath and looked around the curve of the cairns instead.

Ahead of him was the pit where he had made Zenrus’ cairn, Mikleo staring at the short drop down into it. He winced at the sight, reaching down to his stomach before jerking his hand back. Going down there wouldn’t be a problem, but he didn’t think he would make the scramble back up. The solution would be to make an easier access point, but Mikleo was sure that he had missed that window. He’d been too busy trying to push past the limits imposed on him.

Mikleo sighed and dragged his gaze away, continuing around the curve of the cairns. He skirted the edge of the pit, glancing down into it. He winced at the sight of the scraggly grass at the bottom of the pit. He remembered having to work hard at the lighting scarred patch of grass to keep anything on it. Mikleo wasn’t sure if anything he had done had worked, but at least it hadn’t looked as sad and barren as it did now. That was another thing that would have to wait until later.

He swung closer to the cairns, reaching out to run his fingers over the edge of the nearest one. He looked ahead, making a count of them. It didn’t really matter, because he knew that there were fourteen. He had counted them out over the years, used the number over and over again as he had practiced his artes. Fourteen until he could rest. An arte done perfectly fourteen times in a row meant that he had mastered it. He had burned the number in his head so he wouldn’t forget what had happened.

Except there were fifteen now and he had nothing left to practice with.

Mikleo came to a stop at the next cairn, running his fingers over where a bit of stone had chipped off the memorial to Moymor. There were fifteen cairns with Sorey’s grave, but there needed to be sixteen. Kyme needed a memorial, and it hurt to realize that he had let that slide. He bit his lip, considering the layout of the cairns.

There was plenty of room where Sorey’s grave was, it was set apart at a distance from the others. It looked lonely.

Mikleo felt his heart clench at the thought, stepping away from Moymor’s cairn. He crossed the distance between the two cairns as quickly as he could, dropping to his knees by the side of the cairn.

He ran his hands over the three stones before resting them on the topmost one. “H-hey Sorey.”

He tipped his head to the side, wincing when he realize that he was waiting for a reply. He knew there wouldn’t be, but that didn’t stop him for pausing for one moment to wait for one. Mikleo took a deep breath, shaking his head. “I...I don’t know what to say. I’ve never stopped to do this because I know you’re not…there. But maybe it’s something for me or…I don’t know. Even still, I think I should at least tell you that I’m going to keep our bun. Because I can’t just stay up here for another eight years. I don’t think you would have wanted that. _I_ don’t want that. But I don’t know what I’m going to do. I…I only planned for those eighty years and we don’t get those anymore.”

Mikleo reached up to rub at his eyes, rocking back onto his heels to look at the grave. He meant to just let his gaze sweep over it, but his attention caught on the figure standing at the gate. His eyes widened as he recognized Natalie, Mikleo reaching down to bury his fingers in the grass to keep himself from jumping in surprise.

He had never thought that she would come up to the top of the mountain, he would have thought that she would have stayed away for her own safety. More than that, he was aware of how much a mess that he looked. Mikleo had only bothered to get dressed after Sorey died, and he hadn’t changed a thing afterward. Mikleo wasn’t even sure it mattered now because he was only beginning to figure out what he was going to do with all the centuries looming head of him. But Natalie wouldn’t see it that way, she would see the dirty and tattered clothes and the tears that were still running down his cheeks, and he didn’t know what conclusion she would come to.

Mikleo swallowed and started to push himself to his feet, having to reach out to steady himself on the cairn as he got his balance again. He looked away from Natalie to make sure that he had his feet under him, Mikleo breathing out slowly when he was sure that he was steady on his feet. He looked back towards his sister, his eyes widening as he saw her running towards him.

He stepped away from the grave, holding his arms in front of him. “Wait. You shouldn’t. The malevolence-”

He didn’t get to say anything else before Natalie rushed over to him. Mikleo tensed as she grabbed his wrists, surprised when she pulled him close and into a tight hug.

Mikleo tensed in her arms, staring at the blue of her blouse. He wanted to push away and trying to finish what he had been saying before. She couldn’t be up here, not with the malevolence that he was still putting out. Mikleo didn’t want to risk tainting her, because then he’d loose her too, and he couldn’t have that. He couldn’t lose anyone else or he was sure that he would go insane.

But it was impossible to push her away, not with the way that she was clutching him close and the familiar smell of rain. Mikleo leaned further into her, taking a deep breath before reaching up to clutch at her shoulders.

He sunk his fingers into the fabric of her blouse, taking another shaky breath before letting it go. He didn’t know what made him break again, the familiar scent of his sister or the steadying feeling of someone holding him. He hadn’t felt that since the morning that everything had gone wrong. The last time he had felt arms around him they’d been Sorey’s.

Mikleo chocked back a sob, shivering when he felt a hand through his hair. It skimmed over the back of his neck and down his back, Natalie repeating the motion even as she pulled him more tightly against her. Mikleo closed his eyes, clutching at Natalie just as tightly as he let the tears fall again.

He heard her make a gentle shushing sound, but that didn’t matter as much as the hand that was smoothing down his back and the gentle rocking motion that she had moved them both into. Mikleo pressed his face against her shoulder, feeling it shake against his forehead, but that didn’t stop the hand on his back or Natalie’s soft voice in his ear.

“Sh, it’s alright, Mikleo. You’re not alone anymore. I’m here. I’m here.”


	38. Chapter 35

“You will come of age with our young nation  
We’ll bleed and fight for you, we’ll make it right for you  
If we lay a strong enough foundation  
We’ll pass it on to you, we’ll give the world to you.”  
\- _Dear Theodosia_ , Hamilton

* * *

 

Boris twisted in front of the mirror, humming at the swish at the cloak behind him. He reached down to touch the side of it, swinging it back and forth before moving abruptly again. The motion brought the cloak around, Boris expecting it to tangle in his legs, but it stayed clear. He tipped his head to the side, studying the motion before twisting his upper body, testing to see where the cloak would catch or restrict him. To his surprise, it was loose and free moving, far better than he would have expected.

All of the depictions of Shepherds had always had them in a cloak flowing behind them. Boris had always loved the pictures as a child, because they had looked brave and mighty as they had purified all sorts of horrible creatures. When he had gotten older, he had thought that it was just a bit silly. The cloaks looked good, but they were bound to get in the way. Even the Platinum Knights didn’t wear their cloaks in battle. They were good for parades, but nothing more.

Still, this one moved well with him, staying out of the way of his feet despite its length. Boris moved again, twisting to look at how the cloak moved. It might flare out, but it was never too far and, anyone actually wanting to grab it would have to come in close.

Boris went still, watching as the cloak fell still again, giving his reflection in the mirror a nod. He sighed and turned back to look at the woman who was sitting nearby, giving her a smile. “It’s perfect, thank you.”

The woman blushed and shook her head. “Think nothing of it. I’m just glad to be able to help after everything the two of you have done for us here on the border. I haven’t heard a hellion in weeks.”

Boris played with the edge of his cloak. “We’re just doing our job.”

“And I’m doing mine.” The woman snapped her sewing basket shut, flashing him a smile. “Fixing a few seams and securing buttons just doesn’t seem to be much of a repayment.”

Boris shook his head, about to trying and find some way to convince her otherwise when Rose laughed from the other side of the room. He pivoted to face her, catching the grin that Rose had on her face.

She gave him a nod before pushing away from the wall. “You’ve been running around in that short little thing, and in the wrong colors too. No one knows what to make of a Shepherd with a black cloak.”

“It was a gift.”

“I’m not saying you can’t keep it.”

Boris narrowed his eyes at her before shrugging and looking back at himself in the mirror. He could see the way that she grinned at him, making sure to throw her a smile of his own.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like the cloak, if anything it made him feel more like a Shepherd. But the feeling was a little bit silly. He’d been acting as a Shepherd for a while now, cloak or not. After all, the people hadn’t had any problems identifying him, not after they saw him or any of the seraphim. None of that had happened with a cloak, but there was something about it that felt right.

He reached up to tug at the front of the cloak, getting it to settle comfortably on him. He carefully met Rose’s gaze, rolling his eyes at the satisfied look on her face. He didn’t doubt that she had already guessed his line of thought, she was good at reading people’s body language. Boris shook his head, turning to look at her properly even as she walked over to the woman.

Rose shook the woman’s hand. “It is repayment enough. It’s a historical piece that Her Royal Highness found in Ladylake. It had been tucked away for a while and she had been hoping that someone could restore it, even if Shepherd Boris didn’t want it.”

Boris huffed, cutting off a laugh. “I’m not going to turn it down.”

“I thought not.” Rose leaned down to exchange a few whispered words with the woman. Boris didn’t try to listen in, too busy fixing the cloak to sit right before giving up.

He was just messing with it because he was unused to the way it felt. It would be better to let it hang off his shoulders for a while and see how it adjusted. Already he could tell that it was lighter than the cloak that he had borrowed from Andrei. That one had been more for protecting against rain or cold weather. This one made it less likely he would be overheated. That alone was something in its favor, because he would need what maneuverability he could get when he was dealing with hellions.

Boris rolled his shoulders, taking a step back when Rose moved away from the woman. He took the moment to give her a smile of his own, giving her a nod. “Thank you.”

The woman waved him off with a blush, Boris giving her another nod before slipping out of the house behind Rose. She was quick to stretch as soon as they were out of the house, Rose lifting her arms above her head.

Boris’ gaze lingered on her cloak, his eyes drawn to the patterns on it. They weren’t as sharply defined as the one on his own, more rounded and curved, but there was no mistaking what both of them were. They were a group, immediately recognizable, just like the uniforms of the Platinum Knights had been, and that was comforting.

He played with portion of the cloak that fell over his arm, running his fingers over the stitching that the woman had done before dropping it. Boris glanced back over his shoulder at where the town ended in the rolling hills of the border. His gaze strayed up towards the mountains before he shook his head.

He’d been up and around those mountains enough in the past few months, chasing down hellions and past battlefields. The border had always been the place of the worst fighting, even when Rolance and Hyland hadn’t officially been at war. Considering that and the way that the last battles of the war had been, it was no wonder that the hills and forests were full of hellions. It was a wonder that small villages like Lunete had survived so long.

Or maybe it wasn’t a miracle. Boris looked over at the nearest house, picking out the unseasoned wood and evidence of recent building. If anything, it was a village that had moved to a safer spot sometime recently. Boris could imagine them moving along the border to avoid the army and the hellions, or towards the center of the kingdom. The latter would put a significant strain on Rolance’s resources.

He frowned as he puzzled over the question, trying to follow the movements of the people and connect them to the problems that he had noticed in Rolance around the same time. He was interrupted from his thoughts by a loud whistle, Boris turning slightly and raising an eyebrow as he saw Zaveid leaning against one of the houses.

The seraph grinned at him before whistling again, ignoring the mortified look that Uno gave him. Zaveid laughed and clapped. “Looking good, Sheps!”

Boris gave him a lazy salute, looking over the seraphim that were waiting for them. Melody and Lailah looked on the verge of laugher and Dezel had the same blank expression on his face. Boris glanced over at Rose, hoping that she would be able to give him a clue. She could read Dezel far better than any of them.

Rose didn’t give him any help, she just stretched her neck gently from side to side before looking back at him. She looked him up and down before nodding. “Zaveid is right, you look good. More like a Shepherd now.”

“And I wasn’t before?”

Rose raised her eyebrow, Boris carefully holding his expression neutral. She considered him a moment more before shrugging. “Consider this your graduation.”

Boris huffed, unable to keep the laugh from escaping. “That’s all it takes? Four months fighting hellions on old battlefields?”

“It’s a bit of a trial by fire. And you passed. Even if you did get stuck in armatus.”

Boris winced at the reminder. “Once.”

“ _Twice_.”

“The second one didn’t count.”

Rose narrowed her eyes at him, glaring at him for a moment before shrugging. “You’ve improved. I’ll give you that.”

Boris felt the corner of his mouth twitch up, but he managed to hold his expression still. It was always like this with Rose, and it was nice because it was just like he was back with the Platinum Knights. Besides, she was probably one of the few people that didn’t immediately stare at him in awe. She understood what it meant to be a Shepherd, to feel the weight of malevolence and have seraphim talking in your head at all times. It had been nice to work the border with her.

He took a deep breath, trying to think of something to fire back at her when a child came running up the street towards them. Boris watched her stumble when she noticed the two of them. Boris watched as her eyes went wide, her head jerking around to look at the seraphim. She squeaked when Melody waved at her, curling into herself and gave her a shy wave back.

Rose dropped into a crouch, Boris watching as the girl jerked back in surprise. He was sure that Rose gave her a smile by the way she relaxed, but he didn’t dare to move too much closer. The girl would probably clam up at the sight of two Shepherds, and it was better to stay back. If she had been running for them, then it was probably important.

Rose pointed over at the seraphim, the girl following the motion. “They’re Lailah and Melody, and beside them are Dezel, Zaveid and Uno.”

“Hello.” The word was barely a whisper, the girl’s attention quickly jerking back to Rose as she spoke again.

“I’m Rose and he’s Boris.”

The girl looked up at him with wide eyes, her fingers twitching in a wave. Boris waved back, not surprised that she abruptly looked down at the ground. The girl nudged at something out of his line of sight with her shoe, speaking to it rather than at him or Rose. “T-there are people approaching in red. Mama said to come and get you, because it was important.”

“Thank you.” Rose patted the top of her head and stood up, turning to look at Boris. She raised an eyebrow, Boris nodding at her.

It wasn’t anything that they weren’t expecting, they had lingered along the border on a specific request from the delegates at Lastonbell, not that they had needed too much convincing. Battlefields were soaked in malevolence. Both it and the bodies that had been buried were bound to attract hellions. They hadn’t been able to clear all of it, but they had managed to work their way east from Lastonbell until they had reached Lunete before the rider from Hyland had come with the latest news.

Boris turned to wave at the seraphim, all five of them coming over. The sight of them moving must have been enough to startle the young girl because she scuttled away. Boris watched her go, but he didn’t try to call her back. They would be joining the rest of the village soon enough. Boris couldn’t imagine anyone in Lunete wanting to miss out on this. It was historical, the first exchange between two countries after peace had been officially declared.

He turned slightly as Zaveid, Uno and Melody fell into step around him. He glanced around, searching through the houses and small streets for a glimpse of a dark coat. Boris frowned when he couldn’t immediately find Eizen, but it wasn’t a strange thing. More often than not, he was off with Edna, the two of them catching up on lost time. Boris glanced at Zaveid, noting the way that the seraph was looking around as well. Zaveid didn’t looked too worried, which was reassurance enough. Besides, he could feel the steady connection to the seraph.

Boris gave the connection a tug, feeling a burst of annoyance but then it was gone. Eizen’s attention was caught, and that’s all Boris could do.

They came around to the town square, Boris glancing over at the villagers that had gathered to watch. He sighed in relief when he saw that they were out in the open. There were a few villagers who were standing on the porches, but they looked more like they had gone there to get a better view above the heads of the others than a way to hide. It meant that none of them felt threatened. It anything they were excited for what was happening, which was good news.

He turned his attention to the two groups that were meeting in the town square, Boris easily picking his brother out of the bunch. Sergei was the tallest and the only one in the red of the kingdom. All the others weren’t wearing the colors of the kingdom, but they were carrying banners. Then again, it wasn’t more than what the Hyland side had brought with them. Clem was wearing the blue of Hyland without her armor, and she seemed completely relaxed. Then again, she’d had a few days to wait around Lunete after delivering the cloak.

Boris reached down to play with the edge of his cloak, stopping himself abruptly when Sergei glanced his way. He saw his brother’s face light up in a smile.

Sergei held out his arm, gesturing towards them. “The Shepherds.”

Boris tried not to flinch as the attention turned to him. It was still his gut reaction to shrink back and hide in the crowd. He could see more from there and keep an eye on things. But he couldn’t do it anymore, part of his job was to interact with the people. Boris took a deep breath and started to make his way through the crowd, relieved that they moved away from him. They were quick to close in behind him and Rose, the people reaching out to touch their cloaks and to reach out for the seraphim. Uno flinched back against him, but Melody and Zaveid reached out to interact with them. Boris didn’t dare look back to see what Rose was doing, not that he thought that Dezel would do anything to interact with the people.

He looked back at where Clem and Sergei were standing, pushing through the last of the villagers and stepping to the side to allow for Rose to move up beside him. Boris scanned over the crowd, finding many of them looking back with awe and joy. It was everything that he had wanted to come out of the peace.

Boris relaxed a fraction, his gaze flicking over to where the people were moving away again, sighing when he saw Edna and Eizen moving through the crowd. Eizen hovered close to his sister, practically herding her over towards where Rose was. Edna didn’t seem to notice or mind, her gaze just scanned over the Hyland party before jumping to Sergei. Boris was surprised at the fond smile that Edna gave him. He’d seen Edna happy and amused, but not fond like this. He was even more surprised when Sergei nodded at her as she walked past.

He raised an eyebrow as his brother looked back at him. Sergei just shrugged, Boris not quite satisfied with the answer. They had gotten time to talk during in Lastonbell, even with how much Sergei had thrown himself back into his old role of general of the Platinum Knights. A lot of that time had been used in catching up or talking about the future. Some of it had been devoted to speaking about what had happened before and after Sorey had been killed, but Sergei had never bothered to go into any detail and Boris had never pushed. It hadn’t seemed like the right time to do it. Besides, more questions wouldn’t have helped any, it wouldn’t have changed the situation at all. Still, it didn’t stop him from wanting to know more about what happened to his brother while they had been separated.

He didn’t get too much of a chance to push his brother for more, because Sergei nodded at Clem before stepping aside. “Dame Clem, His Royal Highness Vanya Kuznetsov welcomes you to Rolance. He apologizes that he could not meet you himself, but business has kept him in Pendrago. He sent this escort with his blessing.”

Sergei bowed at the end of his small speech, Boris glancing over at Clem in time to catch her wide-eyed look. Clem recovered quickly, the woman shaking her head before giving her own bow to Sergei. “Thank you, General. I extend Her Royal Highness, Alisha Dipha’s welcome to Hyland and her own apologies. I think she may be busy working at the same problems that your king is.”

Sergei seemed taken aback by the casual turn, Boris smirking at the way that his brother seemed to stumble over his words for a moment before Sergei nodded. “I believe that they are.”

Clem reached out to shake his hand, Boris tipping his head to the side when she lingered over the touch for a moment before moving off. Boris expected Sergei to stop her and insist on something more than the brief greeting. There were probably protocols to go through, which Sergei would stick to if he could, because the moment was important. Considering everything, Sergei would be more eager to stick to the proper form of things because it was Vanya’s first year of ruling. A certain amount of ceremony could instill confidence, and he couldn’t imagine why Sergei would avoid it, unless there was a schedule that he didn’t know about. And, if there was, that ruined what he had been planning.

Boris twisted to look at Rose, watching her mouth twist downward, but she didn’t move beyond that. She just moved her hand, signaling for him to stay put.

The signal was almost enough to make him roll his eyes, but he didn’t do anything. It was better to wait out Clem and Sergei’s careful diplomatic dance and then get filling in on the plans that they had missed. In the meantime, that left them with a question.

Boris leaned back slightly, looking over at where Edna and Eizen were standing close to each other. He saw Zaveid starting to move towards them out of the corner of his eye, but Boris ignored him for now. Zaveid wasn’t the problem, Boris was sure of him. It was Eizen that he wasn’t so sure about.

He knew the reason that Eizen had made the pact with him in the first place was to find his sister. Boris hadn’t argued with it because he had understood. He might not have been able to imagine how it felt to not know if your sibling was trapped and being used or safe, but he knew the desperation to make sure that they were alright. It had been the reason he had agreed to become the Shepherd in the first place, the need to make sure Sergei and the rest of the Platinum Knights were alright. Boris wasn’t naïve enough to believe that their reasons had changed. He might have decided to stay with his position, but that didn’t mean that Eizen would change his mind.

Glenwood needed another Shepherd, Boris had seen that much. There were far too many hellions and the malevolence was so thick that sometimes it still took him aback. It didn’t matter that Rose was already a Shepherd, it was more than she could handle on her own. It was certainly more than he felt comfortable turning his back on. Besides, he knew the rest of the Platinum Knights; he knew that they would do their best to support the new king. He knew his brother and he knew Vanya. They might need someone to be their eyes and ears, but he wasn’t irreplaceable in that position.

Boris sighed, looking down at Eizen and Edna’s hands. They were standing close to each other, but it was hard to see their faces. Boris could just imagine what they were thinking.

He and Rose had tried to keep them together as long as they could, because it wasn’t fair to tear them apart. It still wasn’t. Boris didn’t know about Rose, but he had no intention of holding Eizen beyond his promise. If he wanted to go back home, Boris wouldn’t stop him. He would just have to find another earth seraph, although he wasn’t quite sure how he would manage that. He couldn’t think of another seraph that would want to leave the safety of Lohgrin to put themselves in danger.

He frowned, turning the thought over in his head. He was trying to remember any of the earth seraphim he had taken up to Lohgrin, but their names and faces were eluding him. Boris sighed, jumping when he felt an elbow dig into his side. He glanced over at Zaveid, settling at the nod that the seraph gave him.

Boris sighed, about to ask Zaveid if he had any advice when the meeting of the two groups broke up completely. He glanced over to watch as Clem walked into the mixture of guards and Platinum Knights, Boris relaxing a fraction when he heard her greeting most of them by name. A few on the Hyland side called out for Sergei as well.

Sergei raised his hand to wave at a few of them, but he didn’t immediately go to them. He turned and started towards Rose and Boris, the villagers moving further back. Boris glanced around at them, not surprised that they started to drift away. The villagers probably wanted to see something with more pomp and circumstance, and they also were probably a bit wary of the soldiers. Still, they weren’t running, and a few were lingering to watch. Fewer still were starting to talk to the soldiers, which was a good start. Boris was content with leaving it at that, because it was a good starting place.

He turned his attention to Sergei, smiling at his brother. Sergei was a bit slow to smile back, Boris picking up the hints of discomfort. He frowned, about to start running down the usual list of things that Sergei was wont to do when he was stressed when both Zaveid and Rose perked up. Boris glanced back at Zaveid, surprised when the seraph shook his head and retreated. Zaveid shot him a significant look, Boris rolling his eyes and taking a deep breath.

It took him a moment to sort through the scents, Boris groaning when he finally figured out what he was searching for. It was no wonder that Zaveid and Rose had reacted first, because he wasn’t keyed into his brother’s scent like that. He was used to his brother’s intermittent heats, used to the slow build up and, most of the time, the way they quickly petered off into nothing. When they did come, it was just a matter of making sure his brother had food and water, and then leaving him to his own personal business.

Boris sighed and glared at Sergei, sure that his brother just ignored it. He wasn’t surprised, not with the way that Sergei stopped in front of Rose, giving her a fond smile. It was only then that Sergei turned to look at him.

Sergei’s eyes widened as he took him in, his brother laughing and reaching out to pat his shoulder. “You’re looking more like a Shepherd every day.”

Boris glanced down at the cloak before he shrugged. “And you look like you’ve settled back in your role of general, lack of sleep and all.”

Sergei made an impatient motion, one that Boris was used to. He sighed and shook his head. It was obvious that he was being told to mind his own business, but this wasn’t a matter of politics. This was a family matter and being a Shepherd would never prevent him from taking care of that. “Is Vanya running you too hard?”

His brother glared at him for a moment, probably just for pushing when Sergei would have rather him be quiet. Knowing his brother, he wanted to keep what he’d been doing quiet and just get on with business. Boris understood that, he even understood wanting to hurry things along in case his heat would actually bear out this time. And Boris intended to let him do that, just as soon as he was sure that his brother was alright. He didn’t intend to let Sergei work himself to death.

Sergei stood under his glare before shaking his head. “Vanya and I both are. It’s nothing catastrophic.” The last was directed towards Rose before Sergei continued. “It’s always the little things. We figured out the major problems rather quickly, but it’s just constant shuffling now. There’s always something new being sent to me or Parliament. It’s just a matter of waiting for it all to settle.”

He leaned close to Rose for a moment before seeming to realize where he was. Sergei swallowed and took a step back, Boris watching it all carefully. Considering everything, it was a good idea to send Sergei off. Knowing his brother, Sergei would just work himself through his heat to keep the kingdom running. It was enough to make Boris want to take a turn through Rolance, just to see what he could hear. But that wasn’t his job anymore, at least not entirely. From the way that Sergei was talking about the problems, it was still at a governmental level, and not getting down to the people. Yet.

Boris sighed, shaking his head when Zaveid touched his shoulder. It was nothing to worry about, at least not for them and not at this moment. Vanya would be working hard to keep Rolance in line, and he had the Platinum Knights with him. From the way that Sergei was talking about their scrambling, everyone was working together, which was far better than it had been before.

He looked back over at where Sergei and Rose were standing, raising his eyebrow at the way that Sergei was slowly drifting towards Rose. It was obvious that Rose was interested, and just as obvious that Sergei was too. It was almost enough to make him laugh and want to send them on their way. It would be better to get Sergei to Ladylake before anything happened, and with plenty of time to get him settled.

Boris scratched the edge of his jaw, sighing when his gaze drifted back over to Eizen and Edna. If he was going to send Sergei off, then the problem of the earth seraphim would have to be solved sooner rather than later. It had been one thing to bow to Rose’s less than subtle hints that he needed more training when the peace treaty was being concluded, but another thing to do so now. It was obvious to anyone who looked that Rose wanted to go elsewhere and that he no longer needed someone to help him on the border. He didn’t want to tell them to make their decision now, but it was looking like they would have to.

He turned to look at Rose, freezing when he saw Eizen pull Edna into a hug. He swallowed, barely having to do anything before Zaveid was moving away from him. The motion must have caught Rose’s attention because she turned too, Boris watching her eyes widen. He saw her mouth form the word ‘Oh’ before she stepped towards them. Boris wanted to move forward too, but he felt a hand catch his arm. He turned his head, watching as Melody came up to lean her head against his arm. He was aware of Uno coming up on his other side, but the water seraph didn’t reach out for him. Instead, Uno stood at a respectful distance, watching the two of them.

Zaveid reached the two of them first, the wind seraph reaching out to touch Eizen’s arm only to jerk his hand back when Eizen turned to look at him. Eizen looked at Zaveid for a moment before shaking his head. “Give me a moment.”

Zaveid looked back at them, Boris taking in the desperate look on his face. He cleared his throat, ignoring the shocked look on Sergei’s face. “Eizen, you don’t have to-”

“He doesn’t, but I do.” Edna looked up, not bothering to extract herself from Eizen’s arms. If anything, she hugged him more tightly for a moment before relaxing her hold again. “Things are going to get better, which means he’s going to get bored.”

Eizen huffed, shaking his head. “I won’t-”

“You will. You have the urge to wander as bad as any wind seraph.” There were protests from both the wind seraphim, but Edna didn’t seem to hear them. She just smiled up at Eizen, rocking up onto her tiptoes to pat her brother’s cheek. “And you’ll get jumpy about your curse soon enough.”

Eizen grumbled for a moment before sighing and stepping back. That seemed to be enough for Edna, because she swung her umbrella up onto her shoulder. The plush toy on it swung freely, Boris watching as Eizen leaned down to squint at it. Edna held her umbrella still for a moment before shifting her hold so the plush toy slid over her shoulder. “Besides, if he’s going to wander I want to at least know where he is. That way he could actually write for once.”

Eizen was still sputtering protests, ones that Edna ignored in favor of edging around him to look at Sergei. She narrowed her eyes at him, Boris surprised to see Sergei just smiling in the wake of the glare. Even more surprising, was the way that Edna gave with a soft smile of her own.

She swung her umbrella off her shoulder, pointing it at Sergei. “And, I have someone who can vouch for this Shepherd. Do you trust him, Sergei?”

“Yes.” The answer came without hesitation, Boris smiling at his brother.

When he looked back at Edna, she was smiling at well, although she was quick to smooth her face into a neutral expression. She pivoted on her heel to point the umbrella at him. It was probably supposed to be intimidating, but it was easy to hold his ground, especially since he had gotten to know Edna. She was usually more bark than bite, and this seemed to be one of those moments.

Boris stared down the umbrella before nodding. He wasn’t sure if it was the response that Edna was looking for, but she nodded anyway. The umbrella flicked away from him, settling back on her shoulder with ease.

Edna gave him a long look before nodding and taking a step back. “I’ll hold him to that then. Letters, meetings, no going out of contact.”

Boris saluted. “Yes, Lady Edna.”

She gave him a smile before turning on her heel. “You hear that, Eizen? I’ve got people watching you now. No more sneaking off with pirates and leaving me to wait.”

Eizen seeming to stumbled through a few words before shaking his head. “You haven’t even asked me what I’m doing.”

“So what are you doing? I intend to keep working with Rose. I promised her and Michael that I would help with the malevolence, and there’s still work to do.”

That was obviously not the answer that Eizen had been looking for because he frowned. He shot a glance over at Lailah and Rose, the seraph taking a deep breath before letting it out as a long sigh. The sound was enough to bring Edna back to his side, Edna patting his arm. “Don’t worry, he’ll take care of you. He wouldn’t want to let Sergei down.”

There was an obvious threat in her words, one that Boris could only shrug in the face of. It wasn’t a satisfying response, he could see that from Eizen’s face, but he was something that Boris couldn’t see a way out of.

Eizen seemed to come to the same conclusion, the earth seraph sighing again before nodding. “I don’t like it, because I’ll worry about you.”

“You always do.”

Eizen ruffled her hair, continuing on as if she hadn’t interrupted him and as if Edna wasn’t patting her hair back into order. “But I trust Lailah and Rose. They’ve taken care of you so far, and I owe them for that. But I can’t let you leave without this.”

He rooted around his pocket before pulling out the pendant. Boris recognized it from the few times he had seen Eizen staring at it, the white stone and its black hardware dangling from his between his fingers. The only changes came from the small yellow and purple gems that had been shaped into flowers that dangled on either side of the white pendant and the ribbon that ran through all of them. Boris was used to the plainer black ribbon, but it had been exchanged for a soft green one.

Boris didn’t get too long of a look at it, Eizen holding it up. He looked back at Edna as she gasped, watching as the seraph reached up to touch her neck. Her eyes went wide, her voice going soft and quiet. “Where did you get that?”

“I found it and I’ve kept it.” Eizen knelt down to tie the ribbon around her neck, Edna holding still as he worked. “I meant to give it to you earlier, but I found the Amentrine somewhere on the border. And I had to find the perfect ribbon, since the old one broke.”

Edna made a strangled sound that could have been a whimper, but it was quickly cut off. Even then it didn’t seem to be worrying enough for Eizen to linger over it, because he stood up. He reached down to rest his hands on her shoulders. “Is it alright?”

Edna looked down at her pendant, reaching down to touch it. She traced around the white stone before touching the carefully carved gem flowers. Edna played with one for a moment before looking up at him with a smile. “It’s perfect.”

She played with the flowers for a moment more before she reached behind her back. Boris couldn’t tell if Edna was reaching into a pouch or into her umbrella itself, he couldn’t get a good enough look before Edna pulled out a bracelet.

Edna turned it over in her hands, running her fingers over the top where the gem had been polished and carved into a diamond pattern. She held it close for a moment before grabbing Eizen’s arm and sliding it onto his wrist. “I found Amentrine too.”

Eizen lifted his wrist away, twisting his arm to make the bracelet move before he laughed. He ruffled Edna’s hair again, Edna reaching up to grab his arm. Boris didn’t see which one of them pulled the other into a hug, but the sight of it made him relax.

Boris rocked back onto his heels, turning his head when someone bumped up against him. He gave Sergei a smile, throwing an arm over his brother’s shoulder. He pulled Sergei close, enjoying his brother’s presence. They would be going their separate ways soon enough, Sergei to Ladylake and he would probably continue to make his way down the border. There were still battlefields to clear, something that would go more slowly with only one Shepherd, but he wouldn’t call Rose away, not when they’d been hearing rumors of larger hellions around Ladylake and beyond. That was perhaps better handled by Rose, if only because she knew the area better than he did.

He squeezed Sergei’s shoulder, looking over at him. “You going to be alright?”

Sergei rolled his eyes, which was enough of an answer for Boris. Sergei was sure to protest if he kept pushing, and Boris trusted him. It was certainly telling enough that Sergei had stepped away from his work. Knowing his brother, Sergei would have wanted to stay until everything was settled, or until he was sure whether or not his heat would appear or not. That he had come showed how important this was to him. That and the more personal factors.

Boris shot a glance at Rose before dropping his arm from Sergei’s shoulders. It still took a nudge forward for Sergei to step away. There was something startling in the way that Sergei didn’t bother to look back. Boris stared after him before shaking his head. Sergei had enough on his mind without his little brother bothering him at all times.

He sighed, watching as Sergei fell back into orbit around Rose, the two of them striking up a conversation. From the way that Rose was smirking, she was going to start ribbing him soon which, while it would be interesting to watch, was not something for him.

He took a step back, not surprised when Melody and Uno formed up around him. A quick glance at Zaveid and Eizen showed that they were still caught up with Edna. He was not about to interrupt them, not when the three of them would be parted again.

Boris hummed and turned to look back at Clem and Sergei’s escort. Despite their rushed ceremony, Boris doubted that they would be leaving immediately. They would probably leave in the morning, after doing everything to show that things were going well between the two kingdoms.

Boris didn’t think that it was a lie, things were starting to settle. He didn’t know if it was because of the peace treaty or what he and Rose were managing to do. Maybe it was both. Boris didn’t care as long as it worked.

He smiled to himself, seeing bright specks of Hyland blue among Rolance’s red. It was something he had dreamed of seeing. He sighed, giving the group one last long look before shaking his head. Rose and Sergei would be caught up with each other and would stay that way for a while. Boris was sure that it would be the same with Eizen, Edna and Zaveid, which left him on his own. There was no reason he should sit on the edge of everything, he could enjoy himself and catch up on the news from both kingdom.

Boris stepped forward, surprised that Melody and Uno came with him. The two of them had gotten better around humans, but they had never actively sought them out. He looked at both of them, searching their faces for any signs of discomfort. Melody looked as bubbly as always and Uno was just lagging a bit behind, watching all of them carefully but without fear. Boris raised an eyebrow, slowly down to give them time to speak up about heading back, but Melody just breezed past him, calling out to some of the Platinum Knights that she knew. They looked surprised to see her, but they were quick to make room, Clem even turning and waving him over.

He smiled, lifting a hand to wave back. He was surprised by the way that most of the Hyland escort smiled and waved back at him as well. He glanced down at his cloak, staring at the black and white pattern. He jerked his head up when he heard Melody laugh, watching as she slid herself in between Fyodor and Andrei, the two of them immediately turning to pull her into the conversation.

Boris came to a stop, looking at the group. It was Hyland and Rolance and seraphim. It was everything that everyone had said was impossible. Boris was well aware that it was only a small group, and that most of these soldiers had worked with Rose and the seraphim with her, but it was a start. There was no denying that. It was everything that they worked for, something that Sorey would have been happy to see.

His smiled softly to himself, running his fingers along the edge of his cloak. He lingered over it a moment more before walking towards the group. He intended to catch up with his friends and on the news from around Glenwood. Then, as soon as the celebrations for the nights started, he would spend time with his brother before Sergei left for Hyland. And then, come morning, he and the seraphim would get back to work. Until then, he wanted to be among the people, celebrating the small victories.

* * *

Natalie paused at the top of the trail up the mountain, staring up at the old gates that marked the entrance to Elysia. She couldn’t see anything changed about them, save for the fading of the paint. But it was what she couldn’t see that made her stop.

Mikleo’s domain rested heavily over the mountain, Natalie swallowing at the pressure that came with it. She could feel her own domain straining to fight against Mikleo’s, but she knew that it would lose out. It had taken her all this time to even get a domain to speak of, and it was just wide enough to cover Camlann and the old shrine. Natalie had been working on stretching it out further, but it was a slow process, even with the boost she got from having a pure vessel to reside in. Rose had insisted on keeping their sub-lord pact intact, as a safety measure. Despite that she was still recovering from the time that she had been bound to a weapon, and it was far slower that she anticipated.

When she had volunteered to stay behind as the nominal Lord of the Land, she thought the whole process would move faster. She was no longer using the energy that she gained back to help purify hellions but she had greatly underestimated how much establishing her domain would take out of her. It probably hadn’t helped that she had been chasing away hellions and purifying some of them. If she had the powers through her pact with Rose, then there was no reason to hold back on them, even if the Shepherd wasn’t with her.

Natalie turned away from the gates to look out back towards Camlann. She could feel something that she associated with Rose, although Natalie wasn’t sure if she was imagining it. She was sure that she felt the malevolence starting to lighten, especially along the border. It made her want to explore outwards herself, but she didn’t want to risk it. If Rose was sweeping up the mess at the border, then the hellions that decided to run would be streaming her way, attracted to Mikleo’s domain. The very idea made her bristle.

She wasn’t worried about herself. She would be able to take care of herself, Natalie was sure about that. It was Mikleo that she was worried about.

He was alone on top of the mountain by his own insistence. Natalie wished that she could argue against his decision, but he was right to want to keep her away. His domain was strong and the malevolence in it practically all consuming. She was able to stand it for short amounts of time, but she couldn’t stay all day. Sooner or later, the malevolence would start to make her feel sick and woozy, even with her vessel. And then she would have to leave him alone at the top of the mountain.

Her stomach twisted at the thought, Natalie turning to look back at the gates. She understood why Mikleo wanted to keep her away, but she didn’t like leaving him up there. He’d be alone, and she didn’t like that thought. There had been too many times when she had found him ghosting among the stones on the other side of the gate. It wasn’t a good way to leave him, especially with the amount of malevolence that he had. It didn’t matter that he had never looked as broken down as the one time she had found him, leaving Mikleo in Elysia was not the ideal situation. Loneliness and isolation would only make everything worse.

She bit her lip, letting it go a moment later with a long sigh. There was nothing more she could do about that aside from pushing herself further. She had to until her own domain was enough to finally push against Mikleo’s. Maybe then she would be able to dampen the malevolence in the area enough that her brother would be safe. If she worked fast enough then she might be able to help the baby as well.

Mikleo hadn’t talked about the baby much, but he didn’t seem to be ignoring it entirely which had to be a good sign. Then again, it was hard to read him.

The Mikleo she remembered had been bright and curious, always looking into things and asking questions. This Mikleo was something different, one changed by malevolence and years spent alone. He hadn’t been bound to a weapon that she knew of, but he had been changed just as surely. It made her miss the little seraph that she had known and wish that she was able to do something more than spend a few hours with him.

Natalie took a deep breath, bracing herself even as she stepped into Mikleo’s domain. It hit her just as strongly as ever, Natalie swaying a bit on her feet. She paused for a moment trying to gauge its strength. It was hard when she was in and out of Mikleo’s domain every day. It was good that it wasn’t getting stronger, because that meant that Mikleo was a little bit better than before. Natalie wished that the thought was enough to make her feel better.

What Mikleo needed was to be purified before his own malevolence became too much for the blessings on his circlet to hold back or before everything became too much and he just gave in himself. Natalie was sure that they had come close to the latter, especially with the way she had found him that first time, sobbing and holding onto Sorey’s grave. It was enough to frighten her to the core, especially since she had considered not going up to the top of the mountain that day. After all, she wouldn’t have been able to do anything to get rid of the malevolence and the thick fog of it had been enough to make her sick back then. But, if she hadn’t, then maybe she would have lost Mikleo.

Natalie shivered and started walking again. She couldn’t lose Mikleo, not after everyone else had gone. But, to make sure that didn’t happen, she would need to get him to talk. She needed to know what he wanted to do, because they were running out of time. It was only a matter of time before the malevolence became too much, or the baby came. Natalie sighed, tapping her fingers against her legs as she walked. She gave up a moment later with a shake of her head.

She didn’t have enough information about the pregnancy to make a judgment. She just knew that it was Sorey’s and it was something that they didn’t talk about. Natalie had tried to bring up the subject a couple of times, but Mikleo had always reacted by changing the topic or just refusing to answer her questions. It was frustrating, and something that she was not going to let stand for much longer. Mikleo needed to talk to her before he put himself in a dangerous situation.

It was enough to make her wish that Melody was with her.

Natalie felt the corner of her mouth twitch out. It wasn’t that Melody and Mikleo had gotten along better, it was just that the two of them could approach him in different ways. Between the two of them they might have been able to get an answer, or something to work with. Instead, Melody was away in Lohgrin. Natalie didn’t begrudge her the safety, but she missed her sister terribly.

She rubbed her hands against her arms before nodding to herself. She wouldn’t allow Mikleo to dodge around her questions today, because this was something important. Time was still moving steadily by and the peace between the two kingdoms had to be established by now. It was only a matter of time before Rose came back to check in on things, and Natalie needed to know if Mikleo was going to allow himself to be purified by then. She was not about to leave him on the top of the mountain by himself, not after what she had seen. He needed to have something around him other than stones.

He needed to know that none of them were coming back.

Natalie swallowed, holding onto the thought for a moment before letting it go. She took a deep breath, centering herself in the middle of Mikleo’s domain. Here it was easier to let those thoughts sweep her along, but she couldn’t allow that either. If she was lost, then it wouldn’t just be Mikleo who would be lost, but there was a chance that she could pull Rose and the others with her. Natalie shivered at the thought before pushing it away too. She couldn’t allow herself to slip into that kind of mindset. It was only the siren call of Mikleo’s domain and nothing more.

She tipped her head back slightly, walking forward into the domain. It felt like she was slogging against the current of a river, but it was getting slightly easier to cut through it. Natalie smiled to herself, glad at least for some kind of proof. She was getting stronger, strong enough to push against her brother’s domain. If she kept growing like this then she finally might be able to block it out, although beyond that she wasn’t sure what she could to. Still, it was a start, and she was always willing to try something. She was willing to try anything to help her family.

Natalie looked at the gates, seeking out Mikleo. He didn’t confine himself to the area behind the gates all the time, she had sometimes seen him wandering across the rest of the mountain, following the old trails that had been carved out by the people who had built the gates, the ruin on the side of the mountain, and then the seraphim. But even that was a rarity, Mikleo was usually back behind the gates among the cairns. Natalie frowned at the thought before pushing it aside. Mikleo would have to be coaxed out, which could only happen once she got her own domain stronger or if she could get him to talk about the baby. This much malevolence couldn’t be good for it.

She realized that she was biting her lip again when she tasted blood. Natalie made a face and let go of her lip, slowing down the closer she got to the gates. She couldn’t see Mikleo, but that wasn’t too rare. There was a chance that he could be roaming somewhere, or working among the cairns out of her line of sight. But he should appear soon, he would have felt her enter his domain. If anything, he was just finishing up whatever had occupied his attention.

Natalie cocked her head to the side, trying see if she could catch a glimpse of him moving among the cairns. When she didn’t catch sight of him, she pivoted to look at the trees. It hard harder to get a clear line of sight through them, but Natalie couldn’t imagine Mikleo wandering too far.

There was the start of a river in the forest and the ruins, but she couldn’t imagine Mikleo going into the ruins. He hadn’t seemed to have an interest in them since coming back. Nor could she think of a reason to go down to the river, not when both of them had hauled up the rocks for Kyme’s cairn weeks ago.

She stopped just short of the gate, looking around as she tried to calm down her growing worry. Mikleo wouldn’t have gone anywhere without telling her. She couldn’t think of a place that he would _want_ to go. Elysia was his home.

And he couldn’t have become a dragon, she would have felt it, both when it would have happened and when she had stepped into his domain. Nothing had caught her attention before, not even a strong hellion crossing into her own domain. A hellion hadn’t tried to push towards her in weeks. That left her with nothing that made sense, because Mikleo had to know that she was here. He had always rushed to meet her, but it had never taken this long.

She ignored the insistent voice in the back of her head that was telling her that a hellion had gotten to him or that he had become a dragon. That was nothing but the pull of malevolence acting on her, bogging her down in panic. Natalie swallowed, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Mikleo!”

She paused, waiting for his reply. Natalie turned at the sound of a whimper, staring at the forest. She narrowed her eyes, taking a few cautious steps in the direction of the forest. She waited for it to repeat, perking up at a similar sound only to relax when the noise turned into the call of an Elysalark. Natalie tipped her head back, watching the bright orange and cream bird burst out of the trees and fly away into the sky. She didn’t bother to follow its flight path, taking another step forward to shout into the forest. “Mikleo!”

Silence fell around her, Natalie taking deep breaths against the rising panic. Mikleo was here, he had to be. There was nowhere else he could gone, nowhere else that he would want to go. That just left only one option; that someone had taken him.

The idea made a shiver run up her spine, Natalie clutching at her arms as she took deep breaths. The war was over. Even if one human had wanted to try to continue, Natalie was sure that no one was making seraphic weapons anymore. That would have been the first thing that Alisha and the new ruler of Rolance stopped. But that didn’t rule out that people would still try. There were bound to be people who wanted the war to continue, because that’s what people were like.

But she would have felt it if it happened. If there was one thing that Natalie would remember for the rest of her life, it was the feeling of a seraph being bound. She was sure she would have felt it if someone had taken Mikleo away.

She stared out at the forest before turning on her heel, about to call out for Mikleo again when she heard the whimper, the same sound that she had heard before. Natalie paused for a moment before breaking into a jog. “Mikleo?”

“Natalie!”

She breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Mikleo’s voice, but her relief was brief. He didn’t sound right, his voice strangely muffled and quiet. It didn’t calm her panic any, Natalie flashing through a thousand things that could be going wrong.

With the way that Mikleo had been going around the top of the mountain it was possible that he had ended up hurting himself. The cairn dedicated to Zenrus was in a pit and something that Mikleo was constantly fussing over. He could have hurt himself by falling in. Or it could be something worse. Just because she hadn’t felt Mikleo turn into a dragon didn’t meant that he wasn’t. No matter which it was, there was no question that Mikleo needed her help.

“Mikleo? Where are you?” She sprinted through the gates as she spoke, her gaze fixing on the pit that marked Zenrus’ last stand. She fully expected to see a hand sticking up from it. But there was nothing.

Natalie started to turn to scan the rest of the cairns, intending to start with Sorey’s. If there was anywhere Mikleo would be, it was by Sorey. She was only part of the way through the turn when she caught sight of Mikleo.

He was tucked up against the side of the gate, well out of the line of sight from the front of it. Mikleo was practically curled up in the shadow of the great stone and the gate, looking like he was trying to burrow into the stone. He had his arm slung over his stomach, Natalie seeing the shine of blood on his lip from where he was biting it. That and the very visible shaking made her rush over to him, dropping to a crouch in front of him.

She reached out for him, Mikleo quick to reach out and grab her hand. Natalie squeezed it gently, surprised by how fiercely Mikleo squeezed back. She scooted closer, watching as he shuddered, Mikleo biting down harder on his lip. Natalie winced at the sight, reaching up with her free hand to rub at his shoulders. “I’m here, Mikleo. I’m here.”

He clutched at her, practically dragging her forward. He let go of his lip, looking at her with desperate, wide eyes. “Don’t leave. Don’t-”

He cut himself off, Mikleo biting down on his lip again. It wasn’t fast enough because Natalie heard a soft whimper escape. It was the same sound that she had heard before, Natalie looking over Mikleo in worry. She couldn’t see any physical injuries, and she doubted that Mikleo would have been able to heal himself, not with how advanced his pregnancy was.

Natalie dropped her gaze to Mikleo stomach, staring at it with a growing sense of panic. She shifted her grip on his hand, ducking her head so she could meet his gaze. “Mikleo?”

It took him a moment to respond, Mikleo breathing heavily for a moment before looking up at her. She hated the panic that she saw there, Natalie shaking her head. She reached up to push his bangs away from his face, shushing him gently. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Mikleo nodded, his face contorting in pain. This time, the whimper actually escaped him. Natalie reached forward to comfort him, surprised by the way that he looked around in a panic, like he expected something to jump on him.

She frowned, Natalie about to speak to him when Mikleo looked back at her. He swallowed, taking a few minutes to obviously gather himself together. “I…I think it’s the baby.”

Natalie felt her stomach clench in fear. She looked at his stomach, tempted to touch it but she was sure that he would shy away like he had every other time. She swallowed, pushing down the fear. It was bad enough that Mikleo was frightened, one of them had to be calm. She took a few more deep breaths before nodding at Mikleo. “Is it early?”

Mikleo frowned, his gaze dropping. Natalie watched his mouth move, letting him count. The question would at least keep him distracted from the fear, which might help him further.

She let go of him, giving him a reassuring smile. She reached back to adjust her ponytail, pulling it tight so her hair would stay out of her way. She reached out as soon as she was done, leaving one hand free to call up a bubble of water.

The motion caught Mikleo’s attention, Natalie watching as he started at the water. For a moment, she thought she saw longing in Mikleo’s eyes but then it was gone, wiped out by pain.

He grabbed at her again, shaking his head as he rode out the wave of pain. Natalie reaching out to grab onto him, holding onto him until Mikleo could speak again.

He licked his lips, seeming to struggle to get the words out. “N-not early. It’s been nine months…I think.”

“Oh Lords, Mikleo.” She shook her head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wasn’t thinking about it.” He gave her a shaky smile. “I was trying not to think about it. And then I just…didn’t.”

Natalie sighed and leaned forward until their foreheads touched. “What am I going to do with you?”

If Mikleo had an answer, it was lost in another contraction. This one brought out a muffled scream, Mikleo clutching at her tightly enough to be painful.

Natalie let him ride it out, leaning against him through it all. It was only when he opened his eyes that she leaned back slightly. She gave him the best smile that she could manage, pushing down her own fear and panic. There was so much that could go wrong, but she wasn’t going to let it to happen. Mikleo needed her, and she intended to stick by his side.

She beckoned the ball of water close with a twitch of her fingers, taking a deep breath. “It’s okay, we’re going to get through this together. I’m not leaving your side, I promise.”

Natalie held out her hand, smiling when Mikleo reached up to take it. She squeezed his hand, scooting closer even as Mikleo uncurled. She allowed him to get into a more comfortable position, using the moment to copy him. Natalie gave the saddlebags that were propped up against the pillar of stone a glance before turning her attention away. She doubted that Mikleo would let her start digging around in them, not when she knew it was where he stored anything to do with Sorey. Maybe he would allow her to look through them later, just to help him feel comfortable, but that would have to wait until later. There were more important things to worry about.

She rolled her shoulders, settling into position as Mikleo squeezed her hand. Natalie met his gaze, making sure to smile even as she started to put her thoughts in order. If they were going to get through this, she would need to be his anchor. Natalie took a deep breath, trying to find a place of calm. It was going to be a long few hours.

* * *

Mikleo leaned back, trying to relax back into the saddlebags. They weren’t the most comfortable thing, but it was better than leaning against the stone. Mikleo couldn’t quite remember when he had been moved over to them, the last few hours had been a blur of pain. All he remembered was insisting that Natalie not move him onto one of them and he barely remembered why.

He swallowed and lifted his head, looking over at where Natalie was leaning over the small bundle in her arms. By the steady movement of her arm, she was still cleaning off the baby. Mikleo shifted up onto his elbows, trying to get a glimpse of the baby.

He hadn’t gotten to see much of them, Natalie had been quick to scoop the baby up into the clothes they had extracted from the saddlebags. He’d been tossed a few wet pieces of cloth to clean himself off with. Mikleo had been grateful for that, because he felt too exposed after giving birth. Things had been out of his control and Mikleo was grateful for anything that would give him the time to gather himself back together.

Mikleo reached up to adjust the cloth he had left on forehead, holding it there before sweeping it down his neck. He pulled the cloth away from his skin, staring at it. He expected to see his hand shaking, because it had been since the contractions started. It had been terrifying, because he had thought that something had gone wrong, and then terrifying because everything was going well and he wasn’t ready.

He dropped the cloth to the ground with the other one, leaning back onto his elbows. He turned his attention back to Natalie, watching her coo at the baby. The terror still lingered, something that couldn’t be assuaged by the sight of the bundle held carefully in his sister’s arms. Having the baby present just made everything worse because he still wasn’t ready. He might have decided to keep them, but that didn’t mean that he had made any plans.

Mikleo winced at the thought, looking back over at the cairns. Natalie had been an ample enough distraction for him. First it had been the two of them straightening up the cairns and making sure that they brought up rocks for Kyme’s cairn. Then it had been watching his sister to make sure that his own malevolence wasn’t hurting her. If it wasn’t that, Mikleo had taken to wandering around the top of the mountain, poking around some of his old haunts. It had been relaxing in a way, but it was a distraction. That’s all any of those had been.

He pushed himself slightly more upright, trying to move away from whatever was digging into his back. Something protested, Mikleo not knowing what. Mikleo didn’t think there was a part of him that didn’t ache. He tipped his head back against the stone, his breath hissing out from between his teeth as he tried to relax. The position wasn’t comfortable, but he would move again when he had to.

He slumped slightly, looking up in time to catch the worried look on Natalie’s face. He didn’t get a chance to say anything before his sister scooted closer, the baby still held protectively against her chest. “Mikleo?”

Mikleo waved a hand in lieu of answering, closing his eyes. He took a few deep breaths before opening them again. He stared up at the sky, looking up at the stars.

It had been daylight when the contractions had started, and now it was well and truly night. Mikleo swallowed, feeling strange that he had lost time, but also not enough time had passed. It had felt like days.

He jumped when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, Mikleo turning to look at Natalie. She gave him an apologetic smile before sitting down beside him. “Are you okay?”

Mikleo nodded, not quite sure that he would be able to manage any words. His throat felt raw, probably from the screaming and cursing he had been doing once he had allowed himself to make noise. Natalie wouldn’t have let any hellions get to him, which meant that he would have been safe. Mikleo wasn’t sure that it had helped him, but it had felt like he was accomplishing something.

He swallowed, trying to get his throat wet enough to say anything. Natalie seemed content enough to wait, Mikleo giving himself a few long moments to recover before nodding again. “Yeah.”

His voice cracked over the word anyway, Mikleo wincing. He was relieved when Natalie didn’t comment on it, but she did give him a long look. Mikleo was sure that she was looking him over for any problems. He wanted to reach out and nudge her away because he was fine, but he didn’t have the energy for that. Besides, he wasn’t sure enough of his aim. He didn’t want to hurt the baby.

Mikleo perked up at the thought, shifting so he could better see the bundle in Natalie’s arms. His sister didn’t immediately seem to get it, because she kept looking at him. Mikleo sighed, not sure if Natalie finished her inspection or she actually heard him.

Natalie rocked back slightly, smiling at him as she shifting her hold on the baby. “You ready to hold her?”

“Her?” Mikleo felt his heart speed up, his eyes widening as Natalie nodded.

His sister laughed and leaned forward, shifting her hold on the baby so she could pass her off to him. “You have a daughter.”

Mikleo tensed as Natalie settled the baby into his arms. She chuckled and started to adjust his arms. “You want have her head in the crook of your elbow, arm down the length of her body.” Mikleo swallowed as she eased him into position, wanting to look at her but he didn’t dare look away from what she was doing. “Always support her head and bottom. Just keep her snug against you, because it’s what she wants.”

He was sure that he nodded, but Mikleo wasn’t sure how visible it was. All of his attention was in the squirming bundle in his arms. He felt Natalie nudge his hand into a better position, Mikleo tucking the baby close against his side, staring down at her.

Natalie laughed again, Mikleo feeling her bump up against his shoulder. “That’s it. It’ll come easily quickly enough.”

“Really?”

“Yes. We all got used to it holding you. I always remember being so careful because I was sure that you’d break.” Mikleo sucked in a deep breath, Natalie seeming to realize her mistake a moment later. “You’ll be fine. She’s sturdier than you think.”

Mikleo took a deep breath, using his free hand to carefully peel back some of the layers of clothes to actually see her. He didn’t dare peel the makeshift swaddling too far back, not when he was just realizing how cool the night was. He was fine, but he had no idea how well she would react to it. He didn’t want her getting too cold.

He swallowed, looking over her before reaching out to brush a finger over her fist. Mikleo smiled when she flailed out a bit more wildly, stroking his finger down her arm. She flailed out again, making soft sounds. Mikleo watched her mouth open and close, the baby wriggling softly in his arms. He shifted his hold slightly so he could close two fingers around her fist, holding her hand as best that he could. It was hard with the way that she was still squirming, but even that was calming down the longer he held her. If anything, she seemed to want to get closer.

Mikleo shifted her a little more, holding her closer. “That better, bun?”

He wasn’t sure what attracted her attention, the movement or the sound of his voice. It didn’t matter because she opened her eyes. She didn’t focus exactly on him, seeming to look somewhere past his shoulder, but that didn’t matter as much as the sight of them.

They were green. _Sorey’s_ green.

He sucked in a quick breath, sure that he was shaking. Distantly, he could hear Natalie talking to him, but he couldn’t get himself to focus on what she was saying.

Mikleo bit his lip, letting go of the baby’s hand to run a finger over her cheek. She reacted by looking at him for a moment before he gaze slid away, her feet kicking out. But her eyes were open, and they were the most beautiful shade of green that he’d ever seen. He smiled to himself, brushing his finger over the dark fuzz on the top of her head. It was hard to tell the color, because it was still damp from where Natalie had cleaned her off. He played with it for a moment before leaning back with a shaky sigh.

That got Natalie to stop talking, Mikleo finally looking back at her. Her expression had gone serious, Mikleo unsure if she was worried or if she had thought of something. It was hard to read her, Mikleo sure that he was out of practice. He took a deep breath, sure that he wouldn’t get the slightly stupefied smile off of his face. “She’s perfect.”

“She is. Isn’t she?” That got the worried look off Natalie’s face, his sister crowding close. She reached out to touch the baby’s fist, stroking a few fingers over it. “She’s a beautiful little seraph.”

Mikleo sighed, watching as the baby settled in his arms. Her gaze kept darting around, Mikleo trying to follow her line of vision before giving up. He reached up to tuck the clothes more tightly around her, freezing in the middle of the motion when Natalie spoke again.

“Do you have a name?”

He swallowed, very carefully not meeting Natalie’s gaze.

He hadn’t thought of anything, first because it would make everything too real and then because he’d allowed himself to get distracted. If anything, he’d always thought that he and Sorey would work together for that. He’d never thought that he’d be doing it alone.

Mikleo looked away from the baby, trying to find something to settle his gaze on something that would help. But there wasn’t much on the mountaintop other than his sister, his daughter, the cairns and the stars.

He jerked his gaze up at the thought, staring at the sky.

_“Someone told me that there are as many emotions as stars in the sky…”_

“Selene.” He almost didn’t recognize his voice, but Mikleo didn’t bother to correct the way it sounded. “I’m going to call her Selene.”

Natalie must have heard the strange tone in his voice, because her voice was gentle when she spoke. “Selene is a beautiful name. I think it suits her.”

Mikleo could only nod dumbly, his gaze dropping back to his daughter. He couldn’t bear to look at Natalie, not when she was sure that she would immediately know what he had done.

The baby had so much of Sorey, he could see it now in her face and her eyes. The only thing that he had contributed was the fact that she was a seraph. It was only right that she took a name from Sorey, and Mikleo only had that name. He hadn’t known too much else about Sorey’s life, just the things he’d heard from walking around the palace or from Sorey himself. Even then, he had only remembered half of it. He’d spent too much of his early days with Sorey not listening, because he had believed it would be temporary. That was another in his long list of regrets.

He took a deep breath, reaching out to touch her cheek again. She was starting to settle down now, Mikleo smiling when she yawned wide. He stroked her cheek gently. “Getting sleepy, bun?”

Selene didn’t answer him, but she did squirm in his arms, like she was trying to get comfortable. Mikleo pulled her closer, shifting his hold so she was against his shoulder. Natalie was quick to reach up and help him, Mikleo whispering his thanks.

He turned to look at his sister, his little bubble of bliss popping when he saw how wane she looked. He swallowed, suddenly realizing how long she had been up on the top of the mountain with him. It had been hours, far beyond the usual time that she could stand. It didn’t matter that she was getting stronger, his domain would still always overlap hers at this point.

Mikleo opened his mouth to ask her if she was alright, stopping himself when Selene wiggled. It took him a bit to shift his hold, Mikleo trying to support her as she drifted off again. It wasn’t hard, Selene wasn’t that big.

He bit his lip, using his free hand to smooth down her back. She was small, but he hadn’t noticed it before. He had been focused on other things and then distracted by getting his first good look at her.

Mikleo swallowed, looking over at Natalie. “H-how big are babies usually? Seraph ones?”

Natalie frowned, tipping her head to the side. It didn’t help that she was quick to smile, Mikleo sure that she was just trying to reassure him. “They’re all different sizes, Mikleo. It just depends.”

“But she’s really small.” He expected her to try and reassure him again, but she slumped. Her mouth moved for a moment before shaking her head. Mikleo felt his stomach clench in fear. “It’s because of me, isn’t it?”

“Mikleo-”

“It’s because of the malevolence.”

Natalie took a deep breath, Mikleo feeling his stomach lurch. But at least it was an answer.

He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths as he fought the urge to hold Selene more tightly. Instead he reached up to pet the soft fuzz at the top of Selene’s head, using the motion to calm himself as Natalie started talking.

“I’m sure it didn’t help. You were her source of protection and energy while she was developing.”

Mikleo winced at that, because he hadn’t even considered that. He’d spent so much time trying to use artes and squeeze every little bit of power out of himself. He had stolen all of that from her, and all while soaked in malevolence. With all of that, it was a miracle that she was here. It was a miracle that she hadn’t become a hellion.

He let his hand drift over her back. “She’s not safe here.”

He didn’t dare look over at Natalie, because that would mean seeing the truth in her expression and it would mean one less moment looking at his daughter.

She was his, and he didn’t want anything to take her away. But she wasn’t safe with him, and as much as he wanted to hold her close, he couldn’t. She was too little to ward off the malevolence, and he couldn’t lose her. He couldn’t.

Mikleo whimpered and tipped his head to the side to rest the side of his head against hers. He kept the contact light, listening to the quiet noises she made before he opened his eyes. He took in the stricken look on Natalie’s face, her expression just making him want to close his eyes and pretend that this wasn’t something to worry about. But he couldn’t do that, ignoring the probably had put Selene in this predicament in the first place.

“How long will it take to get the Shepherd?”

Natalie shook her head, giving a helpless shrug. “I don’t know. A month?”

“A month.” Mikleo tightened his hold on Selene for a moment before stopping himself. He didn’t want to send her away for that long, but he couldn’t see another way. “I can wait a month, but she can’t. Selene needs to be far away from my domain.”

“Oh, Mikleo-”

“ _Please_ , Natalie.” He fought to get his voice steady. “She can’t stay here, not until I’m purified. I should have thought about it before but I…I didn’t. None of this was planned, and she doesn’t deserve to be punished for that.”

He watched her bite her lip, relieved when she nodded. Mikleo breathed a sigh, hiding it as he turned his head to kiss Selene. She stirred slightly in his arms, Mikleo flinching. “I don’t want to let her go.”

Natalie nodded again, reaching forward to touch his hand. Her hand lingered on his for a moment before she gently took Selene from his arms.

It was harder than he expected not to just snatch the baby back. He trusted Natalie with her, but she was so far away from him and he could hear her starting to fuss again. It all made him want to pull her back into his arms and never let go. But then she would turn into a hellion, and he didn’t think anything would stop her from changing into a dragon. Besides, he didn’t think that she would be able to stand the purification. He remembered how it felt like he was being torn apart and reformed, but he was strong enough to stand it. Selene was so small, and he was afraid that she would just dissolve away. And he wouldn’t be able to come back from that.

It had been a span of minutes, but he loved her so much it hurt.

He dropped his hands into his lap, clutching at his legs as Natalie tucked the clothes around Selene to get her swaddled again. She tucked Selene into the crook of her arm, the move effortless. It was almost enough to make Mikleo smile, because in any other world he would have been glad of the sight.

In any other world the rest of his family would have been there. Sorey would have been there.

He ducked his head, his bangs falling into his face. Mikleo reached up, intending to push them away from his eyes. His fingers brushed across his circlet, Mikleo freezing at the cool touch of metal. He curled his fingers into it, feeling the patterns press into his skin.

Gramps had given him the circlet. He had said that it was something very important from someone very special. Mikleo had never found out who Muse was, but Gramps had always spoken her name with reverence. Gramps had said that the circlet would always protect him. Mikleo wasn’t sure how much of that had been true, but it had helped in his worst moments. It didn’t matter if it was a lie, because it had something of them.

But Selene would have nothing of him.

Mikleo shifting his hold on the circlet, pausing for a moment before pulling it off. He pitched forward at the sudden weight of malevolence. It felt choking now, Mikleo taking a shaky breath. He could feel his skin stretching oddly, like it always did when he turned into a drake. But he wouldn’t let that happen.

He took a few deep breaths, packing it down and away. He wouldn’t be overwhelmed. He had spent years with it and he could keep going one month more. He was strong enough for that.

He looked down at the circlet, staring at the jewel at the front. Mikleo tore his gaze away, leaning forward to hold the circlet out to Natalie.

He was surprised when she didn’t move to take it, her eyes just going wide. Mikleo waved the circlet a bit, frowning when she refused to take it. He planted his hand on the ground, scooting himself forward until he could rest the circlet over Selene.

Mikleo reached in to untuck one of her hands, gently encouraging her to open her hand. He couldn’t stop himself from pressing a kiss to the back of it before he carefully curled her fingers around a one of the curls in the circlet. “There. So you have a little bit of me. Something to protect you until it’s safe to be around me again.”

Selene shifted in Natalie’s arms, Mikleo not sure if she understood him or not. But he felt something settle in him at the sight of her holding the circlet.

He took a deep breath and looked up at Natalie. “Take care of her.”

Natalie nodded. “With my life.”

Mikleo meant to thank her, but he voice caught in his throat. He tried to speak again, stopping when Natalie leaned forward to kiss his forehead. Mikleo leaned up into it, curling his fingers into the grass to keep himself from reaching for Natalie or Selene. The two of them needed to go to be safe, and he had to let them go.

He swallowed and sat back, staring at the ground as Natalie moved away. He might know why they had to go, but that couldn’t watch. He might change his mind, and that would be horrible.

Mikleo squeezed his eyes shut, clutching as he grass as he heard Natalie walk away. He kept his eyes closed even when she moved out of earshot, just tracking her progress through her domain by the sense of her. She was a bright light in the midst of the thick muck of his domain, Selene a little spark in her arms. And then, they were out of range and safe.

He let himself collapse at that, catching himself on his elbows as the sobs that he had been holding back finally burst free.

She was safe, but she was gone. And all he had were stones again.

Mikleo raised a shaking hand to press to his mouth, muffling the sounds of his sobs. It was only him, so he had to be cautious again. Mikleo squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the tears roll down his cheeks.

He felt cold, Mikleo shivering. He lowered his hand, looking back towards the saddlebags. There was a coat somewhere in there, his or Sorey’s, it didn’t matter. He needed something on him, something close and familiar. Mikleo turned, digging through the saddlebags.

The first yielded nothing, Mikleo huffing and pushing it away. The second was filled with various odds and ends meant to help soldiers on the march. The third had a mix of clothes, Mikleo lunging for the red coat. He pulled it out, intending just to pull it around him but he heard something move in the depths of the saddlebag. He pulled the coat onto his lap, hesitating for a moment before reaching in again.

His fingers moved through the clothes that he had shoved haphazardly into the saddlebag. He was about to pull his hand away when his fingers slid over something cold and metallic. Mikleo closed his fingers around it, pulling out the hair ornament.

He held it up, running his fingers over the jewels on it. He hadn’t looked for it since he had wrapped it up all those months ago. Mikleo swallowed, lowering the hair ornament into his lap. He stared at it for a moment longer as he pulled on the coat, holding it close to him.

It didn’t smell like Sorey anymore, Mikleo whimpering at that. It didn’t stop him from nuzzling into the fur. He stayed there for a moment, taking deep breaths. He opened his eyes, looking over at the cairns. His gaze lingered on Sorey’s, Mikleo swaying in place.

He glanced down at his lap, watching the moon gleam off the gold. Mikleo reached out to trace the edge of one of the feathers before reaching up to pull his hair back. He wouldn’t be able to do the hairstyle that he had worn back in Pendrago, but that didn’t matter. He just wanted to gather his hair up and get it off of his neck.

Mikleo pulled it back into a ponytail, tying it up with his own hair. He hesitated for a moment before carefully sticking the hair ornament into place. It was a little thing, but it settled him. Mikleo swallowed and touched the feathers, making sure that they were secure before he pulled Sorey’s coat around him.

He glanced back at Sorey’s cairn before carefully standing up. The simple motion made everything ache again, Mikleo wincing. He reached up to grab at the front of the coat, pulling it tightly around him as he shuffled over to Sorey’s grave.

It wasn’t more than a few steps, but it felt much longer. He reached out for the cairn, running his fingers over the stone before falling to his knees beside it.

Mikleo ran his hands over the stones, taking a few deep breaths before he leaned forward, resting his forehead against it. He squeezed his eyes shut, giving himself a moment.

He hadn’t done this in a while, because it didn’t help. They were dead and gone, talking to them would do nothing to get him back. But it helped him, and he felt like something needed to be said.

He dragged his fingers over the stone before sitting back on his heels, keeping one hand on the stone. Mikleo swallowed, staring at the stones. He rubbed his thumb over the edge of it before giving it a nod. “Hey. I wasn’t going to do this again, but there are things that you need to know. You were right. We were going to find something for me and I think I have.”

Mikleo took a deep breath, fumbling for words as he pushed onward. "The bun…she’s a girl. I named her Selene after your mother. I don’t know if you would have wanted that, but it’s all I had.”

He paused to run his fingers over the stone. “I can’t be with her right now, but I’m not going to leave her. She is…Selene…Sorey, she’s beautiful. And the two of us are going to explore the world.”


	39. Chapter 36

“Who entereth herein, a conqueror hath bin;  
Who slayeth the dragon, the shield he shall win.”  
- _The Fall of the House of Usher_ , Edgar Allen Poe

* * *

 

Energy moved along the Earthpulse in steady beats, the flow reminding him of a heartbeat. Then again, it made sense since the Earthpulse was the heartbeat of the world. It held history, the memories shining brightly in the midst of the pulse of energy that flowed steadily around the world. He smiled to himself, remembering a time many centuries ago when he had seen his first oysters. The pirates of the _Van Eltia_ had let him sit close to them, showing him the insides as they had cracked the shells open. A few of them had revealed pearls, the tiny opalescence of the memories within the Earthpulse reminding him of the shine of those pearls.

Maotelus let himself sink deeper into the Earthpulse, stretching out. It wasn’t anything different than he had done before, part of his existence had been in the Earthpulse when he had used the earth as his vessel. It had been hard to ignore the way it pulsed and flowed. Besides, ignoring it would have been dangerous. Usually the Earthpulse was the first to shift and change when things started to go wrong. As a Great Lord, it was his job to pay attention to it. It was the task that he had assigned himself.

He sighed, shifting his grip on the railing. He barely felt the rough stone underneath his hands, it was a distant sensation when compared to everything else. Maotelus wasn’t looking for something to ground himself with, he was reaching out for things beyond what he could see.

There was a brief moment of strain, Maotelus pushing against it and waiting to see what would happen. There had been many times that he had been snapped back as his strength gave out, and there had been just as many times that he was able to push further. He could never tell what kind of day it would be.

He pushed against the strain, feeling an ache like muscles rarely used before it disappeared. Maotelus sighed at the view of the world that he was given.

It wasn’t clear, everything was flashes above and within the Earthpulse. Maotelus lingered over a joint roil of malevolence in the center of the Earthpulse, watching as it rose and fell like the tides. It was nothing to worry about, everything was just as it always was. He turned his attention to the surface, studying it from within the Earthpulse.

The malevolence was starting to be peeled away. It was going slowly and wouldn’t be noticeable if parts of the earth weren’t as murky as before. He studied the pattern of the blotches, picking out where they were the thickest. Maotelus assumed that those places were the sites of battlefields, both new and old. Taking care of them would take time, but he was more pleased by the fact that the general murkiness was starting to ease up. It was enough to make him sigh with relief. The two Shepherds were working well, to the point where he was considering nudging a third into place. He wasn’t about to overwhelm his Shepherds, not when he had seen what would happen to them when their limit was hit. Then again, he hadn’t settled back into his role in the earth, so maybe it would be better to wait.

He frowned as he turned the idea over in his head. It was something to consider later, once he took stock of the seraphim and how they would react. He wouldn’t send any of them out unless they felt safe enough to go. There were so few of them left that he didn’t want to risk any of them.

Maotelus turned his attentions to the bright sparks in the pattern of the earth. He smiled to himself, glad to see them. It had been a long time since he’d seen evidence of Lords of the Land and it felt right that they were there. None of them were close enough to humans to help them, but he would take what victories that he could get. Once the malevolence cleared a bit more, maybe they would feel better about going back. And maybe the time spent in Lohgrin would remind them that not all humans were bad. There was nothing wrong with hoping.

He lingered in the Earthpulse a moment more before pulling himself back. Maotelus winced when he felt the pull on him, the temptation to just sink in and dissolve. He swallowed, gripping the railing more tightly as he yanked himself back.

Maotelus swayed on his feet, giving up on holding himself upright to drop to his knees. He panted for breath, rocking forward to press his forehead against the sun warmed stone of the balcony. He curled his free hand around one of the balusters, clinging to it as he tried to recover.

Now that he was out of the Earthpulse everything was rushing back to him. The familiar ache settled in his body, the exhaustion sweeping in after it. Maotelus closed his eyes, letting the sensations move over him in waves as he tried to recover. It was nothing that he wasn’t used to, it had been the same since he had started to attempt his duties. Maotelus was just grateful that it wasn’t as bad as it had been previously. Back then, he hadn’t been able to stand up for hours after he had exerted himself.

He opened his eyes, staring base the balusters and down into Lohgrin itself. Life was carrying on below him, Maotelus smiling as he watched the people go along their daily business. It was a small enough distraction that made him feel a little bit better. There were people below, alive and pushing forward despite the hand that had been dealt to them. That alone was enough to make him want to keep trying.

Maotelus let his eyes slide closed, taking a few more deep breaths. He wouldn’t be trying to push into the Earthpulse again, but that wouldn’t stop him from pressing a bit deeper into his vessel. He wouldn’t be able to revert Lohgrin back to what he remembered it being, but he could at least try and help the people living in the tower. They had allowed the seraphim to live in the upper levels of the tower without a complaint for all of these months and for nothing in return.

He took one more deep breath before pulling himself upright. He still had to lean on the railing to lever himself to his feet. It took more effort than he would have liked, but at least he was upright. Maotelus took a moment to catch his breath, staring down at the people as they went about their business.

Nothing looked too out of place, the people shaking out their rugs and clothes or making trips to the well. Maotelus turned his head, staring at the well towards the center of the tower before reaching out to check on it. He could feel the water shifting between the stones; cool, clean and, more importantly, deep. The people of Lohgrin wouldn’t run out of water while the seraphim were around, but that was just one of their needs.

He hummed to himself and leaned on the railing, looking over the people more closely. They looked the same, just as exhausted and determined as ever. The only thing that got their attention was the caravan that was parked by the front gates. The merchants had arrived in the night, and the people were gathering around them eagerly. Some of them seemed happy with their purchases, but most of the people were turning away with pinched looks on their faces.

Maotelus drummed his fingers against the railing before looking around. It was impossible to see all of Lohgrin from where he was, but he could look down on the majority of it. He could see the single street lined with tents and the main square where the people gathered to celebrate, not that it was used often. If he leaned out he could see the patch where the people tried to grow food. He leaned out, staring at the scraggly stalks rising from the ground. They were much the same as always, and it made him frown.

There were plenty of earth seraphim in the tower. The Great Lord of earth was in the tower, and yet the people were still struggling.

Maotelus righted himself, staring down at the tents. It wasn’t just their plot of land within the walls, it was also the well. Maotelus knew that he was the only one making sure that the well never ran dry. To the best of his knowledge, the only seraphim that had seemed willing to help had gone with Boris.

He frowned, swaying in place before turning on his heel. It was about time he made the rounds of the seraphim, checking on them and lending his power to helping some of them recover. Most of them were strong enough to stand up to the malevolence in the world on their own, but there were still a few that had been released later from the weapons that were still weak. They were the ones that he worried the most about.

It was enough to make him worry that those seraphim would never be able to leave the relative safety of Lohgrin.

He sighed and leaned back on the railing, turning the problem over in his mind. He hadn’t found and solution in all the months they had been there, and he doubted that he would ever find one.

Maotelus ran a hand over his face, slowing halfway through the motion when he saw someone move out to where he was standing. He dropped his hand back to his side, narrowing his eyes when he saw Eumacia and Musiphe standing in the open doorway. Maotelus glanced between the two, frowning when he saw the state that Musiphe was in.

He had always worried about Hyanoa the most, because she had seemed to be the one closest to just drifting away. Now he regretted the attention that he paid to her, because he had missed out on what was happening with Musiphe.

Maotelus took a shaky step towards them, stopping when Eumacia held out a hand. She made an imperious motion back to the rail, Maotelus looking back at it. It took him a moment to understand that she was telling him to lean on the railing. Maotelus shook his head, ignoring the tremor in his arms. He could stand on his own and he intended to do so. From the look on Eumacia’s face, she wasn’t happy, but she allowed him his stubbornness.

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, her head moving slightly as Musiphe leaned against the doorway. Maotelus was sure that he saw concern flash across her face, but then the serious look was back. “We need to talk.”

Maotelus hesitated for a moment before giving her a nod. From the look on her face, she hadn’t been expecting it, but Eumacia was quick to recover. She always had been.

She cleared her throat, her fingers drumming out a rhythm on her arm. “It’s about what you’ve been doing. Some of the seraphim had expressed a concern. They’ve started to volunteer to not be healed and ask what they can do to lessen the burden.”

Maotelus huffed, giving the tower a quick look. “I’ll have to talk to them then.”

“No. You’re going to listen to them.” Eumacia gave him a steady glare. When Maotelus went to protest, she shook her head. “I don’t want to hear about what you’re thinking, because this isn’t negotiable. I understand that you want to help them, but there’s no point if you run yourself into the ground to do it.”

“But-”

“You’re a Great Lord. You’re an _Empyrean_. Your job to lead by example and help maintain the balance between the four of us. That is what you agreed to, that is what we allowed of you.”

“ _Allowed._ ” Maotelus stared at the two of them for a moment, watching as Musiphe flinched back. Eumacia didn’t move, and that infuriated him more. He took another step forward, glaring at the other two. “You allowed me nothing. You _needed_ me to keep your precious balance.”

Eumacia made a disgusted face, probably angry at the reminder. She dropped her gaze away. “We have other options.”

“I refuse. And I have a voice in this. As you reminded me, I am an Empyrean. And as such I intend to continue as I have been.”

“But you can’t!” Musiphe blurting the words out, Maotelus watching the seraph wring his hands. The motion eased some of his rage, because Musiphe wasn’t being demanding like Eumacia. Musiphe was frightened.

Maotelus relaxed a fraction, watching as Musiphe took short breaths, like he was struggling to breathe. Musiphe reached out to clutch at the doorway as he swayed in place. “If you do, then you’ll use yourself up and then where will we be?”

“Probably in a better place.”

“Quiet Eumacia!” Musiphe rounded on her at her mutter, Eumacia’s eyes going wide. Maotelus was sure that he looked the same, but he couldn’t help but stare as Musiphe turned to look at him again. “The seraphim believe that they’re safe because we’re still here. If we start fading away then they’ll know that there’s no hope for recovery. They’ll be more frightened and we won’t be able to calm that.”

Musiphe stopped to pant for breath again, leaning over. Maotelus winced as the wheeze in Musiphe’s breath, wanting to reach out and try to ease it away, but he was sure that he was going to get snapped at. He could only sigh, watching as Musiphe recovered. He waited until the fire seraph was looking at him to give him a nod. “What do you suggest?”

Musiphe stared at him like he didn’t know what to make of the concession. It took him even longer to straighten up again, Musiphe reaching back to slap Eumacia’s hands away from him. “I…I don’t know. There have been ideas tossed around but none of us have decided on anything. We need to meet and talk about the future.”

Maotelus looked between the two of them before shrugging. “What have been the ideas?”

“We leave.” Eumacia was quick to speak up, her face settling into a scowl. “It’s not safe for us down here and there are plenty of seraphim who have said they don’t want to be here. It would be admitting that we were wrong about humans, but that’s better than being wiped out by them again.”

Maotelus tensed, opening his mouth only to be interrupted as Musiphe spoke up quickly. “There are other options. We could stay, and just stay out of the way of the humans.”

“Did anyone suggest remaining with the humans?”

The two of them looked shocked, Maotelus not surprised. The Great Lords had always been distant from both seraphim and humans. He couldn’t remember a time they had interacted personally with them outside of emergency circumstances. He had even talked to Eizen and Zaveid about it, and they couldn’t remember it happening either. Maotelus was sure that this span of time was the most that they had spent with the seraphim, and it was no question that it was why they were panicking.

He sighed, shaking his head. “We have to consider every option.”

“Not that one.” Eumacia was firm with her answer, and even Musiphe was shaking his head. “You’ve seen what happens and you want us to go back?”

“Yes.”

Eumacia huffed and shook her head. “You’ll kill us all like that.”

“No. I might just save us.” Maotelus gestured back over his shoulder at the bustle of Lohgrin below them. “If we’re not around, they’ll all die consumed by their own malevolence. If they’re not around, we can’t grow stronger with their prayers. They’ll turn away and we’ll be invisible to them again.”

“You’re not helping your case. Those are all good reasons to leave.”

“Not without fixing this.”

Eumacia threw her hands into the air. “What is there to fix? We were the ones taken and made into tools, or have you forgotten that? We don’t need to do anything.”

“I haven’t forgotten, Eumacia.” Maotelus tried to keep his voice level, but he wasn’t sure that it worked. He could feel himself shaking, although he wasn’t sure if it was because of anger or if it was because of what he remembered. It had been centuries but he was sure he could still feel the binding that had held him or still hear Teresa’s voice calling him Number Two. From the way that Eumacia looked shocked and Musiphe was leaning back, he was failing to keep himself in check. Then again, he was beyond caring.

He took another step forward, not caring that the two of them backed away from him. “I remember everything. I remember being nothing more than a number, a tool to be used up and thrown away when they were done with me. I remember their insistence that I was nothing. And that was before they decided to stuff us in weapons and call it salvation. I have forgotten _nothing_.”

Eumacia stared at him for a moment before giving a shaky nod, all of her bravado gone. “G-good. Then you understand why we have to do this.”

“No. All I see is the Great Lords trying to get away again.”

“What-”

“You were silent the first time we were used for our powers.”

“Please, Maotelus.” Musiphe raised an arm, like he expected to be attacked. “We were asleep. It was what was agreed upon.”

“But you never thought to check? You were our protectors and you did nothing.” He bit his lip to prevent himself from shouting out the last word. Maotelus gave a worried glance towards where the rest of the seraphim were. They were scared and didn’t need to hear this, but he wasn’t going to let Eumacia and Musiphe get away without hearing this. He took a few deep breaths, the pause not doing anything to calm his rage.

Maotelus dropped his voice low, trying to keep it here even as he stepped forward again. “You did it again this time. You _knew_ that the humans could bind us all. You _knew_ that they figured out how to force us into vessels. You know all of it and yet you stood by and let it happen until it was too late. Until the humans came after _you_ and then you were concerned.”

Musiphe flinched back, the fire seraph inching behind Eumacia. The earth seraph wavered for a moment before standing firm, Eumacia tipping her chin up to meet his gaze. “And what did you do?”

“Nothing.” Maotelus spat the word out, stopping when he was toe-to-toe with her. “And I regret it. I did nothing and the seraphim suffered for it. I should have done something to defend them, but I turned to you for how I should act. So I just hid and stood by. I waited for things to get better until they took me to be used as a tool again.”

Eumacia puffed herself up, looking furious. “Don’t blame us for your actions. You’re old enough to make your own decisions.”

“I am, which is why I’m doing this now. I am not deserting the seraphim who choose to stay.”

“None of them will.”

“You can’t know that.” Maotelus gestured over his shoulder. “Do you intend to leave here and talk to all of them? I doubt it. You’ll take the seraphim here and leave the rest. What kind of future is that? The seraphim you’ve left behind will still be here, here praying in the hopes that you’ll hear them and save them. It’ll be just like that seraph from Gododdin.”

Eumacia huffed, shaking her head. “You’re over exaggerating.”

“Am I?” Maotelus leaned in. “Do you remember the seraph? How angry he was with us? I wouldn’t be surprised if he had eaten us.”

He saw something like fear flash across her eyes, but then Eumacia was shaking her head. “He was tainted.”

“I’m not surprised. Do you know how long he was on that mountain alone? Do you know how long he asked for our help to get nothing? If he did it then how long did the others? How long did all the seraphim in there ask for our help while we did nothing? How long did the humans ask us for help?”

Musiphe peeked out from behind Eumacia, shaking his head. “I don’t think it matters.”

“Of course it matters because we owe them.” Maotelus leaned over to meet Musiphe’s gaze, biting down on a growl to keep it from coming out. “Or was it someone else who let us out of those weapons?”

Musiphe shook his head. “We were lucky.”

“It was an entire village.”

“We repaid our debt.” Eumacia stepped to the side to hide Musiphe from his gaze. “We protected their village.”

“We sat by while they died.”

“What do you want us to do, Maotelus?” Eumacia’s voice rose, Maotelus feeling a thrill of victory that he had finally gotten to her to break her calm. It was a small and petty victory, but he would take it. Eumacia glared at him before shaking her head. “If we had let you go out there, you would have run yourself down like you’re doing now, and then where would we be?”

“I don’t know. But it’s not happening again.”

Eumacia reached forward, her hands hovering at his throat. Maotelus growled and jerked back, but he was sure that the warning did nothing. Eumacia just shook her head and dropped her hands back to her sides. “If you won’t leave, then how will you make sure that it doesn’t happen?”

“Because I’ll stay and watch.”

“You’ll kill yourself.”

“So be it.”

He could tell that it wasn’t the answer that Eumacia was looking for. She groaned, swaying forward like she was going to grab him again, but she threw her hands up in the air. She turned on her heel, starting to pace the length of the balcony while she muttered under her breath.

Maotelus watched her for a moment before looking at Musiphe. Eumacia would work through it and make a decision by herself. The five of them may put up a united front, but they were rarely that. Maotelus was sometimes horribly aware of how out of place he was with them. They were old and ancient, and he very much wasn’t.

He sighed, going to turn away when Musiphe cleared his throat. Maotelus looked back at him, feeling his stomach twist.

Musiphe did look bad, like the next strong wind could blow him over. It was no wonder that he was interested in leaving while he still could. The problem was that Maotelus wasn’t too sure that it would help. He didn’t think that anything but patience would help them and even then it might not be enough. He had watched the seraphim recovering and had kept track of his own and there was definitely a peak. Maotelus didn’t know if it was temporary or being used as weapons had really taken so much out of them that they would never be able to recover to the way they were before. He certainly couldn’t. It had been months and some things that had been as easy as breathing for him were suddenly out of his reach.

He bit his lip, trying not to look too long at Musiphe for too long. He gave up a moment later, shrugging as he looked at Musiphe. “What do you expect me to do?”

Maotelus didn’t expect Musiphe to laugh. He leaned back as Musiphe ducked his head. The fire seraph shook his head, his laugh trailing off into a disappointed sounding sigh. “They won’t go without you. You could be killing them.”

“If you leave with the ones here, you _will_ be killing the others.”

Musiphe huffed and shook his head. He turned and shuffled back into the tower, Maotelus watching him. He was sure that it was just his imagination, but it looked like Musiphe had shrunk a little bit. Maotelus tipped his head to the side, studying Musiphe. He might be willing to push himself to the limit, but he didn’t want to force the others into that. The whole point was that they made their own choices, but Musiphe made him worry. It didn’t look like the fire seraph would last much longer.

He swallowed and looked away, trying to find something else to focus on. His gaze landed on Eumacia just in time for the seraph to turn to face him. She glared at him for a long moment before shaking her head. “You’re asking too much of us.”

“I’m asking what the seraphim have expected of us, nothing more.”

“Really?” Eumacia gestured back towards the tower. “You just told him that you expect him to die.”

“No. I expect him to live. I just don’t want to go back into hiding.”

Eumacia huffed. “And if he can’t make it?”

“Then we’ll have to make sure someone is trained up to take his place.” Maotelus winced at the way it sounded, but he just shrugged. “I don’t intend to leave them helpless.”

“Even if it costs you your life?”

“Even then.” Maotelus gave her an even look, not surprised when she turned away and stormed back into the tower. She hadn’t given him an answer, but she would spread the word around the other Great Lords. Maotelus was sure that there would be an argument to follow, but he was also sure that some of them would agree with him. He could at least count Amenoch on his side if no one else.

He sighed and turned away to look out over Lohgrin. He would have to go inside and take care of the seraphim, but he wanted a moment to cool down. He had no doubt that they had heard the three of them, but he hoped that he would be able to put it off as a quick argument until the five of them had come to some conclusion. Even if the others chose to leave, he would insist on staying.

The others would probably just be in shock about his proposal, but they were taking it all wrong. He had no intention of killing himself, because that would just ruin his plan. The point was to stay alive to help the seraphim as long as possible. Everything else was just a contingency plan. He had abandoned the seraphim once, and he wouldn’t do it again. They deserved more than half measures, especially now. They would need what protection that he could give them, and he would gladly give it.

Maotelus sighed and leaned on the railing looking out over the wall. He tracked the path of a bird spiraling up on a gyre, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a smile. He tracked the bird’s flight, waiting until the bird was a distant dot in the cloudless sky before turning and heading back into the tower.

* * *

Gasps and screams rose from the crowd, Rose glad that she had decided to stand outside of the hallway. She was sure that they would just echo down with the roars of the drake and deafen her completely. Even where she was, they were too loud, just a wave of sound that made her want to cover her ears. Rose’s fingers twitched by her side, Rose jumping when she felt someone take her hand.

She turned her head, relaxing a fraction when she saw Alisha standing by her side. She swayed towards Alisha, stopping herself before she could bump their shoulders together. Alisha was wearing something that looks more like a confection than a dress. Rose remembered smothering her laughter at the sight of Alisha trying to slide into the layered dress. Rose let her gaze drift down Alisha’s body, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a smile.

The dress didn’t look bad on her, but Rose was sure that Alisha would rather be back in her pants and jacket, maybe even her armor. But there was the atmosphere to think about. This was just like all the ceremonies that had come with the signing of the treaty, or Alisha’s coronation. Or when they had officially received Sergei as a representative of Rolance.

Rose did smile that that thought, wanting to turn her head and grin and Alisha. She was sure that Alisha would understand, after all, it was probably just as fond a memory. The two of them had gotten to further their work for peace and then the three of them had gotten a short vacation. Rose was sure that the seraphim had loved the chance to wander through Ladylake, and she knew that she enjoyed the soft beds in the palace. The soft beds, Alisha and Sergei.

She grunted when Alisha dug an elbow into her side. Rose turned to look at her, fully expected the glare that she got. All Rose could do was shrug, smiling at Alisha. “You can’t expect me to just forget _that_.”

“I don’t. What I’m asking you is to stop reminding me.” Alisha looked resolute, but Rose could see the blush rising on her cheeks. It was almost enough to make her want to reach up and touch the side of her neck. The bruises were long gone, but the motion had become a habit. So much so that she fully expected to feel Edna’s umbrella knock against her hand like it had been doing for the entire month.

She took a deep breath, about to try and defend herself when she felt a tug for her attention. Rose turned her head towards the tunnel, staring down it as she waited for the reply.

It was quick in coming, Rose smiling at the familiar sound of Edna’s voice. _“If the two of you are done snuggling, we’re ready out here.”_

_“Not quite, but I can pencil you in.”_ Rose heard Edna snort in her mind, leaning a bit on their connection. She didn’t stay long, turning her attention to the three other seraphim. _“Everyone ready?”_

There was a grunt from Dezel, Rose briefly feeling the strain of the arte that he was holding before her attention was pulled elsewhere. Dezel and Edna were with the drake, but Lailah and Natalie were sitting comfortably in her mind. They both responded at the same time, Rose feeling Lailah’s steady readiness and Natalie’s worry. She wanted to calm Natalie, but she was sure that the seraph would see through her to the worry that was sitting heavy in her own stomach. Now that she wasn’t teasing Alisha or distracting herself there was nothing but the drake that was waiting for them.

She swallowed, closing her hand more tightly around Alisha’s. Rose was glad that Alisha squeezed back, the two of them holding each other steady for a moment. Rose wished she could drag the moment out, but she couldn’t keep the seraphim waiting nor could she risk Alisha. Hyland needed their queen more than she needed her Squire. Besides, there was no telling what was going to happen with this drake, even after they were purified.

She felt Natalie wince at the thought, quickly tamping down on anything that headed that direction. She needed a clear head for this, a serious focus that would get her through this.

Rose squeezed Alisha’s hand last time before stepping away. She nodded up at the stairway. “Go on, stand among your people. I’m sure it will help them.”

Alisha took a step away before turning to look back at her. “Will you be okay?”

Rose nodded, flashing Alisha a confident smile. “I’ll be fine. I have plenty of support.”

From the look on Alisha’s face, she didn’t like the answer, but there was nothing else that Rose could give her. Dealing with hellions was always a bit tricky, because they tended to be unpredictable. Drakes were another thing entirely.

Alisha hesitated for a moment longer before stepping back over to Rose. Rose was about to nudge her away when Alisha reached forward to tug at her cloak, resettling it around Rose’s shoulders. Alisha kept at it for a moment before stopping to look at her work. Whatever had annoyed her at first seemed to be settled, because she nodded and leaned forward again.

Rose sighed when Alisha leaned in to kiss her cheek, Rose turning her head so the kiss landed on her lips. She heard Alisha hum in surprise before Alisha leaned in, the queen seeming to remember herself a moment later.

Alisha jerked back, pressing her fingers against her lips. She looked around, a blush crossing her face. “The seraphim are listening in.”

Rose sighed and shook her head, leaning in to give Alisha a peck on the lips. “They don’t care.”

Alisha’s blush deepened, swatting at her arm before walking away. Rose watched her go, smiling when Alisha turned to look back at her. By the way that Alisha smiled at her, Rose knew that she was forgiven.

Rose smiled back, waiting until Alisha had gone up the stairs before turning her attention back to the seraphim. As she expected, most of them hadn’t paid attention. They all knew the boundaries set up in her mind, even if it was strange to other people. They might rest inside her as a vessel, but they didn’t listen in on everything.

She sighed and reached out to grab Edna’s attention, getting a short grunt to show that the earth seraph was listening. _“Everyone ready out there?”_

_“Boris is ready on the other side, we’re all waiting. He’s still fighting. I’d like to get this done quickly. He’s starting to look at us funny and I don’t like these crowds.”_

Rose sighed, rubbing the back of her neck even as she turned to look at the tunnel. She took a few deep breaths before starting to walk down the tunnel. _“Pass the word along to Boris, I’m coming out.”_

Edna grumbled, Rose feeling the seraph resettle herself. She couldn’t hear what Edna said to the other three seraphim, but her general mood was indication enough. Her grumpiness was just to hide her worry and the strain of holding the drake in place.

_“I don’t understand why it has to be this way, with so many people. We could have just done this on the mountain.”_

_“I know.”_ Rose stepped into the tunnel, wincing at the loud cacophony of sound from the square outside. She shook her head, feeling Lailah shift inside her. There was a bloom of heat, Rose smiling at the action. It wasn’t to block the sound, but it was support. Lailah and Natalie were with her, as were the others. Between two Shepherds and eight seraphim, they should be able to do it.

She swallowed, picking up her pace and tipping her chin up. _“I wish it could have been on the mountain to, but he wasn’t just any seraph. He’s the Emperor’s Dragon. People need to see this. People need to know it’s over.”_

Dezel was quick to throw in his assent, Edna following soon after. They all wanted this to be over, the weight of the empire finally lifted from everyone’s shoulders.

She set her shoulders back slightly, feeling a rush of warmth and then the sensation of dampness as Lailah and Natalie slipped out of her. The two seraph fell into step at either side of her. It was a show of power, which was just what was needed. She wasn’t Rose at the moment. She was a Shepherd, one of the people who stood with the seraphim and between the people and the malevolence. _That_ was who they needed at the moment. And, when it was over, she’d go back to being the smiling Shepherd among them.

The crowd went silent a moment before she stepped out into the square, Rose getting a glimpse of where Boris was standing on the other side before she stepped out herself. Rose glanced over to her side, looking at the crowd that were kept at a careful distance from the circle that made up the center of Ladylake by the knights. Rose nodded at one of the knights, recognizing the symbol of Alisha’s royal guard. She didn’t know if it was one the knights that she knew or a new recruit, but it didn’t matter. They had to be thanked, because they were the first defense of the people, and had been for a while. Save for the four seraphim that were spaced out around the circle, they were the only ones that would keep the drake away from the people.

Rose swallowed and turned her head to look back at the snarling drake, watching as it pulled its head back from the pendulum that had been snapped towards its muzzle. The drake hissed, rocking back against the spires of rock that held its four feet to the ground and the chains that were spread over his back. Rose could feel the tingle of the power that was being put out by the four seraphim through to her fingertips.

She picked out Edna standing close to her brother, relieved that Edna didn’t look back at her. She wanted both Edna and Dezel to concentrate on what they were doing. As long as they held the drake, she and Boris could take care of the rest.

Rose looked across the way, meeting Boris’ gaze. He didn’t smile at her, but looked away to glance at the drake. From the way that Boris narrowed his eyes, the man was considering the best way to tackle the drake. It was enough to make Rose want to look over at the drake herself. But she knew what she would see, which was a threat and something that had to be taken care of immediately. She had learned how to fight from Brad, but she was used to striking first and moving from there. Boris always analyzed the situation, like he was plotting formations for his comrades. It was something that she had seen him do many times. He would be fine, but she just wasn’t sure that he had the time. She was already seeing cracks appearing up and down the rock shackles that were being used to hold the drake in place.

They had already taken enough time with the ceremony and the way that the drake had been dragged into the center of Ladylake. Then they had to worry about the drake itself. It had been soaked in malevolence for so long, and they didn’t have the small advantage that they’d had before. There was no Sorey to call him back nor was there a circlet. Rose didn’t know why, but she hadn’t seen it while they were getting set up.

She rolled her shoulders, looking back over at Boris. He was quick to look back at her, the man taking a deep breath before nodding. That was all of the signal they needed.

Rose saw Edna and Eizen brace out of the corner of her eye, the two of them shoring up the shackles. She watched just to be sure that they would hold, reaching out to touch Lailah’s shoulder. “Do you think you can keep anything from reaching the knights or the people?”

Lailah nodded and moved away, stepping out in front of the drake. Rose watched as the drake focused on her, the drake opening its mouth. Lailah just stared down the drake, flicking her hand out. Flames fluttered at her fingertips before extinguishing. Whatever Lailah had intended to show the drake, it was understood because the creature hissed and shifted back. The earth around its feet crumbled as it tried to move away, Rose muttering a curse under her breath before reaching out for Natalie.

Her fingers brushed across Natalie’s arm, the seraph understanding. Rose still waited for Natalie to nod before speaking. “Teleroi Feorhhyrde.”

“Æledléoma Hlúttre.”

Rose heard Boris speak the name of one of his seraphim, seeing Melody glance his way and then she was gone. Then her own attention was grabbed by the way that water seemed to flow through her, Rose tipping her head back. The armatus felt like sinking underwater in the summer, everything going muffled for a moment before the world lit up.

Ladylake was a paradise of water, Rose feeling out the canals that went around the city and the currents that they caused in the lake. The slow pull of the waterwheel was a bright point in her mind, Rose tipping her head so she could see the scatter of droplets that created a rainbow briefly in the air.

Then, everything clicked into place.

They rolled their shoulders, feeling their hair settle across their shoulders. They adjusted their hold on their naginata. The shaft settled against their callouses, comfortable and familiar.

They turned their attention to the drake, watching it jerk its head back, looking at them. They glanced at the other Shepherd, bright and shining in their armatus. The Shepherd nodded, a feeling of familiarity settling over them. That was their sister and comrade; that was their support.

A roar pulled their attention away. They looked back at the drake, feeling the murk of the malevolence that surrounded it. They could feel the anger, the loneliness and, underneath of that, their brother. Mikleo was still in there, the familiar spark of his being coated in malevolence.

They narrowed their eyes, considering the best way to approach the problem when the drake lunged forward. The earth around its feet cracked, the drake freeing one of its forelegs to step forward. They stood steady as it opened its mouth, the threat obvious. Its hunger is obvious.

They shifted, drawing up the waters of Ladylake around them. It was a strong drake, stronger than they were prepared for, even with it being held. But they could feel the malevolence, and they knew how to pare it back. They turned their naginata lazily, gathering the water closer. It moved in a slow arch, something that caught the drake’s attention. It tensed, bracing itself for their attack, which left it open for the attack from Boris and Meldoy.

The drake roared as flames licked at its haunches, twisting to snap at the two of them. More rock peeled away from its feet, the chains bearing down more tightly. The drake didn’t seem to notice, straining to go after Boris and Melody, which was just what they wanted.

They darted in, slicing with naginata and water deep into the malevolence. They felt it try to push back, try to form back together even as they pulled away.

The malevolence closed around the drake again, the drake trying to boost its power, but it wouldn’t work. They already had an arte working, peeling through the malevolence and sweeping it away.

They spun their naginata around, scything it through the air. Water droplets glistened after it, hitting the malevolence and curling around it. The water wrapped around it, bursting into light in bright, glowing blue as they moved forward.

The drake shrieked, swinging its head down towards them. They twisted away from the snapping teeth to slam the butt of the naginata’s shaft against the drake’s jaw. It growled and backed away, but it wasn’t allowed to get far. Bright blue fire flared up towards the drake’s haunches, making the hellion lurch forward.

It lowered its head at them before jerking its head away. They didn’t know what attracted the drake’s attention, but it moved away from them to something out at the crowd. It roared, breathing out ice with the sound.

They heard the screams of the crowd, but then there was a flare of familiar fire. They didn’t need to turn and look to see that Lailah was protecting the people. That left them plenty of time to focus on the drake.

Already the malevolence was peeling away quickly. Scales were sloughing away and rising up in the blue flames of purification. The flames themselves were staying in contact with the drake longer, burning the malevolence of the drake away. It was far faster than they expected and it was distracting the drake.

It wasn’t lunging for them any longer, it was now twisting to snap at its own flanks, not even realizing that it was lifting one of its feet free.

They stepped back, taking deep breaths even as they looked around to see Boris and Melody backing away as well. The two of them gave the drake a long considering look before meeting their gaze. It didn’t take more than a glance for the two of them to nod. It wasn’t worth dragging the fight out, it would be better to end it before the drake got the change to gather malevolence back to itself.

The closed their fingers more tightly around the staff, getting a better grip on it as they prepared their arte. They pulled the water from the surrounding canals, pulling it close to them even as they felt the pull from Boris and Melody as they wove their arte together. They paid attention long enough to figure out what the other was doing before finishing up their arte, pausing to reach into themselves and seek out the point where the one of them were two.

_“Ready?”_

_“When you are.”_

They held in readiness for a moment more, waiting for the drag of the other arte to be finished. It didn’t take long, Boris and Melody looking up at them with a nod. That was all they needed.

They stepped forward, slashing down with their naginata and pushing their arte out. They felt the release of energy from the other two, the arte singing in the back of their mind along with the rush of water.

They felt the wave break, watching as it rose from the ground to wash away the rock shackles and the chains that were holding the drake down, but it didn’t matter. The drake was pinned down by the wave and the fire that flickered in and around it.

The drake twisted to meet the wave, roared as it crashed down on it. They got a moment to see the drake twisting in the water and then the whole thing twisted up into a pillar of blue flame.

They raised their arm in front of their eyes, flinching back from the heat of the fire. They felt the familiar sparks of Edna’s artes as she stretched out to protect the seraphim close to the drake and Lailah as she braced herself to keep the flames from the people. The flames of purification wouldn’t hurt, but the people were sure to panic if they started skipping over them.

They called water to them, holding it close and shaping it nervously. The water wouldn’t put the flames out, but it gave them something to do with their hands while they waited for the flames to go down. They doubted that they would have to push that kind of arte forward again, but they couldn’t see the anything through the flames, so they had to be ready.

The flames died slowly, burning away the malevolence that had gathered. They frowned at the length of time, tipping their head to the side as they considered the problem.

The flames were just probably feeding off the malevolence that was hovering over the city, burning it away in addition to the malevolence that had formed around the drake.

They breathed a sigh of relief as the flames guttered and started to die. They dropped down to a dull flicker, before guttering out completely, leaving a shivering, naked seraph in their wake.

They had a moment to feel the rush of elation at a job well done before they were pulling apart. They didn’t bother to hold the other back, Rose taking a deep breath as Natalie separated from her.

Rose rubbed her nose, holding it and her breath to let her ears pop. Every once and a while they felt stopped up when she armatized with Natalie, like she had dove underwater too deep and too fast. Rose shook her head, relieved when the sensation quickly disappeared. She still rubbed underneath her ear, looking over at where Mikleo was still kneeling on the ground.

Both Melody and Natalie blocked most of her view, and the other four were quick to close in to look. Rose wasn’t sure if that was the right move, but it protected Mikleo from the sight of the people, at least for the moment.

Rose sighed and looked over at Boris, giving him a smile when she saw him swaying on his feet. The arte that he and Melody had pulled off was more than she had expected from him, and she was impressed. With a bit more practice, he would be a great Shepherd, and he would get plenty of that in the future.

She dropped her hand back to her side, intending to walk over and congratulate him on a job well done when she heard a murmur from the crowd.

Her first instinct was to look back at the seraphim, frowning when she realized that there was nothing happening to Mikleo. Rose turned slightly, meeting Lailah’s gaze as the seraph walked back to the center of the circle. Lailah gave her a gentle smile before tipping her head slightly, the motion directing Rose to where Alisha was walking out of the crowd.

Alisha had two of her knights with her, although they dropped back to stand on the outer edge of the decorative circle while Alisha kept walking. Rose only spared her a glance, her attention going back to Alisha as she reached out to run her fingers down Rose’s arm. Rose wanted to lean into the touch, but Alisha was already moving away.

She pivoted with Alisha, watching as the queen moved towards Mikleo. Alisha didn’t look anywhere other than the seraph, one of her hands resting on the blue fabric draped over her arm. Rose watched as Alisha moved her fingers over the fabric, the woman slowing down as she reached the ring of seraphim.

The seraphim looked back at her, quick to give way. It was that motion that made Rose follow her, trailing after Alisha until she reached the ring of seraphim.

As always, Dezel was quick to step to her side, his hand reaching out to pat at her shoulder to orient himself, and then he went still. Rose took the chance to bump slightly into him. The motion didn’t get him to relax, all of Dezel’s attention still locked on Mikleo. It was enough to make her want to tease him, because it was obvious that it had worked.

There wasn’t a speck of malevolence in the large circle at the center of Ladylake. Mikleo was purified, and so their biggest problem was handled. Rose was sure that there were other strong hellions and maybe they would run into another drake, but this was one victory she was going to be allowed to celebrate because this meant the end. This more than anything meant that they had won.

Rose turned her gaze back to Alisha, watching as she crouched in front of Mikleo. It took Mikleo a moment to look up, the seraph flinching away slightly. Rose saw his lips move, but she couldn’t hear if he said anything.

It didn’t seem to matter to Alisha because she stayed crouched by him. She slowly took the blue fabric from her arm, shaking it out before draping it carefully over Mikleo.

Mikleo started at the motion, but he reached up to grab the front of it, clutching the cape to himself. He looked up at Alisha with wide eyes.

Rose expected some kind of demands or imperious behavior that she had seen from him before, or something more like anger. Instead he remained silent as Alisha gave him a respectful bow from her position. “I’m sorry for putting you through this. I know you probably wanted this done quietly.”

Mikleo raised one shoulder in a shrug before shaking his head. “It needed to be done. You told them that the emperor was dead, but not his dragon.”

Alisha sighed, reaching out like she was going to pat his arm, but she held herself back. Her hand hovered in the air between them before she shook her head and let her hand rest in her lap again. “I know. And I swear that I will do anything to keep this peace.”

Mikleo curled in on himself, Rose seeing his knuckles go white. “Thank you.”

Alisha nodded, obviously fishing for something else to say. When she remained quiet for a moment more, Rose leaned forward to rest her hand on Alisha’s shoulder. Alisha turned to look at her, Rose giving her a nod. “Let’s wrap this up and get him inside.”

That seemed to remind Alisha of where they were. She stood up quickly, Rose relieved that Alisha didn’t push her hand off. Instead, Alisha reached up to touch her hand, running her fingers over it before turning. Only then did Rose allow her hand to slide off, smiling proudly as Alisha walked up to where her knights were waiting.

Rose would have stood there if Edna hadn’t had grabbed her arm, the seraph pulling her off to one side. Rose sighed and settled herself back into the mindset of the Shepherd, looking out at the amazed faces of the people. She turned his head slightly, looking over at where Boris was shifting awkwardly in the circle of his seraphim. It was obvious that he felt a little out of place under so much attention, but Rose was sure that he’d get used to it. Considering what they would be doing, they would be in the public eye for a long while.

She turned her attention back to Alisha as the woman raised her arms above her head. The motion brought the crowd’s attention to her, Alisha not even pausing to make sure that they were listening.

Alisha gave them a nod, Rose sure that she was smiling at them, just like she had always smiled at her troops when she had spoken to them. It was just like she was speaking to a close group, and the people loved her for it.

“The dragon has been purified thanks to our two brave Shepherds! With this act, we have ended the terror brought upon humans and seraphim alike. With this, we have got the peace that we have worked so hard for. Let this be a symbol of our new start, between Hyland and Rolance, and between human and seraphim.”

The crowd erupted into cheers, obscuring whatever Alisha was saying next. From the set of her shoulders, Alisha had planned something else out. Rose watched them twitch up in surprise before they relaxed. Whatever the rest of the speech had been, it probably didn’t matter. The people had heard what they desperately needed to hear, they didn’t have to live in fear any longer.

Rose sighed and took a step back, turning her head as Lailah rested a hand on her arm. The fire seraph looked ready to cry, her other hand reaching up to touch her brooch. Rose smiled and reached up to pat Lailah’s hand. She couldn’t reach out to Edna where the earth seraph was tucked up against her brother, but the expression on her face said it all.

Rose nodded slightly, leaning into Dezel. She grinned when he grumbled, but he was quick to lean back against her. Rose grabbed his arm with her free hand, turning to look for Natalie. She spotted the seraph standing close to Mikleo, but then her attention was caught by the sight of Mikleo getting to his feet.

Mikleo stumbled when he was upright, clutching the cover that Alisha had given him. The motion was enough to make the crowds go silent, the people staring at Mikleo shuffled forward a few steps before coming to a stop. From where she was, Rose could see Mikleo shaking, but she was sure that the crowd was still too far away to see it.

She looked back at the crowd, scanning their faces for any sign of what they were thinking. She felt Lailah tightening her grip on her arm. Rose took a deep breath, feeling a crisp, orange blossom scented wind blow through her as Dezel prepared to armatize. She turned her head as far as she dared, watching him out of the corner of her eye as most her attention went back to Mikleo.

She didn’t know what she expected him to do, because she had never seen him in any situation that could be considered normal. Then again, this wasn’t normal either. She couldn’t think of any other seraph they had purified as a public show.

The silence lasted for a moment longer before the crowd burst into cheers. Rose saw the knights and Mikleo start, her attention focusing on the latter. She expected something explosive from Mikleo, as did Natalie by the way that she stepped forward. Rose sucked in a quick breath, reaching back to hold Natalie in place. They wouldn’t charge in, not until they were sure that something would happen.

To her relief, nothing did.

Mikleo shifted his hold on the covering, one hand keeping it closed while he raised his other hand in a sheepish wave. Rose didn’t know how much of it was for show. Mikleo must have gotten used to acting with Sorey, but that didn’t matter to the crowd. They were appeased and elated, which was all that mattered.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief, nearly laughing as Dezel huffed and shuffled away. The seraph would sulk for a while, at least until the celebrations started. After all the effort that they had put into the purification, they deserved it.

She patted Lailah’s hand, freezing as the cheers turned into words. Rose grinned as she was able to make out what they were saying.

“Maotelus bless Queen Alisha! Maotelus bless King Vanya! Maotelus bless the Shepherds!”

Rose turned to look at Boris, practically laughing when she saw the blush that crossed his face. It was obvious that he wasn’t use to the praise, and his embarrassment made him look more like his brother. Rose shook her head, banishing the thought. It would lead to dangerous places. Besides, she was sure that there would be plenty of opportunities to work her way into Rolance, there was still a lot to be done on that that side of the continent. There was a lot to do on this side as well.

She looked around at the cheering ground and the purified seraph standing in front of her. She could feel the lessening of malevolence in the immediate area. Rose wasn’t sure if it was because Mikleo’s domain had been that strong or if she and Boris had gone a little overboard, although she suspected it was the latter. Even still, it was malevolence cleared out and a seraph saved, it was just the two of them doing their job. And it felt like a really victory, the first they’d had in a while. Defeating Sorey hadn’t felt like that, it had felt necessary and nothing more.

Rose looked out at the cheering crowd and felt her heart lift a little. She was proud about what they had managed to accomplish since the end of the war, a steady peace and the promise of a better world. It was something worth working for and protecting.

It was something that Michael would be proud of.

Her smiled widened at that, Rose tipping her head back and basking in a small part of the world that was completely free of malevolence.

* * *

Mikleo leaned against the wall of his room, looking down at the city. Night had fallen and lanterns had been slung over the streets and canals, making the whole city glow. With the colorful banners still up and the lights sparkling off the water it looked magical.

He shifted his hold on the cover that Alisha had given to him, using his free hand to press his fingertips to the window. He had missed most of the celebration and night falling on the city. As soon as he had been able to move away from the center of Ladylake he had, stumbling into the rooms prepared for him before falling asleep. He hadn’t intended to, but the purification had taken more than he had expected out of him. It hadn’t been like the one he had gotten from Maotelus, this one had hurt more, his still feeling raw from it.

It felt like he had been flayed and then reassembled, every part of him aching. Mikleo didn’t think that it was possible to have the energy he used to do artes hurt, but it throbbed just as much as every other muscle.

Mikleo sighed, tipping his head so it could rest against the wall. He stared at his fingers as they traced out the slightly blurred pattern of lights. He had no interest in the people below, except for the fact that they were making noise. He was still slightly woozy from his nap and the purification, but the sound of their celebrating reminded him that he was awake, that this was real.

He trailed his fingers down the window until they were resting on the sill. He stared at them for a moment before turning his hand over. In a daze, he called on the easiest skill that he had been taught. Mikleo took a deep breath before calling water to him.

He jumped when water flooded into his palm, yelping as the arte ached even as he tried to keep the water from flooding over. He moved quickly, curling the fingers of his other hand over his palm. The motion wasn’t needed, but it was easier to control the rush. Mikleo didn’t even care that the cover had fallen off of him, his full attention was on the sphere of water forming in his hands.

Mikleo gritted his teeth as he brought it back under control, panting for breath. He swallowed, lifting the hand from the top of the sphere of water. It rested comfortably in his other palm, Mikleo staring at it before pulling his other hand away. He took a step back from the sphere, watching as it hovered in the air. He could feel the tension in the water, and what was needed to keep it in the air. Even as he felt the sphere bobbing comfortably in the air, Mikleo expected it to fall apart. But it didn’t, it remained in the air.

He grinned, watching as it bobbed gently towards the ground. Mikleo dropped to a crouch, reaching out to run his fingers over the surface of the bubble. The water tried to cling to his fingers, but it was easily coaxed back. The push of his power did make the sphere bulge a bit, Mikleo quick to correct it. The sphere bulged out the other way, Mikleo pressing his fingers against the sphere until it settled.

He breathed a sigh of relief when it steadied again, tipping his head to the side. It was obvious that he was doing something wrong, and Mikleo could make a guess at what it was.

It had been a long time since he’d been able to use an arte of any kind. He’d gotten so used to the strain that came from trying to use his artes while pregnant that he had pulled too hard. He’d expected to feel that block again, but it hadn’t been there. Mikleo shook his head, rocking back onto his heels.

He watched the sphere hang in the air for a moment longer before banishing it. Mikleo flinched at the awkward pull afterward, checking himself before he pushed too hard on the arte. That was something was going to get used to, and probably something that would need plenty of practice.

Mikleo dropped a hand to the floor, running his fingers over the carpet. Practicing his artes always brought memories of working in the old ruins with one of his family and then alone on the mountaintop. The former had always been fun and the latter had always been a desperate push. Mikleo didn’t know what these practice sessions would be, but he didn’t want them to be like before.

He curled his fingers into the carpet, holding them there for a moment before he got up. Mikleo glanced down at the cover that Alisha had given him, nudging it slightly with his foot. It was nothing more than a blue sheet, blessedly bare of any sigil. It was also the wrong color. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, smiling slightly. Hyland blue was too light, he was used to a darker blue, like a deep lake on a summer day.

Mikleo closed his eyes, giving himself a moment to take a deep breath. He wasn’t going to linger over what else the color reminded him of. He wasn’t particularly keen on having his sister finding him crying. He was sure that she wouldn’t understand it. To Natalie, Sorey had just been a distant figure, something to be quelled and purified.

He swayed in place before pushing the thought aside. He could feel it lurking at the back of his mind, joining in the familiar sharp ache of pain. He would give himself the time to linger on it later, when he wasn’t naked in the middle of Ladylake.

He gave the window one last glance before making his way to the other side of the room. Even in the dim glow of the lights from outside the window he could see the two bundles that were sitting in the chair and on the desk. They hadn’t been in the room when he had first stumbled in, which meant that someone had come it to put them there.

Mikleo felt a shiver run up his spine, reaching up to clutch at his arms. Anything could have been happened when he was asleep. Just because the war was over and Alisha said that seraphim weren’t tools didn’t mean that everyone would believe her. There were bound to be people who still held onto those beliefs, and he hadn’t set up anything to guard himself.

He dug his nails into his arms, taking deep breaths to keep himself from shaking apart. He squeezed his eyes shut, seeking out the bright flashes of light that marked the seraphim in the building. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know most of them, they were seraphim and they were free. No one was going to go after them, not when they were with the Shepherd. As long as he could feel them, then they could feel him. They would watch out for each other, or that is what he hoped. It was only them among the press of humans.

He took a few more deep breaths before letting go of himself. The fear wasn’t completely gone, but he could keep moving. The sooner he got himself going, the sooner he could find his sister and daughter and the sooner he could get out of Ladylake. The city was beautiful and the water called to him, but it was too much after the quiet of the mountain. Besides, it had been a month since he’d last seen Selene and he didn’t want to risk getting tainted. He could feel the malevolence hovering over parts of the city, distant but there. Some instinct told him to run away from it, Mikleo giving the city one last glance before looking down at the bundles.

The one on the desk was a pile of new clothes, Mikleo giving them a glance before turning to the bag on the chair. He opened it up, smiling when he saw his clothes and belongings. He looked through them to check that they were all there, the motion more to calm himself than because he didn’t trust the seraphim who had met him close to Ladylake. He hadn’t known them, but both the female fire seraph and the shirtless wind seraph had seemed kind enough. They promised that his things would be safe, and they had fulfilled their promise.

He took a moment to press his hand against the pile of carefully folded closes before removing them from the bag. Mikleo wrinkled his nose at the strange scent of pine, trying to place it with any of the seraphim that he had met, but he couldn’t manage it. He had seen them briefly before he had transformed into a drake for the last time and then, when he had been purified. He hadn’t remembered from the latter because there had been too many people and the purification had left him addled.

Mikleo stroked his fingers over the robe draped over his arm, smiling to himself. He curled his fingers into the fabric before starting to lay out the clothes on the chair and the desk. He ignored the new pile of clothes for the moment, looking over what he had been wearing. They were showing the wear and tear of six months, and probably wouldn’t last much longer.

He tsked, touching a hole in his outer coat. They were just clothes, but they were a piece of what he’d once had.

His time with Sorey hadn’t been the best, there had been other things on his mind and their focus had been on the war and stealing what little time they could get together. That didn’t meant that he wasn’t any less fond of those times, and he had so little left of them.

Mikleo lifted up the undershirt, turning it over in his hands before holding it up to himself. Mikleo smoothed his hand down the front, distracted from looking it over by the motion of his hand.

It moved smoothly down his chest and over his stomach, with no interruption. Mikleo looked down, surprised by his flat stomach. He hadn’t been paying attention back in Elysia, trying to keep himself busy so he wouldn’t linger over how much he missed his daughter. He hadn’t paid much attention to himself, but there was no doubt that he was back to the way he had been before, with only a little bit of a change.

He frowned as he realized that the shirt fell short on him and probably wouldn’t quite fit right on his shoulders. Mikleo glanced around the small room for a mirror before giving up. He pressed the shirt closer to him before draping it gently over the desk again. He didn’t feel any different, save for the fact that it was so much easier to use his artes.

Mikleo ran his fingers through his hair, playing with the ends that reached well down his back. He looked down at the clothes before shaking his head. They were just things, all part of his act that he was putting on with Sorey. They had been his armor for so long, but he didn’t need it anymore. That didn’t meant that he couldn’t take them with him. They were piece of his memory, something that he wanted to hold onto.

He carefully folded the clothes back up, settling them into a pile. He turned to look back into the bag, smiling when he saw the glitter of gold down at the bottom. Mikleo reached in to pull out the hair ornament, setting it carefully on the desk. He wasn’t going to leave that behind, he felt more naked without it than without clothes.

He ran his fingers lovingly over the gold feathers before he turned his attention back to the bag. He went to put the clothes back into them, freezing when he saw the glint of light off a gem at the bottom.

Mikleo shifted his grip on the clothes to reach in with one hand, pulling out the collar. He dropped the clothes into the bag, staring at the collar. He hadn’t remembered putting it on or taking it off, but he was sure that it was habitual by now.

He lifted the collar up, turning it from side to side as he smiled ruefully at it. It was another thing that he didn’t need anymore. He didn’t need the protection of an appearance that he was owned. He wasn’t the emperor’s dragon anymore, he was just a seraph. Mikleo turned the collar in his hands, watching the sparkle of the light off the gem before shaking his head.

Seraphim weren’t things to be owned anymore, so there was no need to keep the collar. On the other hand, he wanted to keep it because he was owned in a way. He was Sorey’s, it was a place that he had chosen multiple times. It felt dishonest to just do away with all of that.

Mikleo turned the collar in his hands one more time before reaching for the power dancing at his fingertips. Mikleo just barely remembered to pull gently, fumbling with it for a moment before he managed to fashion a thin, sharp shard of ice. He shifted his grip on the collar, eyeing it for a moment before gently beginning to pare it down.

Leather fell away easily, Mikleo carefully avoiding nicking the gem in the center, trying to work it evenly. He wasn’t sure that he managed it, but the collar was pared down from a tight collar into something less obvious, something more casually wearable. Mikleo looked it over before making a few more holes along one side.

It took effort to banish the shard of ice, Mikleo wincing as the water dripped through his fingers for a moment before it vanished. He shook his hand, turning it back and forth before focusing back on the collar. He wrapped it around his wrist, buckling it into place.

Mikleo shook his wrist, nodding when it didn’t slide off. Satisfied, he turned his head to look at the pile of clothes that his sister had brought him.

He stacked them along the desk, parting the layers of them. Mikleo played with the ruffled end of the black shirt before turning his attention to the coat. He ran his fingers along the edges of the blue designs of it. He could even see a hint of what looked like teal and gold on the sleeves. Mikleo stared at the clothes, glancing back at the bag on the chair before giving in. There was no point in wearing the other clothes until they were rags.

He got dressed, pulling on the white pants and black shirt, pausing to play with the ends of it again. He shook his head to focus, taking the boots that were sitting on the desk and slipping them on. Mikleo shook out the coat, slipping into it and letting it hang open for the moment. He reached for the hair ornament, quickly sweeping his hair up into a ponytail and securing it before settling the ornament in place. He breathed a sigh when it was done, feeling himself settle. Like this, he almost felt put back together. Everything might be a bit too bright and a bit too much, but he felt more like himself.

Mikleo reached back to play with the end of his ponytail before walking back to the window. He intended to look down on the celebrations again when there was a knock on the door.

He turned as it opened slightly, tensing when Melody poked her head in. She smiled at him before stepping into the room, shutting the door behind her. She stayed there for a moment, looking around before flicking her fingers in the direction of the lamps on the desk. The motion was enough to get them to flicker to life, Melody nodding to herself as she turned her attention back to him. “There’s no point in sitting in the dark is there.”

Mikleo stared at her, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. Melody was supposed to be safe in Lohgrin, he had seen her off. He had lived on the hope that his family was safe in Lohgrin. The world was safer now that the war was over, but the malevolence was still heavy and he couldn’t imagine how she had made it on her own.

He swallowed and took a step forward, trying to speak but the words wouldn’t come out. He had prepared himself for the fact that he wouldn’t see her for years. He had been ready to wait for her to decide to come back with the others. But she had come back and that meant the world.

Mikleo stumbled forward a few steps, relieved when Melody reached out to catch him. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. The pressure was a bit too much and it made the rawness of his skin from the purification worse, but he didn’t care. He dug his fingers into Melody’s shirt, holding her just as close.

He heard her laugh, the sound a little bit more like a sob, but he ignored it. He was sure that his own voice carried the same sound when he finally got it to work. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He felt Melody press a kiss to the side of his head, her lips lingering there for a moment before she pulled back. She didn’t go far, pressing their foreheads together. She reached up with one hand to cup his cheek, looking into his eyes. It didn’t take long for her smile to come back, Melody combing her fingers through his hair. “I’m glad to see you. I had heard so much on the way here…and then you were…You scared me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. No.” Melody shook her head. “You’ve done nothing wrong. You and Sorey were doing this all alone, and I just wish that I had been there to help. But it took so long to get back from Lohgrin.”

Mikleo clutched at her, his heart racing at the thought of her making her way back from Lohgrin on her own. “How?”

“With a Shepherd.” Melody laughed. “You didn’t expect me to just sit in Lohgrin while you and Natalie were out here, did you?”

Mikleo shook his head, relaxing his hold on her. “No. I guess not. I’m glad you’re here.”

“I just wish I couldn’t have gotten here sooner.” Melody went quiet for a moment, Mikleo feeling a cold shiver run down his spine.

He shook his head before she could say anything. “No. Don’t.”

“But-”

“ _Please_.” Mikleo met her gaze, hoping that she would understand. He didn’t want to hear her apologize for Sorey, he didn’t want to talk about what had happened. It still hurt too much, despite the passage of months.

Melody looked at him for a moment, but she didn’t say anything, she just hugged him more tightly. Mikleo sighed and leaned into her, resting his forehead on her shoulder.

It was comforting to be held so close, Mikleo breathing in her familiar scent. It was almost enough to make him drift off to sleep. Mikleo was sure that he could manage a few more hours, maybe long enough to stop feeling like he was scrubbed raw. Then again, that would mean letting go of Melody, which was something that he didn’t want to do. He wanted to keep everything that was precious to him as close as possible so he didn’t lose anything else.

He bit his lip when Melody pulled away, trying not to make any noise. Even if nothing slipped out, he was sure that Melody understood what he was thinking. She gave him a long look before pushing him back to the bed.

Mikleo went willingly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Melody was quick to sit next to him, reaching for his hand and holding it tightly. “We have a lot to catch up on.”

Mikleo gave her a thankful smile, about to start speaking when the door creaked open again. He perked up when Natalie’s familiar scent wafted in, but it had something different mixed in with it, something unfamiliar and slightly milky. Mikleo tipped his head to the side, running over what it could be when Natalie stepped into the room.

His attention immediately went to the bundle she carried, Mikleo standing up as Natalie crossed the room. Mikleo glanced at her just long enough to see the smile on her face before he walked over to her, already holding his arms out. “Can I…”

“Of course.” Natalie shook her head, already settling Selene in Mikleo’s arms. She reached out to correct his hold, but Mikleo barely felt it, he was too busy staring down at his daughter.

Selene seemed just as enthralled. She stared up at him, serious consideration on her face. Then it was gone, Selene squealing and flailing out. Mikleo could only smile down at her, reaching out to take one of her flailing hands in his own. “Hello, bun. Remember me?”

Selene answered with another squeal, Mikleo not sure if it counted as an answer. It didn’t matter, because Selene was back in his arms, where she belonged.

He cradled her close, rocking her from side to side as he studied her. She felt heavier than before, more solid than first time he had held her. She was bigger too, Selene taking up more space in his arms. That alone was enough to cause the knot of worry in his chest to loosen a bit. She hadn’t been hurt by his choices, she was recovering from them and that was more than enough.

He shifted his grip on her fist, allowing her to grab onto his finger. Selene flailed for a moment more before settling down, seemingly content to hold onto him. Mikleo was more than happy to have her hold onto him, because it meant that he had the time to really look at her. He’d gotten a brief chance back in Elysia, and that was only by moon and starlight. The room was bright enough to get a good look at her, Mikleo smiling when he saw the color of her eyes.

They were still the same green, still just as lively. Her nose was Sorey’s too, although he couldn’t tell much more because of the baby fat on her. Mikleo chuckled, turning the hand that she was still clinging to so he could run his free fingers over the curve of her cheek. He looked up at the top of her head, smiling at the fuzz that was starting to turn into brown ringlets. His gaze didn’t linger long, Selene’s rapidly shifting expressions catching his attention.

He grinned at the wide, open mouth smile that he got, turning his head when Selene’s attention abruptly shifted. Mikleo watched as Melody edged up behind him.

She looked over his shoulder, Mikleo watching as her expression went soft. “Oh. She’s beautiful.”

“Isn’t she?”

Melody nodded vaguely, taking a hold of his shoulder. “I saw her briefly before the purification but…” Melody shook her head, reaching out with her free hand to brush her fingers over Selene’s cheek. “She looks a lot like you.”

Mikleo frowned and looked back at Selene, trying to see what Melody did. But there was nothing about him in her, and that would be a danger. Mikleo stroked his fingers over Selene’s cheek, trying not to shiver. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

He leaned forward to kiss her forehead, smiling against her skin when Selene squealed. He kissed her forehead again before pulling back slightly. “I don’t know about that. What do you think, bun?”

Selene flailed with one hand, Mikleo shaking his head. He doubt that she was really understanding his words, it was all in his tone of voice and he could be nothing but fond when he was looking at her. She was back in his arms, right where she belonged. It was enough to make him never want to let go.

He looked back up at Melody as she cooed at Selene, smiling at the way that Selene reached for her. Melody kept her fingers out of reach, smiling down at her. “You’re going to be a handful, I can tell.”

“Don’t intimidate him.” Natalie reached out to swat at Melody’s shoulder, a smile crossing her face. “She’s been nothing but well behaved this entire time, even when we came to Ladylake. The only time she gets fussy is when the Earthpulse pulses a lot of energy through. You’ve just got to walk her then.”

Mikleo looked up at her, blinking in surprise. Natalie gave him a knowing smile, holding up the bag in her other hand. “You weren’t going to stay, were you?”

Mikleo swallowed and shook his head. Ladylake was too full of people, too full of noise. He was used to the quiet of Elysia. Besides, he wouldn’t be able to join in the celebrations. The people were celebrating the end of the war and the death of the two things that they had considered dangerous to them. They were celebrating Sorey’s death.

He ducked his head, distracting himself with watching Selene. She was ignorant of the goings on, too busy looking between the three of them. Mikleo didn’t know what she was looking for, but she seemed content to watch them all and hold onto his finger. Mikleo rocked her gently in his arms, buying himself time to gather himself together. He didn’t think that it mattered, not when Melody and Natalie could read him well. After all, they had both been there after his first heat with Sorey and Natalie had been there for Selene’s birth. They might not know everything, but they probably knew enough to fill in the gaps.

Mikleo looked back up when he heard Natalie sigh, expecting to see disappointment on her face. Instead, Natalie was looking at Selene, smiling down at the baby. “I’ve gotten used to having her around.”

He swallowed, trying to find the words. He didn’t want to take Selene away from the two of them, because the three of them were all that they had left and now Selene was a part of that. She deserved to grow up with family, with people who loved and cherished her. But Mikleo couldn’t imagine them living in Ladylake nor could he imagine following the Shepherds. It would be too dangerous for Selene and someone was bound to piece together where she had come from, especially since Sorey was at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

He licked his lips, hoping that he could find a way to get Natalie to understand. “I-”

“Mikleo,” the expected annoyance was in her voice, Mikleo flinching as he looked up at her. Natalie stared at him for a moment before sighing. She stepped forward to rest a hand on his shoulder. She leaned close to him, staring at him for a moment before shaking her head. “You don’t have to do this alone, we’re not going to let you.”

“But-”

“Go on home, Melody and I will follow in a while to help you get settled. We can stay for a week, maybe more, but we’re not going to disappear. You’re not going to send us away again.”

Mikleo stared at her in shock before turning to look at Melody. She looked just as determined as Natalie, and that made him relax. He didn’t want to let either of them go again, sending them away to Lohgrin the first time had been hard enough. Besides, the two of them deserved the chance to spend time with Selene. Mikleo didn’t think that either of them would give up their position with the Shepherds, they both seemed too happy with their pacts, but a week was a good start.

He stopped his rocking, taking a deep breath only to be interrupted when Natalie went to pick up the other bag still sitting in the desk chair. She gave it a quick look before slinging both bags over her shoulder. Natalie gave him a smile as she headed towards the door. “I have a horse waiting. Melody or I will bring it back when we’re done. But you should leave now while the celebration is concentrated in one spot. It’ll start spreading through the city soon.”

Mikleo looked over his shoulder at the lights from the city, smiling at the sight of them. They were beautiful and the water in the canals called to him, but even that wasn’t as strong as his need to get away. Ladylake had nothing for him, and Elysia called more strongly.

He adjusted his hold on Selene, tucking her more securely against him. He glanced down at her, meeting her interested gaze with a smile. He bounced her gently, getting a giggle from Selene. Mikleo couldn’t help but chuckle back. He leaned forward to kiss her head, quick to settle her into place on his shoulder. Mikleo patted her back, walking over to where Natalie was waiting.

“Come on, bun, let’s go home.”


	40. Epilogue

 “Do not stand at my grave and weep.  
I am not there, I do not sleep.  
I am a thousand winds that blow,  
I am the diamond glints on snow.  
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,  
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.”  
-Anonymous

* * *

 

“I thought I’d find you here.” Sergei grinned as his brother turned around, nodding at Boris.

Boris was slow to respond, Sergei watching as his brother’s arm lifted partially before it stopped. He caught the wince that crossed Boris’ face before his brother waved at him. It was enough to make Sergei want to push, but he knew better than to do that. Boris was always quiet, but it got worse when he was pushed on a subject. It was easier to just sit back and wait to be told what he was looking for. Then again, just because it was easier didn’t mean that Sergei liked it any better.

He picked up his pace, reaching out to grab his brother’s arm and haul him close into a hug. He heard Boris grunt as he pulled them together, but Boris was quick to laugh and pat his back. Sergei thought he felt Boris squeeze him close, but he didn’t comment on it.

He was used to the strange habits that Boris had fallen into. It was just something to be expected when his brother spent most of his time traveling all over Glenwood. He breathed in the familiar scent of evergreen and herbs, using it to reassure himself even as it pulled back. It was Boris home, healthy and safe. Sergei trusted his little brother and the seraphim that worked with him, but he couldn’t shake the worry that one day Boris would come back hurt.

Or he wouldn’t come back at all.

He swallowed as he let go, looking his brother over. With the time that they spent apart, it was all too easy to spot the changes in Boris. Sergei cast a critical eye over his brother, shaking his head at what he saw. He was used to Boris coming back looking exhausted. Despite the general lessoning of malevolence it still wasn’t easy to clear. It had only been ten years, and Glenwood was a large continent. For all Sergei knew, it was only Boris and Rose working to clear the malevolence, although he had never gotten around to asking Rose. Whenever they got together his mind was on other things.

Sergei cleared his throat, trying to hide his blush. He turned his head when Boris shot him a knowing look. It wouldn’t be enough to stop the teasing that was sure to follow, but it would postpone it. That would be enough for now and it would buy him the time he needed to figure out an excuse to steer the conversation away from that topic.

He glanced around, searching the crowds for one of the four seraphim that was always around Boris. Usually they would hang around long enough to say hello. Zaveid seemed to think it was hilarious to give a report on how Boris was doing in a style that barely passed as a formal report. Sergei had almost started to look forward to it, if only to see his brother squirm. Besides, Boris seemed to think that it would be better for the both of them if he left out some of the more dangerous details of what he was up to, but Zaveid never shied away from them.

Sergei rocked back on his heels, pausing when Boris shook his head. His brother grabbed his arm and started to haul him down the road. “They have the day off so they’ve scattered to the wind. Zaveid said something about coming around tomorrow, but who knows with him.”

There was a familiar forced joviality to Boris’ voice, Sergei sighing when he heard it. He glanced down the street, looking around at the crowds before he shook his head. “What happened?”

“Nothing we can’t handle.” That sounded more like the old Boris, but Sergei still watching his brother out of the corner of his eye. Boris sighed, reaching up with his free hand to card his fingers through his hair. Sergei caught another wince, but he didn’t get the chance to ask about it because Boris was plowing on. “It was just a lot at once. We found an old stash of seraphic weapons, then there was a bunch of hellions in one town that decided to lead us on a chase through half of Rolance, and then there was whatever was bothering those fishermen at Quimper. I think we got it, but what we found didn’t match their descriptions so we might be going back.”

Boris sighed and tipped his head back, Sergei watching as his brother scanned over the walls. Boris looked them over before shaking his head. “It’s enough to make me wish I got a Squire or two, like Rose did. It would probably ease the strain. It’s just…how do you find one.”

“Not from the Platinum Knights, you don’t.”

“Damn.” Boris huffed out a laugh bumping his shoulder against Sergei’s before he went back to his study of the walls.

Sergei watched him for a moment before turning his attention to the walls. He could easily pick out the charcoal grey of the Pendrago Guard, the militia force circling the walls of the city. The Guard itself was a throwback to the days when the people of Pendrago had overthrown Pope Reno and taken control of the city. They were the pride and joy of Pendrago, always stationed just opposite of the Platinum Knights for parades and official state visits.

He scanned over the walls, nodding when he saw the familiar red and black of the Platinum Knights, watching the new recruits following the path of the Guards. It was a normal part of the guard rotation and Sergei was sure that Guards were relieved to have the help. The change must have happened recently because the knights on the wall looked energetic.

It was enough to make Sergei chuckle, something that he was sure that the captains on the wall were doing. The cadets would wear themselves out soon enough, which would settle them in time for sword practice. Sergei would count it a victory if they made it through the week without any injuries.

Then again, that might be asking too much, but he could hope. It would mean less work for him and Nestor. Sergei couldn’t remember the last time Nestor hadn’t ended the week without reports of injuries or problems happening during training. It would be a relief for the both of them, especially since Parliament was promising new laws coming out at the end of their session. Just when that would happen Sergei didn’t know, but he would have to adjust anyway.

Sergei sighed and rolled his shoulder, reaching up to rub at it as is caught and ache. His fingers sought out the point where the ache was the worse, Sergei digging his fingers into the place. It helped momentarily, but it would come back, it always did. It was enough to make him consider taking a few days off to go to the hot springs in Lastonbell or the ones that were starting up in Biroclef Ridge. A few days of soaking would help, but it wouldn’t fix anything. It was enough to make him miss Lailah and her gentle touch, but relief from old injuries was not a reason to reach out to Rose again about becoming Squire. Besides, he couldn’t abandon the Platinum Knights, not while he was the public face of them. If not that then he was sure that both Andrei and Vanya would go insane without him around.

He lowered his arm with a groan, looking over at Boris. His brother was giving him one of his considering looks, the one that made him feel like he was being weighed and measured. He saw the corner of Boris’ mouth twist up, Sergei expecting to be teased for getting old or scolding for pushing himself too far. Instead, Boris just sighed and reached out to pat his shoulder. “Old wounds, right?”

“Yeah.” Sergei rolled his shoulder one last time before shaking his head. “It would probably be better if I was out working it every day, but a desk don’t lend itself to working muscles. You’re probably better off.”

Boris laughed, shaking his head. “Maybe, but you get sore from using the same muscles and then more injuries. The seraphim help but,” Boris shrugged, “we are only human.”

Sergei stared at him, shaking his head. “You’re sounding like General Ardelean.” He knocked into Boris, watching his brother for any hint of a smile. “What happened to my baby brother? Or do all Shepherds get this wise?”

Boris raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. “I wish I could absorb wisdom from seraphim. I might actually gain something other than scars. Then again…” He hummed to himself before shrugging. “Maybe I haven’t noticed because it’s just the five of us or maybe because I’ve gotten good and translating what the seraphim mean to say out of whatever they actually say.”

The smile on Boris’ face was fond, Sergei finding himself matching it. It sounded just like the way that they had talked about their comrades, which soothed the constant worry. He was sure that Boris was fine and that the seraphim were taking care of him, but it was still his family and the life of the Shepherd seemed like a lonely one. Sergei hadn’t been aware of how spread out the towns in Rolance were until he had looked on a map and imagined Boris traveling across the expanses on his own. Boris was more than capable of taking care of himself, but there was still enough to worry him.

He settled against Boris’ side for a moment, leaning into him before stepping away. “So, what brings you back to Pendrago?”

“It was on our way.” Boris shrugged, looking around. He stared down one of the streets, seeming to remember something a moment later. He turned back to look at Sergei, flashing him a smile. “Nothing else, I swear.”

“I trust you. Besides, we should have heard something by now. I think there’s a Lord of the Land somewhere.” Sergei scratched the back of his neck, looking around. There had been a gradual lessening of malevolence over the past months and it wasn’t because of the Shepherds. Boris would just show up when he felt like it. Rose at least wrote semi-regularly so he could track her progress. If she didn’t, then it was because she had gotten wind of Alisha or Sergei traveling to each other.

He sighed and let his hand drop. “I don’t know where they are, but they’re not in the city center.”

Boris hummed. “Interesting. I’ll check that out before I head out. I wasn’t aware that there were any seraphim out this way anyway.” He gave Sergei a wry smile. “They tend to prefer places like Biroclef Ridge, or places far from people. It won’t hurt to drop in to pay them a visit. It could mean that more seraphim are coming out from Lohgrin…”

Boris went silent for a moment, Sergei watching him think it over. It was a familiar expression, Boris was always calculating and thinking. Sergei knew that it was better to just leave Boris until he had worked through it.

He turned his attention back to the city, looking through the streets. He smiled at some of the people who waved at him.

He was a familiar face walking through the city. Sergei used his personal patrols as an excuse not to keep sitting at his desk. After so much time on the move it was strange to be sedentary. Ten years of working at his job in Pendrago hadn’t changed that. If anything, it made him want to get back to the way that he had been used to running the Platinum Knights. Reading reports from his desk was no replacement for riding out himself. But he had others to do that for him, knights that weren’t needed all the time in Pendrago like he was. It was just a consequence of his position, and Sergei couldn’t give it up. He was needed in Pendrago.

Sergei looked back at his brother, Boris’ expression clearing up. Sergei didn’t know if he had figured out what he was going to do or if he had finished talking to the seraphim. Either way, Boris was looking around eagerly. Sergei saw him smile at a few things, surprised by the wistful look that crossed Boris’ face.

His brother stepped away from him, heading down another street. He turned his head to look over his shoulder. “It’s been a while since we’ve been back to the Valkyrie. I’ve missed their beer.”

“It hasn’t improved.”

“Please,” Boris snorted, shaking his head, “you can’t improve that kind of perfection. Unless they’ve stopped serving the Platinum Knights.”

Sergei laughed and followed him, trailing after his brother until the crowd allowed him to walk beside him. He glanced over at Boris, expecting him to continue pushing for information about the tavern. They hadn’t visited the Valkyrie in years, and Pendrago itself was always changing even with Boris’ spare visits.

Sergei frowned the longer that Boris remained silent. It was one thing to want to wait to catch up until they were sitting down, but it was another to go completely silent. Usually Boris asked for more information on the Platinum Knights or what had changed in the government since the last time he had come around.

He bit his lip, trying to figure out a subject to start them on when Boris sighed. Boris slumped slightly, looking ahead instead of meeting his gaze. He rolled his shoulders forward, looking small even as he spoke up. “I’ve been thinking about retiring lately.”

Sergei felt laugher boil up at the announcement, but he kept it in check. He swallowed and looked his brother over in concern. “You’re only thirty-five.”

Boris rolled his eyes, Sergei relieved by the obvious sign of his annoyance. “Not immediately, I can’t just give this up without having someone ready to take it on.” Boris played with the end of his cloak before shaking his head. “I have to get a Squire for that and train them up well. And then I’ll consider it. But the wear and tear on me…”

He shrugged, giving Sergei a wry smile. “There’s some things that the seraphim can’t fix no matter how hard they try and I don’t want to make them. But there comes a time when you realize that you can’t raise your arm as high as it should go or that your knee is a little bit trickier than before. And that’s when you consider retiring.”

Sergei hummed, understanding Boris’ line of thought, but it still spent a chill down his spine. They were the same age and he had never considered what would happen after he was done with the Platinum Knights, although he had a sneaking suspicion that he would never be. They had been his life for so long that he didn’t know what else he would want to do. He supposed that he had a way out because he wouldn’t have to swing a sword, there was always a place behind a desk for him but the consideration made him start to worry.

He shook his head, trying to push the thought away. That was something to think about later when he wasn’t planning to spend the entire day with his brother. There were other things to be focusing on. It still didn’t stop him from pushing forward. “So, what are you thinking of doing?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never really considered it too much.” Boris tipped his head back, Sergei letting him stare at the awnings that were strung up on either side of the street. His silence didn’t last too long, Boris shrugging. “Maybe running something like an inn. If there’s one thing that being a Shepherd has taught me, it’s the importance of a good inn, especially one that will cater to Shepherds. It’s all well and good to be camping out but after your twelfth group of hellions everything is just one big ache.”

Sergei didn’t bother to hide his smile, elbowing his brother in the side. “That sounds very practical. Now I really wonder what happened to by brother.”

“Maybe he matured.”

“Maybe.” Sergei chuckled, looking ahead at the building on either side of them. They were still in a commercial district, most of the shops open and full of people who were going about their day. He watched as a gaggle of children ran down the street, stepping closer to Boris to let them pass. He heard a few of them gasp at the sight of him, but they were moving too fast for him to hear anything else. If anything, their wonder would be quickly forgotten for something else. He looked over at his brother grinning as he elbowed him again. “Boris’ Canteen.”

“Why not?” Boris shoved back against him putting space between the two of them again. “I can see it now, right on the main road.”

“I can see it too, drunken degenerates making a mess. Debt collectors always knocking on your door with bills.”

“It will be a respectable establishment. One of us has to make the effort, for Mom’s sake.”

Sergei glared at his brother, watching as Boris laughed. He was tempted to make a grab for his brother, but he was aware that they were both in uniform. The Shepherd might have a little leeway with their actions, but he was still the general of the Platinum Knights. There was a certain amount of decorum that he had to act with. It was enough to make him wish that he could be out of uniform, but he was always on duty.

He sighed, starting to plot what to do to get back at his brother when a sharp gust of wind blew down the street. Sergei felt Boris’ cloak slap against him, but he ignored it in favor of watching the rush of papers towards him. He stared at them for a moment before jolting into action, grabbing a few of them even as he heard someone shout from down the street.

“Catch them, please!”

Sergei didn’t look up to see who had shouted for them, too busy lunging for a long sheet of parchment that was skittering along the cobblestones. He twisted to follow the motion of another paper only for Boris to grab it. Sergei nodded at his brother, tucking the papers under his arm. He shook out the long sheet that he had grabbed, going to roll it up when he saw the old map. He glanced around for any more papers, lunging for the last one that was trying to get away.

He fumbled with his handful of papers, relieved when Boris took them. Sergei nodded at his brother, concentrating on the old map as he carefully rolled it up. He caught sight of a few names that he didn’t recognize, but there were two that he did. Logres was marked clearly where Pendrago stood and it was hard to ignore the way that Midgand was scrawled across the continent. He tipped his head to the side, finish rolling the map up before shaking his head. What they had was probably the misfortune of an academic who was walking along the street, but he was surprised that any library would have let such old documents go.

He looked up the street, taken aback by the sight of a young girl rushing towards them. All thoughts of a tenured academic were blown out of the water as she rushed towards him, her yellow dress billowing out around her.

She stumbled to a stop, blowing up at her bangs. When they settled in the same place, she reached up to run her fingers through them. She gave up on them a moment later, looking up at the two of them with familiar green eyes and a wide smile.

Sergei could only stare at her, but she didn’t seem to notice. She just shifted the papers and rolls that had remained in her arms, the bright smile never leaving her face. “Thanks for catching those. I thought the wind was going to take them away.”

He swallowed, trying to get the words out of his throat, but he couldn’t manage it. Sergei breathed a sigh of relief when Boris took a step forward and crouched in front of the girl.

Boris offered her the papers, the only sign that he was as shocked as Sergei the stiff way that he held himself. “You just be careful with them, they look old.”

The girl nodded, taking the papers before tucking them under her arm. “I will. I just didn’t-”

She cut herself off with a squeak, her eyes going wide. The girl leaned out slightly, staring at the cloak that had spread out around Boris. She stared at the black patterns on the white fabric, clutching the papers closer to her chest. “S-Shepherd Boris.”

Boris nodded, rocking back slightly. The distance didn’t seem to be enough to shake her out of her shock. She kept staring at the cloak before jerking her gaze over to Sergei. He heard her squeak out something that sounded like his name before she ducked her head, hiding her face in the papers. Boris chuckled, lifting his hand to wave Sergei over.

Sergei took a step forward, not daring to drop down, because he was afraid he would go into a bow. It was hard not to, because there was so much that he recognized in the girl’s face. It was in the shape of her jaw, her nose, the brown of her hair before it faded down into an earth seraph’s yellow. But, most of all, it was in her eyes. It had been ten years but he hadn’t forgotten that color, he couldn’t when he had spent so many years looking at those same eyes and certainly not when there was a portrait of the late emperor installed with the rest of his family in the portrait gallery.

There was nothing about the girl that didn’t remind him of Sorey.

He swallowed, offering her the map. She took it wordlessly, holding it tight to her as she took a step back.

For a horrible moment, he was sure that it was fear. There weren’t many calculations to make, not after he’d been there the day that Sorey had died. Mikleo had been pregnant then and, to the best of his knowledge, nothing had been done about it. At least, nothing that he had heard about.

The last he had heard of Mikleo, the seraph had been purified and then retreated to Camlann to act as Lord of the Land. He hadn’t kept an ear out for rumors, because he had been busy. The only time he had thought about it was when he had helped clear Sorey’s stuff, and that had just as a solution for where Sorey’s belongings should go, other than in storage. And that had been the last time he’d thought of Mikleo, Sergei not sure if it had been a willing act on his part or if he had just gotten too busy.

Either way, it was a grave miscalculation. He hadn’t thought about what Mikleo was doing or even that there was a chance of a child. For all he knew, Mikleo could have told her exactly what had happened to her father, and Sergei wouldn’t blame him for it, just like he couldn’t blame the girl for her fear.

Sergei took a deep breath, trying to cobble together something that could be an apology when the girl reached up to push her bangs out of her face. If her eyes and face hadn’t been enough of a clue to her identity, the flash of the familiar circlet was. Sergei’s gaze lingered on the jewel in the center, before he looked down at the girl, expecting some kind of anger or fear.

Instead, he was treated to a smile as the girl looked between the two of them. “It’s…it’s an honor to meet the two of you. I’ve heard so many stories. And when we came here I had hoped…but I never guessed that I would meet the both of you.”

She finished with a wide smile, Sergei not sure what to do in the face of it. He was used to being a nonentity, because he was usually too busy or because the people of Pendrago was used to him. Any attention he did get was only when he was a part of ceremonies and that was because he was with the king. If anything, he expected to get this sort of attention when he was old, and maybe after his death.

He swallowed and looked over at Boris, hoping that he would have something to say about the matter. Everything he wanted to ask involved Sorey and Sergei wasn’t sure how far he could push. He saw the same blank look on Boris’ face, feeling his stomach twist. There was so much he wanted to know and it was so hard to find the right words.

Sergei cleared his throat, looking back at the girl. Her expression hadn’t changed, although her desperate grip on the papers had lessoned.

She glanced between the two of them, looking like she was ready to speak up again when there was a shout from further down the street.

“Selene?!”

Sergei sucked in a quick breath, watching as Selene jumped and turned. He mouthed the name to himself, wondering at it when the girl waved as someone. He saw her mouth start to form a word, but she stopped herself. She swallowed hard, her smile wavering for a moment before it was back in full force. “Mikleo!”

He tensed at the name, his gaze jerking up to the crowd. He looked for the familiar seraph, skipping over him a few times before his gaze finally settled on the seraph running his way.

If Selene hadn’t shouted for him, he never would have recognized the seraph. In the ten years since he had last seen Mikleo the seraph had grown from a gangly teenager to something more like he expected a seraph to look like. Even sprinting towards them he looked graceful and like a force of nature, which made him shiver.

He took a step back, ignoring the confused look that Boris shot him. Boris was used to the seraphim, but he was not. The few times that he had seen seraphim they had been working their artes and dangerous.

The last time he had seen Mikleo, it had been after Sorey had died, and there was no telling how the seraph would react.

He watched as Mikleo rushed over to Selene, dropping to a crouch by her. “I told you not to wander off. You could have gotten lost.”

“But the papers.” Selene shifted the papers in her arms. “The wind blew them away, and you said that they were important.”

Mikleo sighed, tipped his head so their forehead were pressed together. “Not as important as you, bun.”

Selene giggled, leaning into him before she was turning away. She didn’t have a free arm to gesture at them, but she nodded in their direction. “Besides, if I hadn’t I would have found General Strelka or Shepherd Boris.”

That got Mikleo’s head to jerk up, Sergei freezing under Mikleo’s glare. There was a small part of him that was glad that it was nothing like it had been before. There was nothing of ice or cold in Mikleo’s expression, it was just concern and surprise. He swallowed, standing steady as Mikleo looked them over, the seraph staring for a long time before standing up. 

Sergei didn’t miss the way that Mikleo reached for Selene, dropping a protective hand on her head. Sergei glanced over at Mikleo’s other hand, expecting to see the seraph’s staff there and ready to attack.

To his surprise, Mikleo just nodded at them. “Thank you for helping her.”

He opened his mouth to speak, surprised when Boris stepped partially in front of him. “It’s no problem at all.”

Sergei frowned, trying to meet his brother’s gaze. He didn’t want to risk too much, not when Mikleo was obviously not being threatening, but there was too much that he wanted to ask. There was too much about Selene that he needed to know.

He cleared his throat, seeing fear flit across Mikleo’s face. It didn’t stay there long, Selene quick to pipe up. “If they are in the Platinum Knights, do you think that they knew your soldier?”

Sergei was taken aback by the question, his gaze jumping over to Mikleo. Mikleo managed to meet his gaze for a moment, Sergei seeing the wariness change into something different, but then Mikleo was looking away. “Probably.”

Sergei looked down at Selene, understanding blooming as she looked between the two of them like she expected and story or answers. He had plenty of both, but all he could think of was the way that Mikleo had looked when he had left him on the mountain, dwarfed in the red of the empire and surrounded by graves. He remembered what Boris had told him of Mikleo’s purification when his brother had stopped by Pendrago the first time, about how the people had celebrated that Sorey was dead and had cheered that fact to the sky. He remembered what everyone said about Sorey and the way that Vanya and Alisha danced around the subject, because no one would believe otherwise, because they wanted everything to be simpler. And it was simpler with someone to hate.

He curled his hand into a fist, remembering the boxes that he had sent to Camlann filled to the brim with Sorey’s things, because he hadn’t wanted them to be burned or forgotten about. Filled with stories about Sorey and everything he had been. Filled with danger, because Selene was so much like Sorey, and it wouldn’t take too much for people to be frightened again. Seraphim might have been few and far between, but that wouldn’t matter if they knew that she was his.

It would be impossible to watch it happen a second time. It would be worse because Selene had done nothing but exist.

Sergei met Mikleo’s gaze as he looked back, seeing the fear lingering there and the way that Mikleo moved closer to Selene. There was a part of him that wanted to ignore all of that and bow to Selene, except that it would do nothing. The empire was gone and any claim to the throne with it. Besides, he had seen the throne kill too many, he was not going to allow it to take another person. It was enough to know that Sorey hadn’t totally disappeared from the face of the earth. He could be content with that.

He smiled, sure that it looked as fragile and brittle as he felt. “I think we may have a few, but they’ll have to wait for another day. You don’t want those papers to blow off again.”

Selene pouted, staring at him for a moment before she looked down at the papers. She swayed in place before looking up at Mikleo. “They did say by noon, didn’t they?” She sighed and nodded, shifting the papers to one hand so she could reach up and take Mikleo’s hand. “Okay, but you have to promise to share them. Mikleo doesn’t like talking about him.”

The last part was delivered as a whisper, but Sergei was sure that Mikleo had heard by the way that he sucked in a quick breath. The seraph was quick to look away, Sergei not sure if he should apologize or not. It had been too long and he didn’t think that Mikleo would be as willing to hear an apology now as he had been before.

Sergei cleared his throat, watching as Mikleo turned to look at him. He was careful to avoid the seraph’s gaze, choosing to focus on where Selene was pressed up against his side. “Will you still be in town tomorrow? I think we’ll be free then.”

“Mikleo?”

“We should be.” Mikleo hesitated before giving Sergei a nod. “Thank you…for everything.”

Sergei could only nod back, his mouth going dry as Mikleo looked down at Selene with a soft smile. “Come on, bun. Let’s get those papers to the library before they escape again.”

Selene nodded, turning her head to give them a wide smile before she fell into step beside Mikleo. She was quick to tuck herself against his side, Sergei sure that she was chattering with the way that Mikleo was looking down at her. The seraph’s expression said as much, Sergei not sure that he had ever seen Mikleo looking as fond.

He sighed, turning his head to look back at Boris. For a moment, he was jealous at the thoughtful look on his brother’s face. Boris was better at concealing what he was feeling, Sergei was sure that he still just looked stunned. He reached up to scrub a hand over his face, trying to put his thoughts into some kind of order. They refused to fall into something helpful, Sergei sighing and giving up in favor of asking the one question that was clamoring at the forefront of his mind. “Did you know?”

Boris shook his head, the thoughtful look not leaving his face. “No. Melody never said anything, and he looked like that when we purified him.”

“It happened before then.” Sergei tapped his fingers against his leg, trying to run the calculations before shaking his head. He didn’t know enough about seraphim to figure it out, nor did it matter. He didn’t think that Selene could be anything but Sorey’s. For all of Mikleo’s faults, he had been loyal to Sorey and it explained so much about the two of them. Ten years was a long time to hear nothing, and to keep it all from the Shepherds. After all, Boris had been in the dark and Rose had never mentioned it. As far as he could see, if they had been anywhere else, they would have never known.

He frowned, swaying forward only for Boris to reach out and stop him. Sergei turned to look at his brother, slightly disappointed when Boris shook his head. “Don’t.”

“But-” Sergei cut himself off with a curse. He knew that Boris was right, but it was hard to convince himself of that. He had sworn oath after oath to Sorey to protect and serve him, with the full expectation that he would be doing the same for Sorey’s children. He hadn’t been able to save his prince, but he might be able to stand by Sorey’s daughter and help her.

Then again, she had Mikleo by her side and she was a seraph herself. That already put her out of his reach. Besides, he wouldn’t want to put her on the throne, not when it would set back everything and put her in danger. It would be better to just let her go.

He sighed and nodded, feeling Boris squeeze his arm. Sergei reached up to pat his brother’s hand, that seeming to be the thing that Boris was waiting for.

Boris let go and turned to continue walking down the street. “Come on, the Valkyrie is waiting.”

Sergei let his brother get ahead of him, swaying in place. He knew that they would talk about what they would tell Selene and Mikleo, and they would have to discuss what they would have to cut out. Sorey’s name would be the first to go. Sergei bristled at the idea for a moment before shaking his head.

It wouldn’t matter, because they would be still be about Sorey and nothing would change that. Besides, this was one of the few ways left to them to keep Sorey alive and it would foolish to let it disappear.

Sergei took a deep breath, looking back over his shoulder at where the two seraphim could just be seen at the end of the street. He watched them for a moment, taking in the way that Mikleo leaned close to Selene, the two of them seeming to be caught up in their own little world. Sergei smiled at the two of them, inclining his torso in a partial bow to the two of them before turning on his heel and starting after his brother.

* * *

Selene walked down the back hallway, the bustle of the palace a distant sound in the background. She turned her head to look back over her shoulder, watching the stream of people as they walked out of the lecture that had taken place in one of the great halls. She knew that she should go back, but she wasn’t ready, not just yet. Not until she found what she was looking for.

She gave the stream of people one last glance, seeking out familiar faces before turning and walking further down the hallway.

Kai and the others would be fine without her. They would be staying in Pendrago for another day before going back out, but she would be back before then. Besides, she doubted that they would come looking for her. They would just assume that she had found Mikleo and the two of them had gone to spend some well-deserved time together. The thought made her stomach twist, Selene not sure if it was in anger or fear.

She didn’t want to be found quite yet, not until she had found what she was looking for and confirmed things for herself.

Selene picked up her pace, turning down a smaller hallway and making her way deeper into the palace.

She was sure that she technically wasn’t allowed this far back, but she didn’t think that anyone would tell her to leave. Not when she was a seraph and certainly not when she was known as one of Shepherd Kai’s seraphim. That might win her the leeway she needed, although they might be worried about the direction she was heading. It wasn’t towards any of the queen’s suites or offices, it was towards the older parts of the palace, where things were stowed away to be forgotten about. Certainly that would be enough to make them ask her to leave, but she hoped not.

Then again, this wasn’t King Vanya’s rule, nor the rules of anyone who had followed after him. It had been a good four hundred years since she had really gotten to know the latest elected monarchs, not since the ache of losing people had scared her away.

She wrapped an arm around her stomach, holding herself as she ducked down another hallway. The hallways she was walking down were getting dimmer, Selene giving them a wary look before pushing onward. She didn’t want to wait any longer, she wanted her answers, and the only way she was going to get that was by looking herself.

She swallowed, focusing her gaze ahead as she navigated the twists and turns of the hallways. She remembered the way well enough that she could let her mind drift.

Mikleo had brought her down here plenty of times, sometimes to retrieve something on the rare occasions he was in Pendrago on official business. But mostly they had gone to look at the small set of portraits that was set up away from the others. Selene had never really known why, and the only time that she had asked Mikleo about it she got the answer that he was going to look at a painting of his soldier. She had never questioned it after that, because she had never gotten more from Mikleo about his soldier. But she wished that he had, because it didn’t make sense. It hadn’t made sense for hundreds of years but, then again, she had never really thought about it.

Any stories that she had gotten from Sergei, Boris and Alisha about Mikleo’s soldier had made him out as nothing special, aside from getting the honor of becoming a Platinum Knight. He’d just been loyal to his comrades and kind, which was all that was important. After all, the emperor certainly hadn’t been, not according to everything she had heard and read. But Mikleo had had his soldier, which had been enough to make her feel better.

Why Mikleo didn’t talk about him wasn’t that surprising either, because Selene had always been told that the emperor had killed him. And that had made sense, because she couldn’t imagine the horrible emperor of all the stories allowing _his_ seraph to be taken away by a mere soldier. Selene had never really known how Mikleo’s soldier had died, but she’d never felt right asking about it. The only thing that mattered was how much it had hurt Mikleo, which was all that she cared about.

If she knew about that, then it made his trips up to the top of the mountain to stand at the grave made sense, as did all the days where Mikleo had seemed slow to move and lost in his own mind. She’d never pushed him on the topic, although she wished she did. Now she realized that she had spent so much time just accepting what she had been told and not thinking about it, and she regretted it.

There was no reason that she could think of that a soldier, even a Platinum Knight, would have their portrait in the palace. The only portrait of the Knights were in their tower and then they were only of the generals. Selene had seen those portraits plenty of times, both before and after Sergei’s had been added to the rest. Even then she couldn’t imagine why Sorey would have kept the portrait if he had hated the man so much.

If that wasn’t enough, the fact that no one had ever told her the soldier’s name should have clued her in. But it hadn’t, because she had thought that they were just being respectful of Mikleo. There had been too many things like that, things that she had missed when she had young but she had no excuse for missing now.

Selene slowed down as she reached the hallway, staring down it. She could see the glint of gold on the frames of the portraits, Selene scanning them over. She remembered the hallway, but not quite where the portrait was. She had always wandered up and down the hallway, looking at all of the portraits and things that were kept out of the way. Besides, Mikleo had always taken his time staring at a portrait that was too high for her to see. And, by the time she had grown up enough to see it, their trips to the hallway had stopped.

She swallowed, reaching up to push her hair back. Her fingers knocked against her circlet, Selene curling them around it to steady herself before stepping forward. She didn’t dare let go of it as she approached the center of the hallway, Selene scanning over the portraits.

They were all the same, stodgy old men and women sitting in the same position. Selene didn’t know if they were members of the old royal family or something else entirely. It had never mattered to her. She scanned over their faces, slowing down around when she remembered Mikleo always standing. Selene dropped her gaze to the ground, stepping into the position that seemed right before turning to face the portrait on the wall.

She dropped her hand from her circlet, her eyes widening as she stared at the man. There was a tiny label screwed into the frame, but Selene didn’t need to read it to know who the man was. She was sure everyone knew who he was. His other portrait was tucked into the gallery that showcased all the other emperors and empresses of Rolance, all the way at the end. Selene didn’t think that there was a person or seraphim alive who wouldn’t recognize him.

She stumbled backwards, her shoulders knocking back against the opposite wall. She was aware that she was breathing heavily, but she couldn’t stop herself.

She was used to the official portrait, the one that made the emperor look like all the others before him. It had been easier to imagine him as the cruel tyrant that everyone said that he was. But this portrait was completely different. He was in blue for one, and he seemed completely different that she expected.

He may have been sitting in a chair, but he was leaning forward, and open book in his lap. One finger was marking the page that he was on but his full attention was forward. Whoever had been there occupied his full attention, the flickering light in the hallway making his eyes look like they were sparkling, which matched with the way he seemed to be laughing.

Selene swallowed, lifting a shaking hand to press it against her mouth. She wanted to shake her head and deny what she was seeing, because she didn’t like it.

This couldn’t be a portrait of Mikleo’s soldier, because this was a portrait of Emperor Sorey. She couldn’t push the idea completely from her mind, because she remembered Mikleo referring to the portrait as one of his soldier.

But more than that it was the way that the emperor looked. It was always hard to tell in the official portrait because of its placement, the way that the emperor seemed to be practically swallowed in all of the official regalia and the dragon that was looming above him. The portrait in front of her hid nothing, which made it all the more horrifying because she recognized more of the features.

They were hers. _Her_ eyes. _Her_ smile.

Selene whimpered around the hand against her mouth, wanting to close her eyes. But that wouldn’t do anything, the portrait would still be there as would the truth.

There were people talking about it now, people looking into the reign of Emperor Sorey and poking holes in the old stories. She was in the hallway because of those people. She never would have considered looking at the portrait if the lecturer hadn’t been talking about the new information they had about Emperor Sorey, which had been drawn from the private diaries of General Strelka and Queen Alisha. That had got her thinking about what she had been told and the old portrait in the far off corner of the palace.

Now she wished that she hadn’t bothered.

Selene swallowed and lowered her hand from her mouth. She stared at Sorey’s portrait for a moment longer, tempted to take a step forward when she heard the sound of someone running.

She jerked her gaze away, staring at the end of the hallway, her eyes widening as they called out to her.

“Selene!”

She opened her mouth to answer, because it was habit and it was Mikleo. He had always been by her side, ever since he had found her at the Earthpulse point that bubbled up near Camlann. But anything she wanted to say died in the back of her throat, because if he came down the hallway he would know. Then again, he had always known.

Selene felt a spark of anger, that enough to get her to push away from the wall and straighten her spine. She glared down the hall as Mikleo stepped into it. She saw his shoulders relax, Mikleo striding down the hall towards her. Her gaze jumped to the golden feather ornament stuck in his hair as it sparked in the light, her sense of dread growing.

His soldier had given him that. What kind of soldier could afford that kind of gift? What kind of soldier would give such an obvious gift to the emperor’s seraph?

She frowned, turning to face Mikleo as he came to a stop in front of her. He didn’t seem to notice her expression, too busy looking her over. “There you are. We were wondering where you disappeared to.” Mikleo glanced over his shoulder, taking a step back. “Kai was saying that he and the others would be heading back to the inn if you want to go with them.”

He took another step back, pausing when she didn’t follow him. He seemed to realize that something was wrong then because he frowned. “Bun? What’s wrong?”

Selene took a deep breath, preparing to say something that would explain why she was there. But it failed under the rush of anger and panic. She tipped her chin up slightly, meeting Mikleo’s gaze carefully. “I was just taking a moment to say hello to your soldier.”

Mikleo’s eyes widened, his gaze darting to the portrait over her shoulder. His mouth fell open, Selene watching him struggle with words before he looked back over at her. He took a deep breath, reaching out for her. “Selene-”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

That arrested his motion, Selene watching as Mikleo closed his fingers on empty air. His hand shook for a moment before he dropped it back to his side. He swallowed and looked away, Selene bristling.

It was the same thing Mikleo had always done when he wanted to avoid a subject. He would stall and wait for her to change her mind or change the subject entirely, but she wasn’t going to allow it this time.

“I’m five hundred years old, you had plenty of time. So, why didn’t you tell me?”

Mikleo flinched at that, his gaze dropping to the ground. She watched him, waiting for the moment when he tried to dodge around the question. Instead, he just seemed determined to remain silent, which was just as bad.

Selene stared at him, feeling the anger bubble over and she didn’t bother to stop it. “You could have told me, you had all the time in the world. All I did when I was little was ask for stories. You could have told me then instead of getting everyone to lie to me about your soldier. I based so much of what I knew off that fact and it wasn’t even true. And that makes me wonder what else was a lie. How much of what you told me were lies?”

Mikleo shook his head, finally looking up at her. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Then what was it like! I think to deserve to know now, before everyone else does. I think I deserve to know because it’s my life and I think I’ve been left in the dark for long enough.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“What’s complicated about it?” Selene flung her arms out, ignoring how one of them knocked against the wall. “I just want to know why you lied to me about your soldier. Why you got everyone else to lie about it too. And why do I look like _him_.”

She gestured at the portrait, stopping herself when she felt power surge through her. The earth rumbled in harmony with her anger, but that was all that she would allow. It was small and local, which was all that mattered. She wasn’t about to let anyone suffer because of this conversation, nor was she going to fling her power around like a child having a tantrum.

Selene took a deep breath, watching as Mikleo slumped. But it wasn’t an answer, he was still avoiding her questions and it made her angrier.

She huffed and stepped away, wanting to walk down the hallway and away from him. She could be angry elsewhere and come back when she had cooled down, but she couldn’t risk that. Mikleo might take the chance to escape and then she’d never get her answers from the source. As much as she wanted these answers, she couldn’t just abandon Kai and the others to chase after him.

Selene clenched her hands into fists, taking a few deep breaths before reining herself in. She looked back at Mikleo, waiting until he looked up at her again to speak.

“I’ve spent my entire life believing in one story, the one that you told me. You said that you were with the emperor, but you loved a soldier. You told me that he died during the war and that the emperor killed him. I visited his grave with you so many times. I listened to all the stories that Alisha, Sergei and Boris had to tell about him because he was important to you. I thought I had it right because it made sense, but it doesn’t anymore because I don’t know how this fits in. How could you love him when he used you in every way that a person can use a seraph?!”

That finally got Mikleo to react. His eyes widened, Mikleo shaking his head. “No. Sorey never hurt me.”

“How was I supposed to know?! You never told me about Sorey. You told me about a soldier that never existed!”

“It was all about Sorey, we just never used his name and title.”

“But how could I tell? Or was I never supposed to find out?” Selene stared at him, her horror growing as when he didn’t respond. She cursed and looked away, pressing a hand against her mouth.

Her gaze wandered around the hallway, looking for anything to steady herself with. She looked back over at the portrait of Sorey, her stomach twisting at the familiar features. Selene looked away quickly, swallowing as she tried to gather the words together. “Is it because I look like him? Is that why you never told me?”

Mikleo immediately shook his head, although the motion slowed quickly. He frowned, his gaze moving up to the portrait before it slid away. “It wasn’t, at least not completely.”

“Then why?!”

“Selene, it’s complicated.”

“I can understand, I promise.” Selene took a step forward. “I just need to know.”

Mikleo sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. Selene was sure that that was the end of it, and that made her want to shout more. She took a deep breath, ready to drag out more questions or begging, she didn’t know which. But she didn’t get the chance, Mikleo dropped his hands back to his sides, his gaze locking onto the portrait. “I never told you because I was scared.”

“Scared?”

Mikleo looked back at her, a tired smile crossing his face. “I’m allowed. I wasn’t a Great Lord then. I was eighteen and terrified out of my mind. Sorey was dead but that didn’t stop people from talking about him. I was so scared that someone would come after you because people wanted to get rid of everyone associated with him, or they wanted to restore the old royal family. I didn’t want you getting caught up in that. So I kept you a secret until I thought it would be safe. But, by then, it had been years and you had already formed your opinion and I told myself that it wasn’t worth arguing with you. I told myself that it would keep you safe, so I let it slide.”

“You kept lying to me.”

“Yes.” Mikleo drew himself up. “Because it kept you safe. I’ve lost too much in my life and I wasn’t going to add you to that list.”

“But that didn’t mean you had to lie for so long. It’s been five hundred years!”

“Would you have believed me? If I had told you that you were mine and Sorey’s daughter would you have believed me?”

“YES!” Selene panting for breath, watching as Mikleo’s eyes went wide. She stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. “Because it was from you, and I trust you. I would have listened because I was desperate to know what had happened because it was such a big deal and I only got pieces. So I put together a story that made the most sense with what I had, and it was horrible. I would have preferred to know that I was yours and Sorey’s instead of everything that I thought up. I’m just…I…” She paused to take a deep breath, wrapping her arms around herself. “I just wish you trusted me.”

“Oh Selene…” Mikleo stepped forward, Selene leaning towards him as he wrapped his arms around her. Selene kept a hold of herself for a moment before reaching out to cling to him.

She heard Mikleo make a soothing sound, one of his hands running down her back. “You’re right, bun. I’m sorry. I got used to keeping a secret that wasn’t just mine to keep.”

Selene nodded, not sure if it was in agreement or acknowledging the apology. She was too busy holding him as close as she could. The anger and hurt were still there, but they were calming down as she was enveloped in his familiar scent. It was wet earth and rain, and home, always home. She squeezed Mikleo more tightly before easing up slightly, resting her head on his shoulder.

She looked over at the wall, finding herself looking towards Sorey’s portrait. She stared at the laughing man, trying to find the emperor that she had always known and failing. They were two completely different people and it was something that Selene didn’t quite understand. The divide was too much.

She turned in Mikleo’s arms so she could see the portrait properly, tipping her head to the side. She didn’t know if it was just luck or an illusion or the painting, but it looked like Sorey was focusing on the two of them, his smile bright and wide.

Selene reached up to grab onto Mikleo’s arm, holding it tightly as she spoke. “Can you tell me about him?”

She heard Mikleo laugh before he kissed the top of her head. “What do you want to know?”

Selene twisted so her back was against him, tucking herself under his chin like she had when she was a child. “Everything.”

Mikleo hugged her closer for a moment, Selene feeling him kiss the top of her head again. “Everything, huh?”

She hummed her agreement feeling him chuckle. She wanted to tip her head back to see his expression, but she didn’t want to move out of her comfortable spot. Selene leaned back into him instead, settling into place as Mikleo started to talk.

“Well, to start, Sorey was a lot like you…”

* * *

Mikleo paused on the path, twisting to secure the feather around his waist. His fingers tangled in the string, Mikleo growling around the hair ornament in his mouth. He fiddled with the string, sighing when he finally managed to get the knot right. He tugged on the string a few times to make sure that it would hold before smoothing his fingers over the feather that dangled at the end. He smiled as the played with the tip of the feather, letting it drop back to rest back against his hip.

He turned to look back down the mountain, scanning over the steep path that led down the side of it. He could still see the old ruin that he and Zenrus trained in centuries ago out of the corner of his eye, Mikleo smiling at the memory. It had been a while since he had gone through the old place, he had mostly avoided it over the years, which was a shame. He should at least give the ruins a quick check over since they were in his domain.

Still, it could wait until after Selene came to visit with her Shepherd. Somehow, it didn’t feel right to explore ruins without her by his side.

Mikleo smiled to himself, leaning out a little further down into the valley. Most of the houses that had made up the village of Camlann were gone, save for the one that he kept in use for himself. The only things that remained were the stone foundations, all of them grown over with centuries of grass. Mikleo tilted his head, looking further down the valley.

The village was hard to see because of the rolling hills, but he could see the smoke rising from a few of the chimneys. Mikleo glanced back up the path, sure that he would be able to glimpse the roofs of the end of the village with just a few more steps. It had grown over the years, a village of humans and seraphim who had either come to be closer to his domain or Artorius’ Throne. Mikleo didn’t know which one it was anymore and he wasn’t sure that it mattered.

The village would keep growing and expanding further up the slope until it reached Camlann, and that would be good. It meant that it was thriving, that everything they had worked for was still in place. Mikleo breathed a sigh of relief, quickly shaking his head at his own thoughts. It had been seven hundred years. If there was a problem, it had been fixed centuries ago.

He sighed, reaching for the bit of leather tie that he had twined around his fingers. He shook it out, running his fingers over the length of it to check for knots. Mikleo gave the smoke rising from the village one last glance before he turned and continued trekking up the trail.

He didn’t have the time to stand around and reminisce, he was already leaving late as it was and he didn’t want to make the seraphim wait. They were sure to be in enough of a panic as it was.

Mikleo huffed around the hair ornament in his mouth, reaching up to start pulling his hair back up and out of his face. For a moment, he considered doing something that would keep his bangs out of his face, but he pushed the thought away. He would be spending most of the day walking through the Aroundight Forest, so there was no purpose in doing anything more than pulling his hair out of his face. It was a good few days walk, even if he wasn’t going to be stopping much. He would have plenty of time to fix it into something a little better than a ponytail. Mikleo was sure that not many of the seraphim would notice considering what they were gathering to discuss, but he had to think about appearances.

He was a Great Lord after all, and that was all the more important now that Maotelus was gone.

His fingers fumbled in his hair, Mikleo sighing as it fell over his shoulders. He swallowed and started the ponytail again, gathering the hair up in his hands. He tried to ignore the way that his hands shook, glad that he had the distraction of walking the rest of the way up the mountain and trying to wrangle his hair to tie it back. Mikleo twisted the hair in his hands, holding it with one hand as he straightened out the bit of leather.

It was a familiar motion, Mikleo twisting the tie around his hair and pulling it tight enough that it would hold his hair back. He tipped his head to the side as he started to tie it.

He glanced up as he stepped off the path and onto the top of the mountain, pausing to finish tying up his hair. He gave the knot in the leather piece a few good tugs, sighing as a lock of hair fell out. It always did and he was sure that the piece of the hair on the opposite side would fall out soon enough. It was enough to make him want to reach up and pull his hair out and start again. The only way that he had found to actually keep the locks back was to braid them before tucking them into the ponytail, but he doubted that he had the time to stand there and do it.

Mikleo could just imagine the panic that would happen if one of the Great Lords didn’t show up. He closed his eyes with a groan. He trusted the others to try and calm them, especially Eleanor, but it would be asking too much from the seraphim. They had just gone through the worst rise in malevolence since the war between Hyland and Rolance, one that had wiped out three of the four Shepherds that had been in circulation and Maotelus himself.

He shivered at the memory, his fingers curling into his hair.

He’d been there for the worst of it. Two of the Shepherd had already died, and the only ones left had been brand new. Besides, Selene had been there with her Shepherd and Mikleo hadn’t wanted to let her fight the malevolence alone. And he was glad that he had. After all, they had almost lost Eizen as well as Selene’s Shepherd. He swallowed, Mikleo closing his eyes for a moment to try and calm himself.

It was finished, they had managed to scrape a victory out of the horrible situation. Just what they had left after that was something that they needed to figure out. That was the whole reason they were gathering every seraph that could make the trip to watch them attempt to create two new Shepherds. Shepherd Ulrich had a Squire that could help them and Zaveid had found a likely candidate. Just what they would be able to do Mikleo didn’t know. The power of purification had rested with Maotelus, but Ulrich hadn’t suddenly stopped being able to purify hellions after Maotelus had shattered into shards of light, which might just mean that Zaveid and Lailah still carried the power of purification. They would just have to find out. And, if it couldn’t be done, then it would be up to the Prime Lords and the rest of the Great Lords to figure out what to do. Things might be calm at the moment, and they couldn’t just depend on Ulrich forever.

Mikleo sighed and opened his eyes, feeling weariness drag at him. He hadn’t even left the mountain and he was already wanting to turn around and go home. He couldn’t imagine what the four Great Lords could do to calm the seraphim and Shepherd, but he couldn’t argue against having them all there. At least they could start thinking of a solution for in case things went wrong.

He reached up to tug on his ponytail, trying to adjust it even as he glanced around the mountain. There was no point in worrying himself when he didn’t know how things would turn out, he could wait until he saw what happened.

Mikleo glanced up at the sky, trying to pick out the path of the sun. He pulled the ornament out of his mouth, turning it over in his hands. He was definitely going to be arriving late, but he was not about to leave Camlann without visiting Sorey’s grave. He had done it every time he had left the area for seven hundred years, and he was not about to break the pattern now.

He glanced back down at the feather ornament in his hands, smiling at it. He ran his fingers over a spot where one of the settings for the jewels had started to come loose. While he was by Ladylake he would stop into one of the smiths there to see what could be done. It had been a while since he’d had to fix the ornament since he usually took such good care of it. Even with his best efforts it was still old, but he hadn’t found anything that would adequately replace it.

Mikleo brushed his fingers up over the top of one of the feathers before he started walking again. He would pay the grave a short visit before climbing down the mountain and into the forest. He’d make up the short amount of time with a longer visit when he came back.

He looked down at the comb of the ornament, brushing the loose hair from the teeth. He sighed, flicking the hairs away. The Elysalarks could use it for their nests since they were due back from their migration south any day. Then the mountain would be filled with song and orange and cream feathers. Mikleo smiled at the thought, glancing up at the gates of Elysia. If the Elysalarks were coming back, that meant that the anemones would be coming back as well. That meant that it was time to clean up the cairns for the spring.

Mikleo took a deep breath, about to let it out when he felt a spark of something different. He sped up, walking under the gates and immediately pivoting towards the gate post when he didn’t spot anyone in the curve of the semi-circle. Mikleo froze when he spotted someone standing in front of Sorey’s grave, bristling slightly.

Elysia wasn’t off limits to anyone, but he couldn’t imagine why any seraph would want to come there, especially to the one cairn that marked a grave.

He stepped forward, looking over the seraph for a clue to who they were. There was nothing immediately obvious, especially with the seraph’s back towards him. The seraph was wearing dark pants with a blue tunic belted over it. A white and gold vest was on top of that, although most of it was hidden under the fall of the seraph’s hair, which faded from brown into blond.

Mikleo shook his head, stepping forward to talk to the seraph when he turned around.

The ornament dropped from Mikleo’s hand, his fingers curling slightly around where it had been, but he couldn’t do much more. He could only stare with wide eyes as the seraph looked over at him and smiled. Mikleo’s mouth went dry in the face of that smile, unable to move or make a sound as the seraph walked over to him.

He _knew_ that smile, knew that face and those eyes. They were all near, dear and _missed_.

The seraph kept smiling at him, the smile turning from wide to fond as he picked up the ornament from the ground. The seraph stood up, stepping closer. He rocked up onto his tiptoes to set the ornament into place, wiggling it slightly to make it secure. His hand trailed over one of the locks that had escaped the ponytail, pulling it forward slightly before letting go. Then his fingers were tracing over Mikleo’s cheek, the touch soft and gentle. Mikleo wanted to turn his head to lean into it, but the hand was moving back with the seraph.

The smile didn’t leave his face as the seraph come to a stop. “There. Beautiful.”

Mikleo made a ragged sound, not sure if it was supposed to be a word or not. He couldn’t even think of any words, they were beyond him entirely.

He reached out, his hand hovering in the air between them. The seraph looked down at it, Mikleo abruptly losing patience and jolting forward. He heard the seraph gasp in surprise but that didn’t matter as much as pulling him close.

“Sorey!”

The force of the hug spun them around, Mikleo feeling Sorey try to steady them, but that wasn’t important. He didn’t care if the two of them crashed to the ground as long as he got to keep his arms around Sorey. He breathed out a sob, nuzzling into Sorey as they stumbled to a stop. Mikleo curled his fingers tightly into the back of Sorey’s vest, feeling Sorey’s hand smooth down his back, warm and steady. He took deep breaths, his shoulders shaking as he breathed in the scent of old books and dust. That more than anything meant that it wasn’t a dream. In all of them, Sorey had been there and solid, but the smell had been distant and mostly forgotten. But now the scent was strong and achingly familiar.

Mikleo nuzzled closer, sobbing out Sorey’s name again as Sorey’s hands roamed over his back. He bit his lip with a whimper as he heard Sorey shush him gently. Mikleo shook his head, fumbling through words that weren’t just Sorey’s name repeated over and over. “You’re here. You’re here.”

“I’m here.”

“I _missed_ you.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Sorey hugged him tight. “But I’m here, beloved, I’m here.”

Mikleo nodded, pressing his face against Sorey’s shoulder for a moment more before pulling back. The scent wasn’t enough, he needed to see Sorey’s face. He needed everything to confirm that this wasn’t a cruel dream.

He pulled back just far enough to see Sorey’s face, resting his forehead against Sorey’s because he didn’t dare to move too far away. Sorey seemed to understand so he shifted his hold to cup the back of Mikleo’s head. Mikleo mirrored the motion, carding his fingers through Sorey’s longer hair before settling his hand into place. He curled his fingers against Sorey’s scalp, shaking his head slightly. “Don’t leave.”

“I won’t. I’m not going to.” Sorey’s fingers curled into his clothes, Mikleo letting himself get nudged forward slightly more. “I’m staying right here.”

Mikleo nodded, whimpering when Sorey moved his hand from the back of his head. It returned to him quickly, Sorey cupping his cheek and gently wiping away his tears. Sorey’s thumb brushed over his cheek, Mikleo letting go of Sorey to press Sorey’s hand to his cheek. He leaned into the touch, his breath hitching when the hand Sorey had splayed over his shoulders shifted, dropping down to the small of his back.

“Sorey…” Mikleo whispered the name into the close space between them.

He wasn’t sure who moved first, but it didn’t matter because they were pulling each other close. Mikleo gasped as his lips met Sorey’s, but then he was swept away by a kiss.

He had to bend slightly to keep their lips together, but he didn’t care. Not when it kept him close to Sorey and not when he could hear Sorey whispering his name and “Beloved” every time they pulled away.

Mikleo chased after Sorey’s lips, rocking them back until he felt Sorey fall backwards.

He yelped as he pitched forward, feeling Sorey’s grip on him tighten just before they hit the ground. Mikleo reached out to brace himself, looking down at where Sorey was splayed out underneath him and laughing. Mikleo found himself smiling too, carefully lowering himself down until he was resting on Sorey with his forearms bracketing Sorey’s head.

Sorey smiled up at him, looping his arm around Mikleo’s so his hand was resting on Mikleo’s forearm. Even there it was restless, his fingers roaming up and down Mikleo’s arm and making him shiver.

He leaned closer until their foreheads were resting together again. Sorey’s smile widened at that, his other hand coming to rest on the small of Mikleo’s back.

It didn’t take more than a soft push to convince him to rest on top of Sorey, Mikleo settling comfortably on top of him.

Sorey seemed pleased with that because he slung his arm over Mikleo’s lower back, holding him there. But Mikleo had no intention of moving. He would be content to lay there forever, because it was everything that he had dreamed of for seven hundred years. But it was here now, real and within reach.

Mikleo laughed, because Sorey was there, alive and smiling just like he had wished for all these years.

And it was perfect.

END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, so that’s done. I’d like to thank everyone who stuck with this to the end and gave their comments and support to this fic. It turned into quite the monster and you guys kept me going. I’d also like to thank everyone who drew for this fic, those drawings really kept me going through all of this.
> 
> There will be a few side stories for this fic, but I'm gonna take a break week before posting them, so keep your eyes peeled.
> 
> Last, and certainly not least, I’d like to thank my partner in crime in all of this. Nami, you really helped me get through this fic from beginning to end, from proofreading, to brainstorming, to doing beautiful chapter art, to holding my hand when this thing wouldn’t behave. Thank you for all that you’ve done. It’s been so much fun writing this with you.


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